The greenehwere poor — but products of a noble past
My parents were married in 1947 in a DP camp, and they and their extended families arrived on American shores in 1950. They were grateful to finally be in this new land and appreciative of the help their American brethren gave them, but it would take time for them to understand the culture and the nuances of American life.
The men worked in factories owned by shomrei Torah u’mitzvos. They were mostly located in the lofts of Williamsburg. A 12-hour day wasn’t unusual. Taking off on Shabbos and Yom Tov was no problem. Erev Yom Kippur and Erev Pesach were the only other “off days” when the factories were closed.
My father made neckties in a non-union shop that was open six days a week, and the employees were paid for piecework, not by the hour. My friend’s father worked in a union shop that was closed on Sunday, so he brought work home; it wasn’t possible to support a family on a five-day workweek salary. He made fabric-covered belts. I remember going with my friend to deliver the finished work to the boss’s house near Avenue C.
The summer I turned 14, I worked in a “piecework” factory. I learned a lot that summer. I could imagine the stress of a family being dependent on serious and in some cases backbreaking labor, and the feelings of the man who woke up each morning to face such a day.
Create a free account to keep reading.
