Max Hyman Crane

My Brother Max by Minnie Crane

My brother Max was the second brother (our third child).  Braina was the second child. Max or Chaim Mordechai, as he was called (in Hebrew) was a very sensitive ? boy. At a very young age he was sent to my mother’s brother Hillel in Pinsk to continue his studies and help his uncle with a younger students (rich, spoiled kids) sort of look-after them. Somewhere in the process of study he became indoctrinated with the ideas of socialism. Since uncle had a small printing press for his school Max and his friends use the school to print their propaganda material there. They were found out. Pressure was put on uncle: “Either you send max away, or we tell the police”. Max came home and he was very unhappy, no one his age in our small town with whom he could exchange ideas etc. so six months later he left for the United States. His voyage to the US took over six months. In 1905 the world still had outbreaks of Cholera. His ship was refuse encourage. They were afraid of the contagion. So his ship traveled from pillar to post until they finally arrived in New York. Our father's two brothers and our mothers brother Harry lived in the US. He finally settled with our father's   youngest brother, Uncle Oscar1 of New Britain, Connecticut. He was very happy there he was treated like their own son. He lives in New Britain a number of years, working, studying at night and saving money to bring over the younger brothers. First he sent for brother will.  

Next he sent money for me. I got sick. My fare to the US was taken by an unscrupulous third cousin of our fathers who dumped me just across the Russian border in East Prussia Germany. I managed to get cured and learn to read and write and speak German while I was still in Germany they sent for brother Harry. He visited me in Germany on  his way to the US. Six months later I was sent for and arrives in US on January 7, 1914 happy landings happy day.

Note: Uncle Oscar Kranowitz, was called Osher in Hebrew and then changed his name to Aaron in the US.