"Now, it was time to get the family and go up on deck. The ship was getting close to New York, and everyone wanted to be the first to set eyes on the Statue of Liberty.
On this voyage, they had beaten the averages. Of nearly two thousand steerage passengers, only eight had died during the voyage, two infants, a young woman, and four elderly people and the little murdered girl. Now, they had to prepare for the last hurdle, Ellis Island.
Johan kept repeating instructions to the children, the instructions about walking straight, standing straight, and smiling. Everyone knew that they had to be proper. If Johan was nervous, it didn’t show."

 

"Everyone looked out across the water. Watching, watching, watching. Families hugged and looked off in the distance. All at once, a shout rang out,

“America, it’s America. There, there, I see it. I see it. I see it. America.”

People began to cheer, even those who could not yet see it. The ship moved closer and closer as it entered New York Harbor.
The cheering and singing continued. Now, suddenly, there was silence. People were mesmerized. People were staring. People were looking at the Statue of Liberty and they weren’t cheering any longer, many were crying. Some knelt down on the deck and began to say their Rosary. Ten Hail Marys and an Our Father, were repeated over and over again. Many children, not understanding the moment, seemed confused by the tears of their fathers. Many had never seen their fathers cry. Hugs were in large supply. A Rabbi stood rocking to and fro with his hands clasped on his chest, tears dripped from his eyes onto his cheeks, and then trailed down into his beard. Some people waved at Miss Liberty, as if they expected her to wave back, but she didn’t. She did what she was supposed to do.
She beckoned."