Droozy’s very favorite American holiday was Thanksgiving. She had much to be thankful for. Her first Thanksgiving in her new country was a glorious one. It was not the feast that she would in later years savor. It was the exhilarating feeling of freedom that permeated her entire being. The freedom to walk in the free American air without being called names; the freedom to sit on park benches which did not state “Jews forbidden to sit here”; the freedom to speak without being censored; the freedom to be accepted as being human and not being jeered; the freedom to not hear: “throw them out the whole Jewish gang, throw them out of our fatherland, throw them out to where all the other Jews are that’s where they belong,” or, “Jews off to Madagascar,” or “die Jew.” She no longer had to look behind her to see who was there to hurt or menace her. She was a child, a person, someone who deserved to live!

In Weirton there were festivities in the Temple auditorium. The evening ended with a song: GOD BLESS AMERICA. Droozy joined in and with her heart overflowing with thanks and full voice joined in with the crowd in blessing her beautiful new country.

Droozy never forgot that first Thanksgiving. She never forgot to celebrate even as she got older. That holiday has more meaning to her than the crisp brown turkey, or the tangy taste of the bright red cranberry sauce, or the crisp green vegetables steaming on the festive table laden with all good things to eat. It means the right to work, the right to live, the right to be. It means her survival, that of her family and that of generations to come!

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Introduction
Pork Dumplings
Please Don't Eat the Goldfish
Pretty Shoes
Blueberry Cake
Sukkot
The Garden
Maxel
The Red Rabbit
Passover
The Lost Bathing Tickets
What Shall I Do?  The Double Message
Pieces of Gold
Aromas of the Sabbath
The Birth of a Brother
Green Apples
Herr Kübler
The Broken Leg
Boarding School
The American Calendar
Suse Puppe
Shirley Temple Eyes
Kristallnacht Nov. 9, 10, 11
Aunt (Tante) Mathilde
Ice Skates
The Cologne Cathedral
The Escape
A Belgian Holiday
Gas Balloons and the S. S. Washington
Papa
The Statue
A Bad Dream
A Pencil Thief
The West Virginia Hills
Thanksgiving
Ice Cream, Grieben and Baked Spaghetti
The Gypsy’s Song
Venetian Blinds
The Deaf One
Dimmed Lights
Marryyayo
Friendship
Norma Mae
The Spelling Bee
Run, Thief, Run!
Chances
The Candy Store
The Birthday Party
Deep, Shallow Waters
Red Riding Hood
Small Mama
Droozy In Love
Eskimo Pies
Apple Picking Time
Working Days
Easter Baskets
Valedictorian
Farewell
Blind Joe
Lessons Learned From Parents
About the Author