Holocaust Survivor Holds Great-Grandchild

For any great-grandparent, meeting a great-grandchild is a blessing. To be able to hold a third-generation that you’ve brought forth is precious and momentous. But to be a Holocaust survivor and get to do this carries even more weight.

Jessica Glatt posted a photo of her then 3-month-old daughter Harli with her grandfather on Facebook to commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the photo, Harli wraps her little arms around her great-grandfather’s forearm. Visible in the photo is Glatt’s grandfather’s arm tattoo, which he received during the Holocaust. (1, 2)

Both of Glatt’s grandparents are Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. Her grandfather was imprisoned in several concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and he was eventually liberated from Ebensee. Glatt’s grandmother was in hiding during the war, often in extreme danger. Against all odds, both of them survived, met, and married. (2)

But along with the miracle of her grandparents’ survival came great tragedy. Both were the sole Holocaust survivor of their immediate families. Most of her grandfather’s extended family, as well as his parents and brother, were murdered during World War II. And the terrors of the Holocaust can’t be blotted out. (2)

An Important Photo

When Glatt first asked her grandfather to take the photos of his tattooed arm, he was hesitant. But he eventually agreed, and the result is remarkable. The image Glatt shared tells a story of survival and thriving despite the direst circumstances. (1, 2)

In an essay for Kveller, Glatt wrote, “And where to begin? That this mark of evil, which my grandfather has had etched into his skin since he was barely a teenager and which he reluctantly agreed to display for a photograph also radiates the very essence of survival?” (2)

And Glatt’s grandparents have truly thrived. Together they had three children, and they now have five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They are world travelers and keep their faith alive through holiday celebrations and their families’ recipes. Both have given their Holocaust testimonies to the Shoah Foundation. Glatt says that she hasn’t been able to watch the DVDs of their testimonies, but she knows many of their stories. (2)

Strength and Resolve

Glatt speaks highly of how her grandparents have chosen to live after experiencing the atrocities of the Holocaust. She wrote, “Their hearts are filled, quite remarkably, with love and not hate. Perhaps that is the only way to carry on after such unspeakable atrocity.” (2)

While living with the generational memory and trauma of the Holocaust is painful, Glatt recognizes the strength of her family and heritage. “Sometimes it feels almost unbearable to know that this is my family’s history. For us, the horrors of the Holocaust will never be erased. But some days, like today, it is reassuring to know that, as their granddaughter, I am born of such strength and resolve, as are my three children,” she wrote for Kveller. (2)

As for the photograph, it is a lasting reminder of her family’s tenacity and ability to flourish. She wrote, “One day, when she is old enough, the baby girl in this photograph, now a vibrant 5-year-old, will look at the photo and understand all that it represents. As will my sweet younger daughter and baby son.” And because Glatt shared this photo with the world, thousands more have been given a reminder too. (2)