MEL GREEN

I came to the USA in 1970. My emigrant roots are much like many others, except for two amazing family stories... my great- great-grandfather started the first Jewish congregation in Providence, and he died in Rhode Island in the late 1890s. I visited his gravesite and marveled at how my family's history was changed by that event, because his wife and children emigrated to South Africa instead... The second marvelous story is about my 16th century ancestor, who traveled from Padua in Italy to Lithuania, becoming the right-hand man of the ruler of a small feifdom in that country. He changed many laws to prevent bloodshed and which  would also harm the Jewish populace, when his dying employer put him in charge of his Lithuanian kingdom for a day, until a worthy successor could be found. This song is dedicated to my grandparents who made that journey from Eastern Europe to South Africa in the early 1900s.
My emigrant roots are much like many others, except for two amazing family stories... my great- great-grandfather who died in Rhode Island in the 1890s... and a 16th century ancestor who changed many laws to prevent bloodshed when his dying employer put him in charge of his Lithuanian kingdom for a day, until a worthy successor could be found. Dedicated to my grandparents who made that journey of emigration from Eastern Europe to South Africa in the early 19My emigrant roots are much like many others, except for two amazing family stories... my great- great-grandfather who died in Rhode Island in the 1890s... and a 16th century ancestor who changed many laws to prevent bloodshed when his dying employer put him in charge of his Lithuanian kingdom for a day, until a worthy successor could be found. Dedicated to my grandparents who made that journey of emigration from Eastern Europe to South Africa in the early 1900s.