ATTORNEY Michael J. Gurfinkel has solved many immigration problems and helped countless families be reunited. Unknown to many, this leading U.S. immigration attorney also has his own immigration story to tell.
Atty. Gurfinkel’s father, Sam, was a Holocaust survivor during WWII. Sam was only nine years old when Adolph Hitler’s Nazi army rounded up almost all the Jews in his homeland, Poland. He had witnessed the cruelty and the mass murders in the gas chambers and had even seen how the Nazis had killed his own father, mother, and his eight siblings, leaving him the sole survivor of such a large family. Sam was able to escape death by fleeing to the forest, where he eventually joined a Jewish partisan unit that fought against the Nazis.
Across the English Channel is the city of Liverpool, England, where Atty. Gurfinkel’s mother, Renee, lived in fear and hid in air raid shelters – for Liverpool also suffered from heavy and continuous bombings from German enemy planes.
When WWII ended, both Sam and Renee set sail to go to America, believing that there were brighter opportunities for them there.
Fate had the couple meet in California, and after a series of dates, they tied the knot in 1951. Together, they started weaving their American dream with much hard work and persistent hope. Sam held three jobs, working from dawn to dark, while Renee raised their 3 children and ran their egg ranch in Baldwin Park, California.
Sam and Renee Gurfinkel shared the same dreams and beliefs as many Filipino families still do at present – that hard work, perseverance, and a hopeful attitude would bring them the realization of their American Dream. They firmly believed that education for their children was the most important thing to work for.
It is no wonder then that Atty. Michael Gurfinkel feels for and understands those individuals and families who consult with him – because his parents, Sam and Renee, were immigrants themselves, and shared the same “American Dream” over 70 years ago.
Atty. Gurfinkel also takes this chance to offer a tribute and express gratitude for the sacrifices of his mother, Renee, who recently passed on.
Watch this special episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 4 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)
