Ari Lesser – Immigrant Story

Immigrant Story
Lyrics by Ari Lesser
Avner was born in Russia back in eighteen fifty one
Nearly a hundred Rabbi’s in the family he was from
Went to Vilna, for Yeshiva but it didn’t quite pan out
Never got his smicha cause he always had some doubts
But he knew that he loved Minda she was quite a sight to see
Though dressed as modestly as a young red head could be
The sleeves of her blue shirt hung low, long passed her elbows
With her black skirt flowing, showing off only her toes
They went under the chupah round the age of twenty-five
And soon they had six kids working hard just to survive
Avner was a learned man, brilliant and always eager
To educate the children, but since teachers’ pay was meager
He was also a mashgiach making sure the kosher meat
Was clearly marked, so the Jews knew what they could eat
And while Minda raised the kids, on the side she earned a bit
By selling all the mittens, gloves, and socks, that she could knit
She kept a kosher kitchen, with four different sets of dishes
All Yiddish cooking up gefilte fishes, and knishes
And though she was a working mom, she still found time to pray
Davening from her siddur each and every single day
She wished her sons would carry on with their Jewish tradition
For she was well aware of their dangerous position
In Russia, military service then was mandatory
When a man turned twenty, he’d be drafted, end of story
Cause if you were conscripted in the army of the Czar
You’d be gone for fifteen years forced to live afar
They’d choose young men at random, no one could refuse
And very few ever returned to be observant Jews
Avner and Minda had to find a way out of that cage
For the sake of their six sons who would soon come of age
Their plan was to immigrate to the United States
But since they were short on cash the family had to wait
So Avner left his wife and kids, and sailed across the sea
Hoping he’d make enough to bring the rest of his family
Wretched, tired, and poor, he came ashore in Baltimore
And started working harder than he ever had before
He stayed by his wife’s cousin, just so they could split the rent
Spent as little as he could and saved up every cent
Six days a week he hustled as a seller of umbrellas
Fixing them as well, tells you he was a handy fellow
It took six years to earn enough for his whole family’s fare
Then Minda and the boys packed up what little they had there
The seven of them took a ship, they left Russia behind
And sailed off to America to see what they would find
Avner was so excited when they finally reunited
And when Minda saw her husband she was also quite delighted
After being separated for about six years too many
They made up for lost time and soon Minda gave birth to Jennie
A testament to the love of her father and mother
Eight years younger, than the youngest of her six big brothers
The last and only child they had after those years away
The first person in my family born in the USA
She was my great grandma, her son was my grandpa Sam
His daughter is my mother Sue, and so now here I am
The fourth generation to be born in this great nation
And only G-d knows where I’d be if not for immigration
Over a hundred years ago my family crossed the sea
Dreaming there’d be a better life in this land of the free
Like so many before them, they were forced to flee
To escape from violence, prejudice, and poverty
Nearly every American shares the same story
Almost all of us come from some immigrant family
So when we see a foreigner arrive in this country
The very least that we can do is show some empathy