Jeff Chandler

A Legacy and Sense of Destiny

The year was 1907. Max Shapiro had been a successful innkeeper in Krevitz, Poland. His little family consisting of a wife and six children ranging in age from one to twelve years, had all prospered under his hand.

He now found himself with hundreds of other immigrants sailing into the New York Harbor. They had all come in search of freedom of religion and speech, and with a dream in their hearts that they might build a successful future for their families.

Max was one of them. He came over ahead of his family to eke out a living; then he would send for them. They remained behind in Krevitz, a small town in Poland. He had left them amply provided for so that he could make the trip without worrying about their care while he was gone. Krevitz was near a larger city – Vilna – a city of commerce. Krevitz was leveled by Hitler during World War II.

Max’s sole reason for coming to America was to establish a better life for his family. During the bitter cold winters they often huddled together and slept by the large ovens, kept going all day in their inn, in order to keep warm. The smell of baking bread during the day provided a nice aroma throughout the kitchen.

Max had heard about America and had seen pictures of the Statue of Liberty. Now standing on the deck, he was about to pass the "Great Lady."

Max had heard how, if one worked hard enough, he could become prosperous in America. He had heard about how America was a mixing bowl of many diverse nationalities and races. He couldn’t comprehend peace and cooperation under those conditions. He was determined to find out first hand. It was something – an ideology – he wanted for his family. There were pockets of French, Germans, Dutch, Polish, and Spanish, all mixed together calling themselves Americans.

But uppermost on the minds of all the immigrant families was the opportunity to make something of themselves, to work hard, and to raise their children in a modicum of prosperity. Max anticipated that there would be cultural changes to adjust to. He had never seen a skyscraper. He had never eaten an orange, nor tasted ice cream.

Now the ship was coming up close to "The Lady." For Max she symbolized the promise of a new and better life. He had developed a love for her, for what she embodied – the promise of a life of hope and fulfillment.

As the ship pulled slowly past Miss Liberty and into the New York Harbor, Max joined the large crowd buzzing on the deck as the ship passed her. "Oohs" and "Aahs" could be heard from the crowd. There was cheering at the sight of her, as the immigrants talked excitedly among themselves. Max was quiet. He looked upon her as one who communicated for the first time after a long love affair by mail.

He had talked to himself over the years about planning this voyage, but he was really talking to her. Her image was fixed in his mind. Now he was seeing her face-to-face, as the ship slid past her strong concrete image. Max’s heart was large with love and gratitude for this new land which was beckoning him. She was the sentinel, the gatekeeper, letting him in, and because of her openness to him, he would realize a dream that had been burning in his heart for years.

He knew one day he would be gathering his flock about him, to tell them about what she meant to him. He would tell his family about the values of getting a good education, of working hard, of having a dream, and of staying focused on it until it becomes a reality. He would work to bring his family over so that their dreams could come true also. And when they came over, he would do just as he promised himself he would do. It was a promise to her also.

It would be two years before they came over. And then a few more years before Max would have a grandson who would catch the spirit of his grandfather’s words and the dream in his grandfather’s heart. This grandson would climb Miss Liberty himself to see her up close and personal. His name: Ira Grossel. He would later become Jeff Chandler.

Max was an ambitious man. He had served in the Army in Poland. Later he established himself as a businessman. He would apply the same ability to work hard in New York as he had in Krevitz.

He ended up in Brooklyn – the Flatbush area – and set himself up in his own butcher shop. He found a large furnished apartment on Park Place. It had a coal stove, gas heat, even a sewing machine for Mama. Max sent for the family.

In 1909 – two years after Max arrived in America – Sarah – Max’s wife – and their six children, ranging in age from three to fourteen, sailed on The Rotterdam. Since they were traveling first class, they were treated to the best accommodations, including sumptuous food. On this brood some of those delicacies were wasted. Sarah was an Orthodox Jew, so kept tight restraints on the eating habits of the children. Also, many of the fancy dishes were new to her, and not knowing what they were, she forbade the children to eat them. They ate bananas with the skins, because they’d never eaten bananas before, and didn’t know to peel the skins. They’d never eaten ice cream. There were many new and exciting experiences in store for them.