My Grandfather, Jerry, was born in Palestine, now Israel. His parents were Zionists from Poland who believed in settling Israel. Life was very hard for them there, so they returned to Poland. When WW-II began the Nazis moved the Jews into the Warsaw Ghetto. My Grandpa and his Dad were captured and brought to Auschwitz where his Dad was killed. My Grandpa's Mom and younger brother, Bronislaw, were hidden and saved by a Catholic man. My Grandpa was sent to Bergen-Belsen, a working concentration camp with other strong boys. He survived the Holocaust and was reunited with his Mom and Bronislaw in Poland. Everyone in my Grandpa's family perished in the Holocaust, even two cousins who worked for Oskar Schindler from the movie "Schindler's List".  Worker #614 on one of Schindler's lists was my Grandpa's first cousin, Jakob Lewertow. My Grandfather was interviewed by Steven Spielberg's staff for the movie "Schindler's List" because he survived the Holocaust. My Grandpa returned to Palestine, now Israel, to fight in the Arab-Israeli War in 1948. My Grandfather's Mom married the man who saved her life and he adopted Bronislaw. They remained in Poland and Bronislaw Geremek became the 5th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland with President Lech Walesa. Bronislaw was unable to be elected president of Poland because he was Jewish, but he was responsible for writing the document for Polish Solidarity that ended communism in Poland. Unlike his younger brother, my Grandfather only wanted to move to the United States. I was never able to meet my Grandpa because he passed before my birth.

– JL

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