What does Independence Day mean to me? Well, let me tell you that it probably means a lot more to me than it does to most Americans. Independence Day sure means a lot more to me than an extra day off from work, a day at the beach, a family picnic and fireworks.
You see, in 1936 when I was 9-years old, my father, mother and I came to the good old U.S.A. as refugees from Nazi Germany. I've learned that America is truly the land of opportunity where if you take school seriously, work hard and do not wallow in self-pity, good things will happen to you.
If America had not gained its independence from Britain, my family would never have been able to come here. Why? Because the British refused to take in any Jewish refugees. I lost both sets of my grandparents to the Holocaust. I can say that Uncle Sam saved me from the likely fate of ending up in a Nazi concentration camp gas chamber and oven. And that's why America's birthday means so much to me.
Have a Happy Fourth of July!
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