The object that I chose is my grandfather’s yarmulke and tallit. The yarmulke is worn on Jewish men's heads in prayer at synagogue, along with the tallit which essentially is a prayer shawl. My grandfather was gifted these at his Bar Mitzvah when he was 13. My grandfather and his family were immigrants from Belarus and came through Ellis Island with very few belongings. These were the only objects that my grandfather took with him and he kept them in a small blue pouch in order to conceal them. He had to hide these objects since they were clear indicators that he was Jewish. To my grandfather, bringing these items with him symbolized how important his culture and identity were to him and his family even if it meant risking their immigration and potentially getting killed. His family was able to escape their home village before Nazis fully took it over but almost all of his extended family who stayed ended up being killed. My family having these not only reminds me of how many sacrifices my grandfather’s family made but can also symbolize the rest of our family who was killed for their identity.  My grandfather has since passed but always made sure to tell his children and grandchildren how important your identity is and how you should never try to hide it. Since my dad was the oldest son, my grandfather's yarmulke and tallit were gifted to him when he passed away a couple of years ago. The tradition is carried on by my dad continuing to wear these items during service to further represent our family and for the appreciation of all the sacrifices my grandfather made. 

– Maddie Gillman

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