Bella and Larry Alpert, Israel 1950
by Bill Alpert
In 1953 my father first set foot on U.S. Soil. With only a single suitcase, Larry Alpert stepped off the Lockeed Constellation, along with two dozen immigrants, tentatively, yet full of hope, with eyes dazed by the sunlight, and with the anticipation of an adventure about to begin. Dad worked alone at a night shift job in a huge factory, until his wife came across to join him.

My parents became American citizens early on and toiled for years to take their place among the millions of workers that helped to build our nation during its golden age of growth. They opened their first company, a modest letterpress shop in Chicago. Dad was a naturally talented artist, and found that this talent served him well in the printing industry. It was a career that lasted over his entire (all too short) lifetime.

Last week, Mom passed away after a long illness. I miss both my parents terribly, but beyond being sad, I’ve also been reflective. Could they repeat their successes, had they touched down in 2010? How will my own son be able to find his way within the new realities of the job market?

The notion of “hang a shingle, work hard and success will follow,” can seem quaint and even laughable in the age of commoditization, outsourcing and double digit unemployment. A college degree is now out of reach for many, and is no longer automatically equated with job opportunity.

Still, I’m grateful for America, the opportunities it afforded my family, and so many others. I’m grateful for a landscape that still seems to egg me on with a hopeful new vision of the future.

Bella Alpert passed away the day after Mother’s Day.