To better understand the world we live in, it is good to learn about where we came from, as the historical events that impacted our ancestors' lives affect ours today in one way or another. So why not learn more about them? Surely what kind of people they were, at least to some degree, has had some effect on who we, their descendants, are today. What kind of lives do you think they led when they were young, growing up in the "old country"? What kind of conditions did they and their fellow Jews have to live under, e.g. in the Pale of Settlement of Russia? What were their reasons for emigrating? What effect did historical events such as the Bolshevik Revolution, the two World Wars and the Great Depression have on them?

There are many questions that we could ask to learn more, if only we were still able. Unfortunately, many of those who could answer these questions based on first-hand experience are no longer with us. One saving grace is that, because we have collectively worked over time to preserve our history, we may still  gain some knowledge and perspective on the lives of our ancestors. Perhaps our imagination will further this cause.

Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria
(1830-1916)
From Wikipedia