Brandeis on the Lower East Side of Manhattan

Second- and third-graders from The Brandeis School in Lawrence, along with their teachers, Helen Liebman and Elaine Winograd, visited the Tenement Museum in New York City on March 19. The students have been learning about the United States’ ethnic diversity with all of the immigrants who have made America their home.

They met Victoria Confino, a 14-year-old who immigrated from Greece with her family. She invited the children into the apartment she shares with nine members of her family. Confino answered questions about why her family had to leave their native home and looking forward to living in the U.S.

The Economy Candy Store on Rivington Street was the trip’s last stop. Economy Candy began as a shoe and hat repair shop which had a push cart outside that sold candy. When the Great Depression (Oct. 29, 1929 to 1939) began the candy cart started bringing in more business than the shoe store and in 1937 the business transformed into Economy Candy, according to the store’s website — ww.economycandy.com.

When Morris “Moishe” Cohen and his brother- in- law returned from World War II they took over the business and expanded into selling candy, chocolate, gift baskets, dried fruit, nuts and more.