Letters From Rifka
Written by: Karen Heese
Published by: Henry Holt and Company, New York, NY
Published by: Henry Holt and Company, New York, NY
"America," the girl repeated. "What will you do there?"
I was silent for a little time.
"I will do everything there," I answered.
Summary: Twelve year old Rifka shares the story of her family's journey to America through letters to her cousin Tovah. Tovah remains in Russia as Rifka's family flees because her older brother, Nathan, deserted the Russian army to save his younger brother Saul from the horrible treatment Jewish soldier receive and now they are in danger of being put to death for treason. Rifka remains strong and brave as she endures embarrassing examinations, illness and loneliness. The family travels to Poland together and then Rifka is forced to travel to Antwerp, Belgium to receive medical treatments while her family sails on to America. There are kind people along the way. She writes to Tovah about a milkman who helped her find her way after she became lost one evening, "How do you thank people for such kindness? I never knew strangers could be so kind." (pg. 65). Rifka is finally allowed to join her family in America but suffers more heartache as she looses her new friend is thrown overboard in a storm. She arrives at Ellis Island where she writes, "As I was finishing this letter a cry went up from the deck. when I went out to see what it was, I found all the passengers gathered on one side of the ship, looking up. They were looking at Miss Liberty, Tovah, a great statue of a woman standing in the middle of the harbor. She was lifting a lamp to light the way for us." (pg. 91) Unfortunately, her troubles are not over. The treatment she received for ringworm caused her to loose her golden, curly hair and the health examiners will not let her enter America because of her continued baldness.
Learning Objectives: Letters from Rifka offers students a firsthand account, based on the actual experiences of the author's Aunt Lucy, of an immigrant experience from Russia during WWII. There are parallels between the Russian Jewish experiences and the German Jewish experience. They will learn about some of the hardships experienced by immigrants. They will gain a greater perspective of why people wanted to come to America and learn about the process immigrants went through as they arrived. There are several issues in the story that may warrant sensitivity to young readers. Rifka's family is ordered to endure a strip search at the Polish border. Rifka speaks of her mother's breasts and talks about how the doctor made her feel dirty. There are also several deaths throughout the story. It is written tastefully, but some might find it inappropriate for such a young audience. One of the things I enjoyed most about this story was seeing Rifka's strength as she overcame obstacles. Along the way she is kind and helps those around her. At one point she helps a young boy. She realizes that he is a Russian peasant, as she says "an enemy of my people". At first she hates him but soon realizes that "he was just a little, hungry boy." She also helps to take care of a Polish baby whose mother has died from Typhus. Through all of her experiences she comes to accept all others saying, "To turn my back on the part of me that is Russian is impossible. I am Jewish, yes, but I am Russian too. I am both Jewish and Russian. And I am also more. I am so much more." (pg. 117)
