Mordecai Yitzhak LIEN was born in 1894 in Wysokie Litewskie, a small town of the Russian empire. He lived there until the age of sixteen.

At that time, in 1910, he joined thousands of other Jews in the massive migration to America.

Embracing his new homeland, he adopted a new name: He was known as Max Isadore LEAVITT for the rest of his life.

Text and photos contributed by the Leavitt descendants.