A Worm in the Horseradish
by Esther Kaufman

Deep are the roots of the Jews in America, but back at the turn of the century a new wave of peasant immigrants had a comically difficult time getting their feet on the ground.

And it seems to have been the destiny of Yonkel to bring home every stray immigrant he could find, much to his wife's everlasting despair.

A warm-hearted tailor with a family of four fitted into two rooms.

Yonkel had to sleep his stray friends on the fire escape outside.

His own son slept in the living room on dining-table slats extended between chairs.

Yonkel expected his son to become a big doctor in the new world, but David's heart just wasn't in it.

It was a wrenching experience, but he had to tell his father that he had dreams and was going into real estate.