New York City is a concentrated specimen of humanity. In it, both our accomplishments and downfalls are on full display. 8.2 million people are squished together into an area of about 300 square miles.

This was my first visit to the Big Apple; and I can tell I have only scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. New York City encompasses history both old and new, and I got to taste a little of each. Of course, not without a good dose of modern culture too.

Preview Points:

  • Many waves of NYC’s immigrants have lived in tenements.
  • We met a Holocaust survivor!

We didn’t take the standard boat ride to Ellis or Liberty Island. Instead we experienced an innovative museum in the Lower East Side of NYC.

The Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum is by tour only. Unlike many museums, there is a wide variety of tours that you can take. Each one touches on a different aspect of the tenement. You can keep coming back and hear a unique story each time. I’m sure this model also makes more money for the museum.

What makes this tenement so special is that it’s a completely ordinary building. The structure survived exactly how it looked over 100 years ago. No major renovations and no total teardown.

Our tour guide started off by reminding us that history is something that is very much alive. What has happened in the past affects our lives now, and what is happening now is the history of the future. She encouraged us to ask questions, to make the tour less of a speech, and more of a dialogue.

The tour that still had tickets left (get them ahead of time!) was titled Shop Life. Focusing on the basement level of the tenement, we sat down inside what used to be shop space. We were to learn about three of the many families who did business there over the years.

A Little Germany lager shop was the first of many businesses to occupy the building. In places such as Bavaria and Hamburg, tiny bars served as the center of the community. All ages gathered there to eat, drink, and socialize–almost a neighborhood living room. The lager shop brought that tradition to their new home.

This neighborhood has been the initial landing spot for many waves of immigrants. Later on, the area flooded with Eastern Jews, and lager shops transformed into kosher butcher shops.

During the Depression era, the space was converted into an auction house. Later in its varied life, a lingerie shop operated in the tenement. (They even had a pair of underwear in a case!) In a sort of full circle, the descendants of Jewish immigrants owned the business. Today, the neighborhood is predominantly Latino.

We continued on our Jewish history trail with our next stop.

The Jewish Heritage Museum

One of the many prominent immigrant groups in New York are the Jews. I don’t think I’ve seen that many yarmulkes before, granted, I probably haven’t seen that many people before, so…. Anyways, we heard about the city’s Jewish Heritage Museum and a special, temporary Auschwitz exhibit they have right now.

When we arrived at the museum, we had completely underestimated how much time we would need. The staff told us that it would be a waste of money to spend less than two hours there. After some deliberation, we resolved to come back another time before the exhibit left.

But on the second floor, there is an Andy Goldsworthy art installation that is open to the public. Gathering our whole gang, we rode upstairs. As we did, my younger sister said that she had just met a survivor of the Holocaust! The woman was waiting for a school group to arrive, and struck up a conversation.

Exclaiming over what it would be like to talk to a survivor, we stepped outside to the installation where you could see the water. Nestled between the cement walls of the museum were large, irregular stones; and inside of each stone grew a small tree. Their tiny trunks sprouted from a single hole in the stones’ centers.

A description of the exhibit likened the holocaust to these objects: life can grow in the most inhospitable of places.

There was a sober hope about the place. Green, leafy trees flourish despite the grey surroundings. Through the glass barrier the Statue of Liberty stands in the distance. An interesting comparison.

When we returned inside, we saw the woman my sister had spoken to. She said she had loved talking with her, and felt an obligation now to tell her more. So she invited us all to listen to her story which she was about to give to a school group.

We thanked her, and took a seat. Her story was not the usual one. No concentration camps, gas chambers, and numbered nameless. However, the terror was no less.

Sally Engelberg Frishberg was born in Poland. She was very young when Hitler came to power, and war began to overtake Europe. Once Poland was occupied, real world news was difficult to find. The people of Poland lived in a bubble of restrictions.

One point that Sally made very clear was this: there is a big difference between Nazis, and Germans. Not all Germans were Nazis. Her father became friends with a German soldier who they were forced to house–that man, Mr. Arnold, was not a Nazi.

Notices for the inhabitants of her town during the occupation became progressively restrictive. Finally, a notice was posted that was only for Jews; it no longer referred to them as citizens.

When news came that all Jews should report to the train stations, Sally’s father refused. Others asked him why: the Germans promised better living conditions at the end of the journey–better everything. Sally’s father replied with a warning Mr. Arnold had given him. Don’t worry about the little lies; they are harmless. But when there are big lies, be scared.

“WE ALL NEED TO LEARN HOW TO GET ALONG.”

SALLY FRISHBERG

Sally’s father refused to go, and the entire Jewish community of their tiny village stayed with him. All except Sally’s grandfather, who called him crazy for his skepticism. He left on the trains, and the family never heard from him again.

Now Sally’s father said they needed to leave: the Germans wouldn’t find them at the trains, and they wouldn’t find them at their house. So Sally’s family, along with her maternal uncle’s family, fled. During the day, they hid inside haystacks, then moved on at night. The season was warm, and they were able to stay together.

One night, Sally’s mother and uncle heard a familiar whistle. Taking a risk, they emerged from their hiding place, hoping against hope it signaled help. It was. Their childhood friend was there. He told them that the Nazis would find them there–other Jews had been discovered then killed on the spot.

From that night on, this friend warned them of Nazi searches, and told them which places were safe. As the weather cooled, Sally’s mother begged him to build them a house of sorts to stay in. He couldn’t. All his tools had been confiscated. But he relented, and hid the families in his attic.

For two whole years, this man cared for the people living in his attic. Every day, he brought them food and disposed of their waste. At last, as Allied troops neared the house, the friend told them they would find safety if they entered Allied territory. They made their way to safety by crawling. After such a long confinement, their legs could no longer hold them.

“DON’T LET WRONG PASS YOU BY; IT WILL HIT THOSE YOU LOVE THE MOST.”

SALLY FRISHBERG

Listening to her firsthand account was gripping in a way that no book can be. If you ever have an opportunity to speak to someone who has actually experienced a historic event, do it. There’s no replacement.

~

New York City teems with things to see. From craning my neck to look at the skyscrapers, to the other world of the subway, the city has so much to experience. There’s the staircase-to-nowhere Vessel, tasty food practically everywhere you look, and art in so many formats.

Once I got over my slight feeling of claustrophobia, New York was stupendous!

The Tenement Museum’s website has some great resources! Check out their videos, articles, photos, and podcasts about immigration and America.

Immigration Museum NYC | Tenement Museum

Neighborhood Walking Tours Discover often-forgotten places, unexplored spaces, and untold stories in a curated exploration of New York’s Lower East Side, a neighborhood that defined the immigrant experience. Tenement Apartment Tours Explore historically restored tenement buildings and discover how immigrants lived on New York’s Lower East Side in the 19 th and 20 th centuries.

This website has blog posts and moire detailing personal aspects of the Holocaust. A brief video on the exhibit is also available.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget.