This is a picture of my great-grandfather (sitting down), my father (the taller boy on the left), and my uncle who is three years younger than my dad (the shorter boy on the right). This picture was taken a week before my father’s bar mitzvah, in 1978. A week later, the night before my father’s bar mitzvah, my great-grandfather passed away. The reason this picture is so important to me is that my great-grandfather in this picture survived the holocaust, and he almost lived long enough to see one of his grandsons be bar mitzvahed. Also, this is the last picture of my great-grandfather that I had before he passed away. My great-grandfather died on January 13, 1978, from a heart attack, as he was being walked home from a celebratory dinner with my grandfather (his son). The next day was my father’s bar mitzvah, and everyone in the synagogue knew about his death, except my father and uncle, who were told after the service and party. In conclusion, this picture is important to my family because this picture was taken before my great-grandfather, named Jacob passed away.

– L.A.

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant