This is an inscription on a small memorial in the town of Bad Neustadt in Germany. The town's 37 Jewish citizens, including my husband's grandparents, Hugo and Gretel, were arrested and sent to Auschwitz in 1942. On the stone memorial is a quote from the last letter Gretel wrote to her children, who had been sent to safety in England on one of the last Kindertransports that managed to save some Jewish children. The five children ranged in age from 15 to two years old. They never saw their parents again. The translation of the quoted portion reads, "Pray for us and remember us, tell our story to your children."
Ten years ago, a high school history teacher in Bad Neustadt researched the few surviving descendents of the Jewish residents, locating Larry's father and his siblings. Through her efforts and those of the descendants, the memorial, carved with wide open eyes, was placed in town.
תהי נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים
זכרו לברכה
Let their souls be bound with the bond of the living.
May they be of blessed memory.
Comments (7)
I am having a difficult time finding the words to express my reaction to this post. It is beyond sad but also inspiring to see this memorial with a remembrance to your husband's parents as well as the other Jewish citizens of the town. I agree that it is so important to remember. A very inspiring post...
Posted by girasoli | October 4, 2008 6:08 PM
Posted on October 4, 2008 18:08
God bless them!
Posted by saint2 | October 4, 2008 7:16 PM
Posted on October 4, 2008 19:16
I'm reacting to this the same way I reacted to the museum in Budapest. And in a word -- sad.
Posted by Deborah | October 4, 2008 7:54 PM
Posted on October 4, 2008 19:54
It is posts like this that will help us to continue to remember. Simple but powerful way to remember. Excellent post for this week's theme.
Posted by Marta | October 5, 2008 11:34 PM
Posted on October 5, 2008 23:34
Amy, that is incredibly poignant. I can't imagine how your family must have felt, seeing this memorial. It's a very touching memorial and such a crucial message about the need to bear witness and not forget such atrocities.
Thanks for posting this.
Posted by sandrac | October 6, 2008 9:15 PM
Posted on October 6, 2008 21:15
This is a wonderful response to the theme. It makes my heart heavy to think about this (and it blows my mind that it wasn't that long ago). The memorial is very moving and beautiful.
Posted by Annie | October 7, 2008 9:17 AM
Posted on October 7, 2008 09:17
How powerful and sad. Like girasoli says, how do I find words to express my reaction. And like Annie says, it really wasn't long ago. May we never forget.
Posted by Chiocciola | October 16, 2008 6:44 PM
Posted on October 16, 2008 18:44