An eye-opening account of the Jewish immigration experience in the
1930s, and one man's battle against anti-Semitic immigration policies.
In 1930, a young Jewish man, Yehuda Yosef Eisenstein, arrived in Canada
from Poland to escape persecution and the rise of Nazism in the hopes of
starting a new life for himself and his family. Like countless others
who made this journey from "non-preferred" countries, Eisenstein was
only granted entry because he claimed to be single, starting his new
life with a lie. He trusted that his wife and children would be able to
follow after he had gained legal entry and found work. For years, he was
given two choices: remain in North America alone, or return home to
Poland to be with his family.
Born from years of archival research, Who Gets In is author Norman
Ravvin's deeply personal family memoir, telling the story of his
grandfather's resolute struggle against xenophobic and anti-Semitic
government policies. Ravvin also provides a shocking exposé of the true
character of nation-building in Canada and directly challenges its
reputation as a benevolent, tolerant, and multicultural country.
