The Memory Coat By: Elvira Woodruff

Rachel and her cousin, Grisha lived with their family in a small town called Shtetl in Russia. Many Jewish people lived there. They worked as cobblers, blacksmiths, tailors, and shopkeepers. They had little wooden houses and shops that ran along the cobblestone streets. The houses were often filled with large families. Rachel and Grisha had a large family. It was usually loud and people were always busily doing something. Rachel loved to tell stories and Grisha loved to draw pictures along with them. It had barely been a year since Grisha had come to live with Rachel. His parents were lost in an epidemic. There were times when he would run to the alley behind the synagogue where he could be alone to grieve. Rachel’s mother and grandmother worried about Grisha being outdoors in the cold with only his threadbare coat to keep him warm. But whenever they offered him a new one Grisha would always refuse. Rachel and Grisha would play in the alley. Rachel would tell a story and Grisha would draw it in the snow. Life was simple and bittersweet. One day new spread that the Cossacks were coming to kill anyone who was Jewish. Rachel’s family decided it wasn’t safe in Russia anymore so they decided to flee to America. The family made plans to leave and sold most of what they owned to buy tickets. Fear struck the family as they thought about the long ocean voyage and the dangers they faced. The immigrant tales of Ellis Island the inspection station in New York’s harbor frightened them the most. They agreed that no mistakes would be made when going through Elis Island. Bubba, Rachel’s grandmother, decided that if there were going to be no mistakes made and they needed to show that their family was in pristine condition, then Grisha needed a new coat. But he still refused. Rachel explained how the coat was made by his mother in her last winter. Early the next morning they started their journey and said good-bye to their only home. They left first by wagon, then train, and finally a ship across the ocean. The ocean voyage took fourteen days and to comfort themselves, Rachel and Grisha played their story game. When they all arrived at Ellis Island with Grisha still wearing his tattered coat there were crowds of thousands. To keep themselves comforted Rachel and Grisha continued to play the story game. Rachel began telling a story but she lost her balance and fell over bringing down Grisha with her. He fell on the side of their Bubba’s basket and scratched his eye.  When it was time for inspection the doctors examined Grisha’s eye and marked the letter “E” in chalk on the back of his coat. Rachel’s father tried to plead with the doctor but he could not understand a word of English. So the children were sent to sit on a bench and wait. Rachel had an idea. She turned Grisha’s coat inside out exposing the beautiful wool. The family took him to another line with another doctor, who was more kind and patient and understood Yiddish, where he was inspected. The doctor kept the chalk in his pocket and Grisha passed through with the rest of the family. Rachel had saved the family. Grisha’s coat was passed down through the generations.