A young Jewish boy watches his neighborhood fall to shambles and poverty during World War II. One of his best friends, Usher, begins attending Hebrew school, despite his family's poverty, when a family member promises to pay a debt back if it is put towards Usher's Jewish education. The neighbors all cry, "They're killing Jews in Germany!" and Usher's parents decide that a Jewish education is now more important than ever; they not only send Usher to Hebrew School but also have a rabbi in the house to teach him multiple days a week. Usher starts speaking incorrect Hebrew and leaning toward socialist ideals. Usher brings home a canary one day to be his pet bird, though his mother would have preferred an animal they could eat, instead of one they have to feed. When the local grocer is looking for a new hire, Usher's mother volunteers her son. Usher begins work with Mr. Grossman, who thinks the boy does a great job, and spends very little time with his friends. Usher, as a socialist, thinks everything should be free, so he always throws in an extra handful of grain or a thirteenth egg for the customers without Mr. Grossman knowing. When, one day, a customer loudly corrects Usher's "mistake," Mr. Grossman fires Usher for stealing from his store. After being fired, Usher spends time with his friends again and tells them that everything should be free. One of them suggests that if everything should be free, Usher's bird should not be in a cage. The boys go to his house and try to let the bird escape and fly free, but the canary does not want to leave its cage. They start yelling at it and throwing things at it with no success. They give up only for Usher's mother to announce later that day that the bird died. The bury the bird, Usher says Kaddish, and the bird is finally freed from its cage.