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Picture
United States
Orlee R received this picture from from her maternal great-great uncle Henry. This picture is originally from Poland and was taken before the Holocaust. It belonged to Orlee R’s great-great grandfather who was killed while trying to live through the Holocaust. The picture was taken in 1925. Orlee’s grandfather now uses it when he tells his story of survival to different organizations and schools. It is also on display in the Rs home. The picture is significant to the Rs family because it is the only picture that exists of Orlee Rs great grandfather. When Orlee's grandfather saw this picture, that was the first time he saw a picture of his father since he was a little boy during the Holocaust.
This object is significant to the R family.
Picture
Hungary
Sarah E received this picture from her maternal great grandfather. Sarah E’s maternal great grandfather, Binyamin Zev A, took this picture in Hungary in 1941.This picture is important to the A, M, and E families because it is a treasured picture of the whole family before the Holocaust. Sadly, half of the family died in the Holocaust. This picture is used today to remind the A, M, and E families about the unfortunate event that happened to the A family.
The A, M, and E families have learned many stories from this picture.
Picture
Czechoslovakia
Sigal B received this picture from her maternal great-great grandparents. Sigal B’s maternal great-great grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Moshe R received this when their family took this picture in Czechoslovakia. It is a picture of the whole R family. At one point the picture was sent to America. Sigal’s family has kept this object because her great grandfather is one of the people in the picture. It is still displayed in her grandparents’ living room today.
Sigal's family will cherish this for many generations.
Pictures
Palestine
Rachel C’s maternal great grandfather Ernst V created this unbelievable photo album. He met his wife, Rachel’s maternal great grandmother in Germany in 1930. Trudy was from a more upper- class family. Hitler began to come to power in the 1930’s. Ernst was a Zionist and he left Germany for Palestine. He really wanted Trudy to join him, but she did not want to for three reasons. First, Palestine was all dirt roads, and she was not eager to move to a place where she would be a pioneer. Secondly, all her family was in Germany, and she was not eager to leave them. Third, she did not know what Hitler’s plan was. She found it hard to believe things would get so bad. After some time, Ernst sent Trudy a telegram from Palestine that in different words said “The ring is here. Come and get it.” Trudy couldn’t resist. She came to Palestine to get the ring, get married and she and her husband settled in Palestine now the land called Israel. This album was made by Ernst at the beginning of his settling into Israel. It includes photographs and drawings. This album also includes the telegram that saved Trudy and got the couple to unite and marry. This is a very important heirloom the C/ V/ C family. They will cherish this album for many generations.
They will cherish this album for many generations.
Diploma
United States
Daniel L earned this certificate of a Rabbinic Authority from his maternal great grandfather. Daniel L’s maternal great grandfather, Alexander B, received this when he became a rabbi during the year of 1929. He studied for a long time at Yeshiva University. He was born in Poland, and he went to a Jewish school and learned Hebrew. At 16 he left the country at the end of World War I because it was too dangerous to live there. Once he arrived in America, he learned English. After college he got this certificate.
The B family and the L family will cherish this diploma for many generations as they are proud to be a descendant of a Rabbi.
Picture
Israel
Morgan L received this picture from his maternal grandmother Charna Weissman. This picture of Morgan Ls' great-great grandparents was taken in 1914 at a family wedding. Faiga L, Morgan's great-great grandmother immigrated to the United States in May, 1906 where she met and married her husband Samuel M. While she wanted to immigrate to Israel, circumstances dictated the United States instead where she was set up with an arranged marriage. They married that year and immediately started a family and gave birth to 4 children including Morgan's great grandmother, Frieda M N. Her complete devotion Judaism, piety – she davened 3 times a day, and an ardent Zionist, she was very active in the Mizrachi movement and had a total and complete faith in Hashem which she transmitted to her children and grandchildren. Morgan's great-great grandfather had a beautiful voice and was a baal tefillah in the synagogues that his family built in the Bronx. He unfortunately passed away in the flu epidemic in 1917 and left Morgan's great-great grandmother a widow with 4 children. Despite the restrictions imposed upon woman who were widowed and alone, Morgan's great-great grandmother was able to raise her children with complete devotion to Judaism and Eretz Yisrael which is apparent in Morgan's family today.
Each and every great- great-great grandchild all attend Yeshiva today.
Picture
Poland
This photograph belonged to Yosepha P’s great grandmother, Bety Lubin. When “Bubby Betty” passed away, her daughter, Elaine S, gave it to Yosepha’s mother, Dena P, because she knew how much Dena had loved looking at it as a child and hearing the story of how it was taken. When Bracha (as she was then called) was about to leave her town of Dovid Haradok in Poland to come to America in June of 1924, at the age 13, she and her closest friends got dressed up in their Shabbos clothes and sat for this portrait in a photographer’s studio. They did not know if they would ever see each other again and wanted to make sure she would always remember them.
On the back of the picture is a hand-written note in Hebrew, signed by each girl, wishing their dear friend well in her far away travels, and hoping that she would never forget them.
Picture
Poland
Maya R’s great grandmother Paula K acquired this picture and hat after her brother Israel’s death. Israel and his parents Zysha Elimelech and Elka K were killed in the Holocaust in 1944. He was sixteen years old. They were taken to the Mechelin concentration camp in Belgium, and then to the concentration camp of Auschwitz in Poland. Israel managed to survive the camp because he could work, and was therefore allowed to live. However, towards the end of the war, Israel was forced to take part in the death march from Auschwitz as the Nazis were trying to cover up the evidence of what they had done. Israel was marching next to his friend the whole time, but at one point his friend looked away, and when he looked back Israel was no longer beside him. After hearing this news, Paula waited for months in the hope that Israel would return, but he never did. The picture and the hat is all we have left of him.
This picture and hat are important to the C family.
Pictures
Germany
Brian P received this scrapbook from his maternal great grandfather. Brian P's maternal great grandfather, Harry G, kept this in the POW camp during WWII. The camp was called Stalag 2b Hammerstein. In this book Harry G’s friends wrote letters to him. He also put pictures of him and his friends at the camp and drew pictures. Harry spoke German. He was the confidence man, which means that he was the interpreter between the Germans and the American prisoners. He got extra medical aid, costumes, and painting tools for the prisoners so they could put on plays and draw when they were bored. Harry was able to get a scrapbook that everyone in the camp would add to. When the camp was liberated, Harry brought the scrapbook home and his wife, Mimi G, has kept it ever since he passed away.
This valuable object will remain in the Parness family because it is a reminder of Harry G and teaches the family a lot about him.