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Abraham at his 75th birthday party
Introduction
Introduction
For my Wesearch project In U.S. History I chose to research and learn about my great grandpa, Abraham Axelrod. I focused my narrative on my great grandpa because I feel as though his story embodies the American dream. It is inspiring and motivational to see how hard he worked to thrive in American society. I also wanted to learn more about my families background and how we ended up in the United States. Through this project I interviewed my grandma (Abrahams daughter). I had to dig through immigration and naturalization forms to uncover and decipher his whole story. Through this project I researched about Russia in the early 1900s, and the persecution jews faced around the world at that time, to be able to better understand the decisions Abraham and his family made. One interesting fact I learned about my great grandpa was that even though everything he went through he remained humble and kind. Throughout this entire interview process my grandma kept stressing to me how much of a kind soul he had. He wouldn't hurt a fly. I also learned that he would get migraines that would keep him bed ridden for days, so when the draft for World War II came around he was exempt from it due to those migraines. I guess we can say they were both a blessing and a curse. Lastly I learned that ever since immigrating to the U.S. my family has been based in New York. When Abrahams family came here they settled in the Bronx and ever since then at least one of our family members live in New York.
A Brief Biography
A Brief Biography
Abraham Axelrod was born July 8th, 1913 (111 years ago) to parents Joseph and Rose Axelrod. He had an older sister named Zelda. Abrahams family lived in the Russian city of Kyiv. Kyiv, now the capital of Ukraine was once a Russian territory. Abrahams family had to flee Russia because the Jews were brutally being persecuted and exiled. He witnessed horrific things done to his people at just the ripe age of 7, which along with other things effected his mental health later on in his life. When Abraham came to America his family moved to the Bronx and he immediately went to work to help provide for his family. Abraham Graduated high school but was never able to go to college because he had to start working right away. His dream was to send all of his kids to college since he did not get that opportunity.
In 1939 Abraham married his wife Sydelle (My great Grandmother) they were both 26. They had their first child, a son named Barry in 1943. Than they had their first daughter Risa Beth (My grandmother) in 1945 and their last child, a girl named Jill in 1950. Abraham adored his wife and kids and wanted nothing more than to be able to support them and give them a fulfilled life.
Abraham dealt with a great deal of mental health issues, he fell into a depressive state around 1956 and had to be hospitalized for 9 months and given shock therapy. A year or so after that he started his own business building truck bodies. The business was in the bronx on 530 Bryant ave called “AA commercial body builders”. The biggest customer that his business had was Hertz. This business was what allowed Abraham and his family to gain a little bit of financial stability for the first time. He was able to send all three of his kids to college just as he wanted to. He credited the brains of the business to his wife, Sydelle, she was very very smart and if it were not for her managing of the money and the investment in stocks for the business it would not have been as successful as it was.
Abraham was described as quiet and kind and hardworking. He came from a very poor and underprivileged family so he understood the amount of work it would take to achieve a goal. He was humble and never boasted about the money he eventually made. He put aside his personal feelings to take care of the ones around him, he just wanted the best for his family and would not rest till he knew they were comfortable. His kindness was once of his greatest qualities. He treated people with respect and valued frenship and loyalty. Even though his father was a very mean man, Abraham still offered him a Job at his truck shop, further exemplifying his kindness. He would always give, he supported his sister's family, his wife's mom and many others.
In 1991 he had a stroke and passed away. His legacy will always live on with my family and now hopefully with people who read this. He deserves to have his story told an be praised for the hardworking, kind man that he was.
Abraham and Sydelle on their wedding day, October 14th 1939
Abraham in 1973
How does your individual family member’s story help you to understand the American Dream?
I do not know exactly how Abraham would define the America Dream. He passed away many years before I was born but when asking my grandmother about what she thinks her father would think of the American Dream she stated "If he was alive right now he would definitely consider himself achieving the American dream, He came here and built a life out of nothing. He worked hard his entire life to achieve economic stability for his family. He escaped a country that were out to kill people of his kind and came to a foreign, unknown, scary country with the hopes of starting a new life, and that is just what he did."
Abraham's story opened my eyes to what the American Dream really means. I now can understand that the American Dream has a malleable definition, and changes based on that individuals hopes and dreams for the future. Abrahams story emphasizes how hard work and determination are key to achieving your American Dream. We can see in his story his unwavering determination to provide and create a comfortable lifestyle for his family kept him motivated. Abraham's journey from Russia to the United States exemplifies the pursuit of a better life and the determination to achieve ones dreams. Despite the immense amount of hatred for jews in his home country, Abraham exhibited resilience and the ability to move past his previous hardships and create a better life for himself. His story reflects how perseverance despite significant challenges can allow anyone to achieve their American Dream.
Excerpt From Narrative Essay
"As the boat approached the New York Harbor, a green statue stood in the distance and as they came closer the vision of the Statue of liberty came into full view. The people on the boat erupted in screams of joy and cries of excitement, for each of them this was the beginning of their American Dream, a promise of a new, better life ahead. For Abraham, only 7 years old, arriving in America meant more like a safe haven than a dream. Too young to fully understand the weight of what's ahead but understanding what he was leaving behind. "
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