This is a ketubah, a Jewish marriage certificate, which hangs in my grandparents' home. This is very special to my family because it was handwritten in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. My great-grandparents were in a labor camp called Kopaygorod. The circumstances of how they met remain a mystery in my family. We know that the conditions were harsh, but they were still able to find love in such a tortuous environment and were married in secret because Jewish rituals were not permitted. This document shows my great-grandparents’ strength, and were it not for their bravery, they would not have been able to survive the Holocaust, and I would not be here today. The ketubah will always remind us of the horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust, but is a symbol of strength and hope for the future generations.

– Samuel Schwartz

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