This is an image of a menorah made of brass that has been in my family for over 100 years. It has been passed down many generations. It is an artifact from my great-great-grandfather who was born in Poland in the mid-1800s. When he came over to the U.S. from Poland, he brought it with him to ensure that a part of our Jewish heritage was brought with him. The menorah is a symbol of Jewish heritage, it is something we light every year to celebrate the holiday, Hanukah. This is an important holiday also known as the Festival of Lights. We light 8 days’ worth of candles because many years ago a temple in Jerusalem lit a menorah with only a days worth of oil, which ended up lasting 8 days. The oil that was needed to light the candles was in very short supply due to the many wars against the Jews. To celebrate this miracle of the oil lasting 8 days, we light candles for 8 days in a row. This is now a tradition in the Jewish community that I get to celebrate using this important artifact that was passed down in my family. 
The second image is of a mezuzah which has been passed down from my great-grandmother to my great aunt. A mezuzah has a small rolled-up piece of parchment paper placed inside the ornament. The mezuzah is hung on the frame of the doorway to one’s home to remind Jews of God’s presence when they enter a room or a home. My great-grandmother’s mezuzah is made of silver and precious metals. Both of these artifacts will continue to be passed down to the future generations of my family. 

– SL

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