When Jessie Came Across the Sea By: Amy Hest

In a poor village was a small house with slanting roof that had only 2 chairs and 2 narrow beds. The stove is what kept the home warm in the witer. There was one skinny cow and a little garden. Jesse and her grandmother lived here because he parents had died when she was younger. Jesse held onto her mothers wedding ring. When the boys went to rabbi for lessons, Jessie’s grandma insisted she went too. She read at night by the fire while her grandmother sew lace. She started to teach her grandmother how to read and write while her grandmother taught her how to sew. One night toward the end of the summer rabbi called the people of the town for a message. His brother Mordecai passed away and left him a ticket for America. He could not take it because he was the Rabbi and would not leave his town. Many villagers came to the Rabbi saying they should be the one to go to America for various reasons. The next morning the Rabbi told Jesse that she is the one who was chosen. She will go to NYC to live with the widow Kay and work in her dress shop and sew. Grandma prepared Jessie for her trip. She had a tiny silver box with the lace lining but her mother’s wedding ring was not in it. Jessie had asked grandma to hold on to it and keep it safe. Jessie had cried. She sailed for many days,she was too ill to sleep and too ill to eat. The passengers kept themselves occupied. Jessie began to sew to pass the time. Jesse met a boy named Lou and they became good friends. When they reached America the ship became silent and Jessie thought of her Grandma. In Ellis Island going through the questions and tests Jessie lost Lou. Jessie had finally met Kay. Jessie began sewing in the dress shop for 3 coins a week. Lace was her specialty and she soon began making wedding dresses. Jessie went to school so she could be smarter and learn English.  Jesse was now 16 and saw Lou at the park. They met every Sunday. Jessie wrote to her Grandmother about Lou and saved up all her money. Lou asked Jessie to marry him and when grandmother came to America they were married. Grandmother gave Jessie her mother’s wedding ring.