"Zachariah Goldberg was one of the millions of Jews who made their way from czarist Russia to America more than a century ago. In his case, though, he captured some of his experiences and impressions in letters and stories. Collected here by his daughter, Phyllis Goldberg Ross, they offer the memories of a witness with one foot in the Old World—his native Bialystok—and the other in the Goldene Medine. Thus, his short accounts combine some of the supernatural quality of Hasidic tales with the un-prettified testimony of the greenhorn immigrant. Goldberg's reports remind us of just why the Jews had to flee Eastern Europe, and the dangers they were willing to risk to earn a chance for a new life." – David B. Green, Senior Editor, Haaretz English Edition, and author of its "This Day in Jewish History" column

"Mr. Goldberg's voice is unquenchable, fascinating to listen to, and full of the everyday, real-life experiences that made up the immigrant story. The tales are varied, from the horrific to the enchanting to the outrageous. The injustices to which the Jewish people were subjected are cataloged with terrible specificity—but so are the ingenious strategies they use to escape them. Read them and weep and laugh, and you'll come away with even more respect for the remarkable people who made their lives here after escaping the mass murder that preceded the Holocaust." – Mary Fillmore, author of An Address in Amsterdam