My artifact is my great-grandfather’s tallit. A tallit is a traditional Jewish prayer shawl often worn during services. My great-grandfather was born in 1920 in New York. A child of immigrants, he grew up very poor in the Bronx. He was called to serve in World War II and trained as a photographer, flying dangerous missions and taking pictures from the sky. After the war, he was unable to go to college, so he taught himself different careers to help his family. A kind, honorable man, he did everything he could to ensure his family had more chances than were given to him. His tallit always meant a lot to him, and it means a lot to me to be able to see it today. I can imagine him wearing it to observe the same holidays and traditions that I observe today. In Jewish tradition, passing down stories and artifacts such as this tallit maintains the relationship with the past. It’s a principle called l’dor v’dor, which translates to “from generation to generation.” My great-grandfather’s tallit symbolizes this to me. Seeing the tallit teaches me who he was and reminds me of his life and journey. Though I never got a chance to meet him, his experiences have been passed down and are a part of me now.

– GH

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more