Jewish American Literature & Culture

American Studies Seminar: The Promised Land

Images Clockwise from Upper Left:

1. Belle (Footlik) Berkelhamer.

2. Sara, Pincus, Bert, Iz, and Lou Berkelhamer

3. Berkelhamer Clan

4. Lou, Bert, and Iz Berkelhamer

5. Lou and Bert Berkelhamer

Laura Leibman's Family History Project

 

CONTENTS

• Part 1: The Great Tide Era, 1881-1924
• Part 2: From Margin to Mainstream in Difficult Times, 1924-1945
• Part 3: Achievement and Ambivalence, 1945-1973
• Part 4: Wandering and Return: Since 1973
• Maternal Family Tree
• Bibliography

It is important to note that this is a very one-sided family history. Because of the subject matter of this class, I have focused solely on my mother's family, as my father is not Jewish. My father has collected a wealth of family documents and photos, and almost none of these are represented here. The history is also undoubtedly biased by my own religious tendencies: I suspect if my mother were asked to write this story it would sound quite different. I have tried to make up for this by including some interviews from other family members.