October 2 - October 22 Summary

At Ellis Island, Rifka is screened for diseases and asked many questions in English; however, her mastery of the language isn't yet good enough, and she has to have an interpreter. A lady from the HIAS comes to help her, and tells her that she must calm down; she is going to be kept there because she has no hair and they need to make sure that the ringworm is gone. Also, she tells Rifka that they need to make sure that she will have hair or she will never find a husband and will be a burden on the state. Rifka spends her first week at Ellis Island in a crib, since there are not enough beds. Her brother Saul comes to visit but can't find her, so they don't see each other. Rifka makes friends with a...