As my daughter was working on a project for Hebrew School, we unearthed this amazing artifact. In my racial equity journey, I've been reflecting on the notion of ancestors and unaddressed White trauma. I've been thinking of my grandmother (and other grandparents) coming to America during the Pogroms and the trauma she/they experienced in Eastern Europe and in their subsequent early days in America. I've wondering how any of that trauma has seeped forward to me and how it might be impacting me as a White man. How Jews went from being a wholly marginalized group to entry into the White power structure (while still acknowledging the Anti-Semitism and marginalization that continues to exist).  All of this was embodied in this amazing woman who was an accountant in the WAACs and who went on to hold high level secretarial positions in corporations (pushing to the extent of what was accessible to women at the time).  

– Howard Fineman

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