1936 and Ronnie had her first taste of antisemitism,

it all seemed like fanaticism.

No one believed that a thing like this could happen,

Watching those that could get away to Manhattan.

Anywhere else but Kirchhiem sounded better,

Stamped into those passports, a red letter.

A "J" to single out Jews,

The St. Louis should have been a cruise.

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She was thrown out of school,

This was due to the Nuremberg rule.

What could be worse than feeling alone?

To be disowned?

Maryanne a dear old friend,

Her father made sure that would end.

Beating her with a belt, that was when our hearts felt

The complete divide that caused 6 million Jews to die.

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To be bullied would have been better than to be invisible.

Forgotten, lost, buried, left behind

this is what Hitler had designed.

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The voyage felt like a lifetime,

While the Nazis continued to commit their war crimes,

Cuba was the safe haven,

But they were turned away and Ronnie's heart caved in.

With the struggle to find a home,

The ship was left to roam.

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Rotterdam West, a detention camp

And the only way out was due to the stamps.

A collection that Uncle Willie had given her

She did not want the memories of him to blur.

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Arriving at Philadelphia was the end,

This was when the family had time to mend.

There was no more need to defend.

America was a god-send.

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After all of our chitchat,

Ronnie told me that

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Things like this can never be forgotten

These stories need to be remembered.

Otherwise, we will forget about our freedom,

And our freedom allows us to be who we are

Proudly.

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It does not matter if your a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim or an Atheist

But never forget that our freedom is the absolute sweetest.

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Authored by Amit Zach

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