Beit Hatfutsot's My Family Story 2020 Beth Tfiloh Curator Statements

Fur Goes Far: Debra B. ‘24 This portrayal of my family’s story depicts the fur coat shop that my great-great-grandfather worked at through hardship and adversity. In August of 1904, my great-great grandfather left his family and two kids in Ukraine to escape the pogroms and other anti-Semitic acts which made it hard to live safely as a Jew there. He went and sailed on the S.S. Louis to Ellis Island and then came straight to Baltimore to look for a job. He found a job at a fur coat shop in downtown Baltimore and worked there for a while to save money to send back to his wife and two kids so they could come to Baltimore. I have recreated the fur shop using various materials and symbolism. For example, I put a small Israeli flag at my great-great-grandfather's desk to represent how he was openly Jewish in America and was proud of his religion. If the pogroms hadn’t attacked Ukraine and caused my great-great-grandfather to relocate, my family would have stayed in Ukraine, and a long line of Deitchs, Sugars, and Barrons would have never ended up in Baltimore. Fur goes far. I am surprisingly grateful things worked out the way they did, as I would not have met the people who inspire me, and I would have never found my home sweet home.

The Empire Rival: Hannah B. ‘24 My Family Story display shows the ship that my great-grandparents, their two children, and my great-great-aunt and uncle were on. The ship, called the Empire Rival, was a ship that left Europe as part of the Exodus group to Israel. My family lived in Poland but when Hitler rose to power and invaded Poland, they left for the Soviet Union and started a new life. My great- grandparents even had a child in the Soviet Union who is my great-aunt Leah. Their life wasn’t perfect but then my great-grandfather was drafted into the army. He was almost killed in the Red Army at the front but managed to survive with the dedicated nursing of my great-great-aunt and great-grandmother. After the war ended my family boarded the Empire Rival heading for Israel. On this trip, my great-grandmother was pregnant and gave birth to a little girl named Tikvah (who is my grandmother). She was a British citizen because she was born on their “land,” so the family was let in, unlike the many other families on the ship. The project I made is the ship that brought my family to Israel. This project is not only important because it reflects my connection to Israel and my Jewish identity, but it also shows how my family are survivors and can get through anything if we try hard enough.

From Ukraine to Baltimore: Edward B. ‘24 This is a representation of my family's move to America. In 1977, my dad and his parents moved from Ukraine, Soviet Union to Baltimore, Maryland. My project represents the plane that took them all the way to Baltimore from Kiev, Ukraine. For this project I used papier-mache, paper, cardboard and paint. This relates to my Jewish identity because in the Soviet Union you were not allowed to be Jewish. If it were not for the fact that my dad's side came to America I might have not been born and had the opportunity to be Jewish. I am happy that he made the move from Ukraine.

World Connections: Samantha B. ‘24 My Family Story display shows the two sides of my Jewish heritage – Ashkenazi and Sephardi – and the places from which they came. My Sephardi heritage comes from Iran. My mom and her parents came to the United States as refugees in 1980 following the revolution. They settled in Ohio after my mom’s father found a job in Cleveland. To represent my Sephardi heritage and customs, I decided to use a Sephardi Torah. I made the Sephardi Torah from a roll using wooden knobs on the top and bottom.

My Ashkenazi customs are from my dad’s side of the family. My dad’s paternal grandfather and grandmother grew up in Poland and immigrated to the United States after surviving the Holocaust in 1949 and 1947, respectively, from Germany. My dad’s maternal grandparents were born in New York, but their parents immigrated from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. To represent the Ashkenazi customs of my family, I decided to use an Ashkenazi Torah. I took a slightly flattened roll, and covered it in fabric, adding wooden knobs to the top and bottom.

Finally, to represent the various places from which my family came, I have a semi globe with Eurasia and North America on it. I pinpointed the places of origin, all leading to Baltimore, where I live currently.

Will You Take the Apple? Emma B. ‘24 The project before you is a depiction of an apple that one of my distant relatives, Éva, refused to eat. Being captured by the Nazis, Éva was put in a ghetto and had to leave her mother behind to die. The rusty gates represent the gates of the Budapest ghetto where Éva was confined. However, they are left open to show how she escaped the ghetto to find her mother. She was able to escape by piecing together a nurse’s outfit and took two injured people to a hospital outside of the ghetto. On the way to find her mother, she saw a half-eaten apple on the ground. The apple before you depicts the apple Éva found. As I said earlier, instead of picking the apple up and eating it, and even though she must have been very hungry, Éva withstood the temptation to eat the apple. This part of my story stood out the most to me. For someone around my age, the courage she was able to conjure up to leave the ghetto despite the consequences really resonates with me. She not only had the bravery to leave the ghetto, but she had such a strong mindset. Éva refused to eat the apple because eating it would mean the Nazis won. That is what they wanted, which was to turn humans into animals, with no dignity for themselves. This story taught me that no matter what happens, you need to stay strong and keep your dignity as a human being.

The Refugee: Alden B. ‘24 My Family Story shows my grandmother, Rena Block, escaping Sarajevo during the Holocaust. She had to leave her home in Sarajevo when the Nazis arrived, and they fled to Italy. While in Italy they lived in a “camp” with other Jewish people. The Americans came and freed them, and she and her parents were selected to go to America on a boat to Oswego, New York with 979 other refugees. In my project, I have a boat representing the ship that my grandmother took to get to America. I have flags representing her home country, Sarajevo, and the Italian flag. The ship was really hot and cramped and people got ill. Additionally, the passengers were served food that they had never tasted before. The chewing gum on the boat represents how my grandmother thought that chewing gum was odd because it was food that you couldn’t eat. Once she arrived in America she was brought to Oswego, New York. I have buildings representing Oswego, New York that my great grandmother came to from Italy. Oswego was a military base that was surrounded by barbed wire. My grandmother called Fort Oswego the “Golden Cage,” so the wire around the city is a symbol for this. When my grandmother lived in Sarajevo, she said her family was not very religious. When her family was escaping the Nazis, her father made a pact with God that if they were safe then he would become more religious. She and her family believed that God helped them to survive while others did not. They moved from Oswego to Baltimore and had a good life. They had more faith in God. A lesson my grandmother taught me from her experiences is to appreciate what you have in your life. Following her Jewish beliefs and traditions was always important to my grandmother. She shared her love of languages, food and stories of her past, so we never forgot what she lived through.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Yoni B. ‘24 My Family Story isn’t quite a story. It is a tradition that has been passed down through my family for many generations. That tradition is leining the Torah. Reverend Solomon Ruback taught my grandfather, Sheldon Berman, how to lein the Torah. From the time I was born, the plan was that my grandfather would teach me how to lein from the Torah for my bar mitzvah. Unfortunately, he passed away in October of 2012, when I was only seven years old. So, I am creating this project in memory of Sheldon Berman (my grandfather). As you can see, on my project there are two hands holding a Yad – one hand is representing my grandfather's and one is my hand. This shows how reading the Torah is being passed down through my family. The older hand on the bottom represents the foundation of learning. The Torah portion on my project is opened to, Yitro, my bar mitzvah parsha. In Jewish tradition, all learning is passed from generation to generation. The hand on the top is my hand, and by continuing the tradition of leining from the bottom hand, I hope to continue to pass this on this skill and mitzvah to the next generation.

From Oppression to Freedom: Sarit B. ‘24 The My Family Story presentation before you is a representation of the journey my father took from being oppressed in the communist Soviet Union to becoming successful and free in America. At its foundation, my project is made from papier-mache and aluminum foil. Additionally, I used plastic objects and furniture. In addition to my project is a story that is even more impressive and inspiring. It all started in Kiev, Ukraine where my father was born, which at that time was under the rule of the communist Soviet Union. When the Soviets were still letting Jews out of the country in the late 1970s, my father would always ask his parents if they could leave, but there was always a reason that prevented them. Every year this continued until the Soviets banned Jews from leaving the country just a few years later. Even though he knew that he and his family would not be allowed to leave the country, my father still dreamt of the possibility. So, when Jews were permitted to leave the country in the late 1980s my father naturally saw this as an opportunity to leave once and for all. He immediately told his parents that they had to leave right away because the Soviets could change their minds at any moment. My father knew that if he wanted to avoid being drafted into the Red Army once he turned 18, he would have to leave quickly. Therefore, my father left the Soviet Union by himself with nothing but one small suitcase and $100. On the way to the United States, my father had to spend six months in Italy and Austria waiting for permission to enter the US, which I demonstrated in my project. After coming to America my father arrived in New York with no family and no place to stay, so he lived in a night shelter. He would work day and night, sometimes working multiple low paying jobs at once, some of which included moving furniture and working in a bakery. After living like this for a year, he decided it would be very hard for his family to live in New York, especially because his grandmother was very sick and his parents were already at the age of retirement. He, therefore, decided to move to Baltimore where he has lived ever since. This is a crucial part of my family’s history because it tells the story of how my family left the Soviet Union to live in America, a country where we can freely be Jewish. My father's journey has taught me to dream big, always work my hardest and persevere through any obstacle that comes my way and I hope it can inspire you as well.

A Holiday to Be Grateful For: Gabriel C. ‘24 My Family Story shows how my Zadie “saved” my family. He was living in Baltimore during World War II and was going to return to England through Canada. My family asked to him to stay for the holidays (Rosh Hashanah), and he listened. A few weeks later he had gotten news that the ship that he was supposed to be on was sunk by a torpedo! As you can see, there is a boat cut in half with a hole in it. The hole is where the torpedo had hit. There are also bits and pieces of the ship in the water. The pieces in the water represent the idea that scattered parts aren’t as strong as the whole. The dock with my family celebrating Rosh Hashanah shows that good things will happen to you if you show your family values and pray to Hashem. Even though I never met my Zadie, I value this story since I remember the speech at my Bubbe’s funeral and know that if he had been on the ship, I wouldn’t be here today. Staying in Baltimore proved that he valued his family and his Jewish identity the way anyone should.

Bravery in the IDF: Jonah C. ‘24 My Family Story display shows my family’s heritage of being Jewish and having cousins who have joined the IDF to fight for the State of Israel. In my project I have the two main environments in Israel and some soldiers on a battlefield. This connects to my Judaism because the members of Tzahal protect Israel. Israel is always under constant threat from the surrounding countries.

My Grandfather’s School in Israel: Noah C. ‘24 In the early 1980s, my grandfather, Arnold Cohen, was asked by one of the local rabbis in Baltimore if he would be interested in starting an all-girls school in Israel. My grandfather said yes and he and a friend started working on it. They had to raise money to build the school. They raised money by having fundraisers and having parties for donations. It took them almost four years to work out the details and have the funds to start the construction. Finally, the all-girls school opened in Israel. The name of the school is, Cohen-Resnick Institute–a Division of Diaspora Yeshiva. The materials I used to make this school were cardboard boxes, papier-mache, and paint. This is connected to my Jewish identity, because my grandfather was responsible for bringing about this project. My grandfather would always say to my dad, “Stay true to your religion.”

The Escape: Leya D. ‘24 My Family Story display illustrates how my mother and her family escaped Azerbaijan and fled to Ukraine. In my project, I have my mother, her parents, and her brother running over a map of Azerbaijan that leads to Ukraine. There is also a plane that they flew on when escaping to Ukraine. My mother’s family had to escape Azerbaijan and run to Ukraine because of ethnical challenges. My grandfather is an Armenian and where they were living at the time, the people there did not like Armenians. As well as not liking Armenians, they also were against Jews, which is why my mother’s family had to leave. The map of Azerbaijan and Ukraine symbolizes that they fled to Ukraine from Azerbaijan. The plane shows how they flew to Ukraine. They were able to get access to plane tickets from friends outside of the country. One of the lessons I can learn from my mother and her family is loyalty. I feel connected to my mom all the time, especially when she takes care of me when I am sick. Living in not-so-good conditions leads to needing the knowledge of how to take care of yourself. The moments, sights, and feelings my mother had to endure, as a Jewish teenager living in an anti-Semitic area is what built her loyalty to Judaism.

Runaway Train: Raya D. ‘24 This display is a train with my great-grandmother, her two sisters and nephew trying to escape the Nazis by traveling to Tajikistan. That didn't exactly work out; they were ambushed on the train. One sister got a bad concussion and could not leave the hospital, the other sister had to get her leg amputated and the 8-year-old nephew sadly got pneumonia and died. My great-grandma has always been stubborn and when the doctors said to my great-grandmother, Galina, that they have to remove her leg, she refused. Now my great-grandmother is walking perfectly well at 93 years old! She has a scar on her leg from the bombing and if you were wondering, my great- grandma is still stubborn and can cause troubles for my grandma but still gives me the good back scratches. My project is a train. I built it to recreate what happened to my family during World War II. This story shows an example of how the Jews were hated and there was war but we never gave up. Even today the Jews are discriminated against but we stand with our heads held high because we are family and we are strong!!! A lesson I learned from all this is that I should appreciate my life and I am very fortunate to live in a world where I don’t have to be constantly cautious for being Jewish. I try to live the life that my great grandmother couldn't at my age. I go to a Jewish day school and study Torah in the open with no fear. I hope my great grandmother’s story will pass on for generations of my family.

Jack's Wondrous Life Journey: Kira D. ‘24 My Family Story project demonstrates the journey of my great-grandfather Paul’s first cousin, Jacob (Jack) Landor. Jack paved his family’s path through various countries on Earth, as well as having many accomplishments throughout his life. Displayed in front of you is a globe, crafted from plastic gauze and papier-mâché. I painted the entire path of Jack’s life, and as you can see, he traveled very frequently, and never quite got settled. For my representation of Judaism and Israel, a part of the route is from Turkey to Jerusalem, Israel – although it was actually Palestine under British rule, before Israel became a country. Jack was kidnapped as a young child and taken to Palestine. He was taken as a young child by a young woman because he was a “beautiful child” with diamond blue eyes. Since he was taken to Palestine alone, he most likely lived in orphanages his whole childhood. When he was old enough, he received citizenship from Palestine. He primarily used Palestine as his last permanent residence on documents, except for the time that he changed his last residence for fear of Jewish discrimination. This shows that Jack took great pride in being Jewish, living in his people’s homeland. He later moved to Genoa, Italy. One of his most interesting accomplishments was in England when he was in the British Navy and his ship was torpedoed by another ship. He survived the shipwreck though and landed off the coast of Africa. Once he was in America, Jack was determined to find relatives. He met my dad’s uncles and aunts, along with all of their cousins. He finally settled in Baltimore, and led an amazing and passionate Jewish life.

Surviving in the Monastery: Noam E. ‘24 My Family Story display depicts the story of my great-uncle in the Holocaust in Belgium. Nuns in a monastery took in my great-uncle and his mother. This scene is in a basement with stairs leading down describing how the nuns hid them in the basement of the monastery. The mother is holding the baby, or my great-uncle, showing how she used to sing and rock him back and forth when he was crying so the Nazis didn’t catch them. There is a small plate of food next to them with small pieces of food because my great-uncle and his mother were not given much food. The scene is also very dark, describing how during WWII was a dark and sad time period. This story helps show my Jewish identity because knowing that I have a relative that survived the Holocaust gives me a feeling of pride that he was able to survive just as a little boy. Sadly, he isn’t alive today, but I remember when I was a kid and I went to Israel to visit him and he would always be such a nice person. He would always walk to synagogue with me and was very funny. I learn from him to always be a positive person and try to not be sad or negative. He was an inspiration to everyone around him and I hope I have the opportunity to follow his footsteps and make people happy.

Third Times the Charm: Adam F. ‘24 My story shows my great-grandfather’s struggle to get into America. He was living in pre- Holocaust Germany and was experiencing a lot of anti-Semitism. The majority of his family was already living in New York, but he had a hard time getting a visa. He decided to break in illegally in 1933 but was caught and deported back to Germany. Five years later, he tried again and once again came up short. Finally, his sister was able to sneak him in on a freight ship. He was dressed up as a sailor and got in. My display shows a similar boat to the one he snuck in on. The flag in the corner symbolizes all of the hopes of a better life my great-grandfather had when entering the country. This helps me connect to my Jewish identity because I realize now how far my family went to ensure that they could practice Judaism. My great-grandfather wanted my siblings and me to have a better life and not be oppressed because of our religion.

Zwail’s Fish Market: Jeremy F. ‘24 My display represents the fish market that my great uncle, Stanley Zwail, owned in Brooklyn, New York. Zwail’s Fish Market was the one of the most popular spots for fresh seafood among locals. Early in the morning, Stanley would go down to the docks to pick out the finest seafood from the boats coming in to the dock. Throughout history, Jews were known to be merchants that would travel from town to town selling goods. Often, being a merchant was one of the only professions afforded to Jews in history. My great uncle, Stanley, continued this tradition of entrepreneurship and I am proud of the name he made for himself.

Hebrew Teacher in Poland: Gavin F. ‘24 My Family Story project is showing my great-grandfather’s classroom in Poland. He was a Hebrew teacher in Poland, and this is his classroom. My great-grandfather’s classroom is made from cardboard. Inside, there are desks also made from cardboard. In the front of the room, there is a chalkboard with a Polish flag and a clock above it. On the chalkboard is my great- grandfather’s Hebrew name. His Hebrew name was Shmuel. This connects to my Jewish identity because he was a Hebrew teacher in Poland, which was very hard because he got beat up by the students every day.

Straight from Guatemala: Ryann F. ‘24 The project before you represents family, love, and Judaism. In 2007, my first cousin, Camryn, was adopted from Guatemala. Camryn was adopted at birth but didn’t come to the United States until she was seven months old. When she got home, she was not Jewish but was later converted to Judaism when she was nine months old. When I was younger, I had no idea how much she would mean to me in the future. Growing up with her has been nothing but exciting, fun, and crazy. Spending summers, vacations, and special events together have been so meaningful. In late 2019 I got to share the milestone of Camryn’s Bat Mitzvah with her in Puerto Rico. The pictures on my project are from this meaningful memory. The airplane you see on my project is flying over Guatemala and the United States. This represents both Camryn flying from Guatemala to the U.S, but also represents her journey from one religion into a new one. I feel so grateful that the option of conversion was possible for Camryn. Not only did we welcome Camryn into our homes and our family, we also welcomed her into our community of the Jewish people.

The Story of Anna Keller nee Frankel: Jackson F. ‘24 My Family Story display shows the story of how my great grandma Anna Keller nee: Frankel came to America from Hamburg, Germany with her two cousins. Anna was not originally supposed to leave Germany because she could not afford a ticket to America, but when her cousins got their tickets, they had found an extra ticket they didn’t buy. They gave Anna the ticket, but she was not eligible to board. Her cousins then listed her as a maid so the guards would let her on and they were able to get Anna on with ease. In my project I have the boat my great-grandma took over to America; the boat was named the U.S.S. Graf Waldersee. On the ramp of the boat you will see three people boarding. These people are Anna and her cousins. In Anna’s hands you can see a small copied version of the documents that Anna used to board the boat. I never was given the chance to meet my great-grandma but from learning more about her from the research I did for this project it sounded like she was an amazing person. She did all she could to get out of Germany so she could make a new life in America to continue her Jewish journey and spread Judaism to her children so they could spread them to further generations.

Stealing for Survival: Louis F. ‘24 My Family Story shows a barn on the side of a field with crops, and a man chasing another man with food. The barn is made out of cardboard, attached together and covered with papier-mâché. After that, it was painted red with white in the front to make it look more like a barn. Next to it you have a field with crops. It is all on top of a wooden base painted green, and a person holding food is running away from another person. This connects to my Jewish identity because my grandfather was in the Holocaust when he was around 18 years old. He needed food so what he would do was go to farms and steal food from there because the farmers wouldn’t let him take it. He was going to die if he didn’t take the food. If my grandfather didn’t do this, I probably wouldn’t be here today, so I would like to thank him for that, and I would like to thank him for surviving the Holocaust so I would be born.

The Chain: Sarah F. ‘24 My Family Story display is a replica of my late grandpa, Alan Fruman’s, golden chain. On his chain, there are two Hebrew letters: a chai and a yud. Put together, this is the word chai, meaning life. Every day he would wear this necklace. I was extremely close with my pop-pop. He and my grandma lived in Florida and we would visit as often as we could. When we would go down to visit, we would do many activities. My favorite was fishing with him and watching him play golf. There is a picture of me fishing in the lake right near the golf course that he would play on. Once he passed away, my dad inherited his chain. Now, every day my dad wears it. My dad added an additional charm to it, the logo of his favorite band, the Rolling Stones. My dad, along with his two brothers all had a strong bond with their dad, and they bonded over music. My cousins and I loved to spend time with him and his chain never missed a thing. One day, I hope to inherit it myself and add a charm of my own. To replicate this, I used a fake golden chain and attached the chai and the logo, which were made out of cardboard. My pop-pop always made holiday dinners fun. One memory I have of him is dressing up as Elijah on Passover. He would get up from the table, go outside, and ring the doorbell pretending to be Elijah. Being Jewish was always important to him. At my oldest cousin’s bat mitzvah he enjoyed being part of the service. Although he wasn’t at mine, I know that he was with me on the bema. As I mentioned, chai means life and he was so full of life. He was so loving and so happy. When I inherit the chain, I hope to add my own charm and continue to pass it onto my children.

Piesk Poland to 26 Albemarle Street: Seth G. ‘24 This display of My Family Story shows the life of my Bubbe’s grandfather, Boris Katz, as he came to America as a teenager with his brothers to escape pogroms and persecution in his hometown of Piesk, Poland. He came for a better life without his parents. All the brothers separated to different areas in the United States to establish themselves. Boris, being 14 in 1909, went with one of his brothers to Chicago to perform in a Yiddish Theater. Before Boris and his brothers left, he went to the famous Yeshiva in Slobodka, Poland which taught him to speak fluent Yiddish. He later came to Baltimore, Maryland to start a fish processing plant at 26 Albemarle Street called Scherlis & Katz. The plant would become very successful and supplied the east coast with many different types of fish. My representation of his journey is in two parts. One half is displaying Boris in the Yiddish theater in Chicago, and the other half portraying the fish processing plant. The Yiddish theater includes a poster discussing the pogroms going on in the area, which is the reason he left. The fish processing plant has labels including locations where his brothers all separated to establish themselves when they arrived from Poland. One of the many lessons I can learn from Boris is independence. I can’t imagine having to leave your home because of hatred and having to go to a completely different country at only 14 years old just to be safe. I find it inspiring that he arrived as a 14-year-old in Chicago performing in a theater to owning a major fish processing plant in Baltimore, becoming a successful supplier to the east coast at the time. I hope to pass down this story to my children so they know the importance of our Jewish history.

The Journey of a Piano: Jacob G. ‘24 The piano I made for my project displays a representation of the piano that my great-grandfather purchased in the displaced persons camp of Bergen-Belsen. My great grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who escaped from Majdanek. After the war he wound up in Bergen-Belsen, got married, and had my grandmother. Despite only having a sixth grade education, he believed that every proper girl should learn how to play an instrument, so he bought a Bechstein piano for her to learn how to play. When they traveled on a Salvation Army boat to New York, the piano was brought along with them. It was kept in good condition, and now is located in the grandmother’s house in Pikesville, Maryland. On top of the piano are pictures of my family. The piano is still useable. My representation of the piano was created using cardboard with a papier- mache overlay. A lesson we can learn from this is that one of the most important things in life is teaching your children what you think is the right thing to do, and that family is more important than anything else. The piano is over 100 years old, and with it comes an incredible story, so every time I play it I feel like I am part of something bigger. It is especially significant to me personally because I have been a pianist since a very early age and carry on the musical tradition daily.

The Kerpelman Journey: Alec G. ‘24 My Family Story display depicts the RMS Titanic right before its infamous maiden and last voyage. Next to the ocean liner is a dock with many people waving off the people who were supposed to be on their way to the free world. My great-great-grandmother, Dora Kerpelman (age 16); her parents, Chaya and David (aged 43 and 45); and six of her eight siblings had purchased tickets to embark on the Titanic. Also on the dock is their petition for naturalization. Shortly before going to London, they were notified that due to a miscalculation, their tickets were invalidated, and they were unable to enter the ship. Before immigrating to Baltimore, they lived in Kiev, Russia. They later boarded another ship, the S.S. Frankfurt, and departed from Bremen, Germany. They departed on March 7, 1912 to and arrived in Philadelphia on March 21. From there, they moved to Baltimore. While on the ship, Dora met a man named David from Bobruisk, who she later married. After arriving at their new home, they soon realized that the unsinkable vessel was resting at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This situation shifted from an inconvenient mistake to a miracle from G-d. Dora went on to have two kids, Ruth and Julius. Ruth had four children, and one of them, Sandy, has a daughter, who is my mother.

Remembering the Holocaust: Eli G. ‘24 For My Family Story display I used the story of my older brother’s wife’s grandfather who was in the Holocaust. Everyone related to him calls him “Saba,” which is Hebrew for grandfather. He grew up in a small town called Rymanów in Poland. When he was 16, he was taken by Nazis to Birkenau or Auschwitz II. He says that “the barracks were always cold, and you slept terrible.” My project uses cardboard, papier-mache, stones and sand. The stones represent the stones on the ground in Auschwitz, and the rubble from the destroyed barracks. Wire and popsicle sticks represent the barbed-wire fences of the camp. This project relates to my Jewish identity because I feel like I’m honoring those who were victimized because they were Jewish.

The Golden Pocket Watch: Huvi G. ‘24 This golden pocket watch originally belonged to my great-great-great grandfather, Joseph Ziberglelt. It has been passed all the way down to my Bubby. He brought it with him when he left Russia before World War I. When he came to America, he was able to freely be a Jew and so has my family. I am so lucky that I have the choice to be Jewish because he came to America. Joseph came on April 1, 1914 to America. He was 39 years old and he came with his oldest son, some luggage and the pocket watch. Hopefully, one day I will inherit the watch from my Bubby so I can show it to my future children and grandchildren. When they see the watch he brought, they will remember the story behind it and how lucky they are to have the choice of being Jewish.

The Gordon Center: Emily G. ‘24 My Family Story project is how my great-uncle Yale and my great-aunt Peggy created the Gordon Center at the Jewish Community Center. I decorated a house made out of papier-mache with drawings of a film wheel, ballet shoes, theater masks, and a guitar. All of those drawings represent what the Gordon Center provides for young Jews. Around the Gordon Center are groups of family walking towards the Gordon Center to see a performance. This connects with me because I love the performing arts. Since I do dance and I am an artist it was very engaging to learn how my great-uncle Yale and my great-aunt Peggy created this center for something I love even today, when it was built in 1995. This was one of the things my aunt and uncle were passionate about and it connects to me Jewish identity because they created a place for Jews to come together and bond over the arts.

Locked In: Cameron G. ‘24 My Family Story display shows my cousin, Zvi Aroni, being locked up in jail for fighting for the Jews in the Irgun. The Irgun was a Jewish army fighting to protect Israel. My cousin was always very attached to his Jewish identity. He knew he wanted to fight in the Irgun and protect his people and his country. In 1936, my cousin was arrested in Israel for attempting to save the Israelis. At the time, the Irgun was fighting the British. Zvi would kill British soldiers in order to save Jews. After being captured and put in jail by British soldiers, he was tortured for years. Luckily, his uncle and aunt paid a ransom to get him out of jail and into the United States. My display represents this challenging part of Zvi’s life. I built a cardboard jail to show where he was punished for fighting. There is fencing surrounding the jail to show that he was truly locked in and there was no way of escaping on your own. Painted on the jail are music notes to represent his love for singing. He was a cantor and had a deep passion prayer. Even in the hard times he loved to sing and make the best out of situations. I learned from my cousin to be positive even in rough and scary times. He is a brave role model and I hope to always stick to my Jewish identity just as he did. I’m lucky and privileged to attend Beth Tfiloh and learn about my Jewish identity on another level. I’m going to fight to learn about my religion just as my cousin fought to protect Judaism.

The Success Story of Dora: An Immigrant, Mother, and Breadwinner: Hannah H. ‘24 Born in Russia, my great-great-grandparents, Dora and Josef, fled their country from persecution, leaving behind their possessions, family, and financial stability. Immigrating to America in 1914, Dora owned a bar in Baltimore, while caring for her eight children. Their names were Morris, David, Sarah, Rose, Julia, Irwin, William, and finally, Miriam. Sadly, in 1935, Josef died, leaving Dora forced to raise her huge family alone and manage the bar. Living on top of her bar, Dora worked diligently to provide everyday necessities for her family. My Family Story display is of Dora’s bar with her living space on top. I created a few shelves to represent how they had scarce possessions, but still Dora continued to manage her bar. On the second floor I created little kids sleeping in beds, to symbolize Dora’s large family. On the top floor I also made an empty nightstand, to represent their simple life. Throughout my project I used neutral colors to show they had far from an extravagant lifestyle. My project connects to Jewish identity because, over thousands of years, Jews have persevered and adapted to change. My relative Dora exemplified that determination when she moved to a new country, ready to start a new life for her family.

The Recipes for Connection: Molly H. ‘24 This project, representing my family’s story, shows the importance of family. My great- grandmother was an amazing cook, with the ability to make any food she made taste good. She would have Friday night dinners with the rest of my family and cook for them. She passed down many recipes that my grandmother prepares, my mom cooks, and that now I am starting to make. My project has a bowl and spoon showing the amazing cook my great-grandmother was. The book is a recipe book I made with two recipes used by my great-grandmother. These two recipes were ones that she passed down and that we make now. We still make these two recipes today, which connect us as a family, thanks to my great-grandmother.

A Hard Journey to Success: Yoni K. ‘24 My family story shows my Saba’s life and how being Jewish made it even harder. My project is a painting that I sketched with graphite paper and then painted over on a wooden board. It is a painting of a classroom in a school. The painting represents the school my Saba taught at, but the story doesn’t start off with him teaching at a Jewish school. Instead it starts off with his father dying when he was only nine. His family became poor because of his father’s death; his mother could not afford to take care of two children. Because of this, my Saba was sent to an orphanage called Boys Town in Hershey, Pennsylvania. At Boys Town he would get bullied and beat up every day for being the only Jewish kid at the orphanage. His mother would send him a little bit of money whenever she could afford to. Whenever my Saba would get the money from his mother, he would put it in his shoe to keep the money safe. After six months of saving the money, he ran away. He went to the nearest train station and went to Reading, Pennsylvania. He went there because he knew that his uncle was a merchant and had a stall there. He found his uncle and then his uncle took him to his mother’s house. He was not sent back to the orphanage and resumed his regular life. He worked hard in school and earned himself a full scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a PhD in Jewish education and became a principal at a Jewish school. I only got the chance to meet my Saba three times, but I never forget his story that inspires me to work hard and be proud of being Jewish.

Off the Wagon: Sophia K. ‘24 My Family Story project is about how my great-great-great grandmother got pushed off of a wagon for being Jewish. As my great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and great-great- great-grandmother were on their way through Siberia to escape from Russia, the wagon driver somehow found out that they were Jewish. As soon as he found out, he pushed my great-great- great-grandmother off of the wagon onto the road. By some miracle, she did not get hurt, but the wagon driver saw this and called her a Jewish witch. In my project, the woman on the ground is my great-great-great grandmother and the wagon driver and my other family are on the wagon. This event impacted my family a lot. After that incident, my family has been extremely proud of our religion. Instead of being sad about what happened, we took that and turned it into pride.

The Origin of the Rolling Hills Hospital: Benny K. ‘24 My project represents the origin of my great-grandfather, Benjamin Lukov. Benjamin was very special to my family, as he was very smart and he started a hospital. My project is a grey board with a timeline on it. This timeline is a biography on my great-grandfather. On the board are pictures of him corresponding to the timeline. He was born in Russia in 1909 and immigrated to the United States very early. He graduated high school with a BA and then graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1930. He even went back to Germany to go to medical school. He left Hamburg, Germany right before Germany annexed Poland. He became a surgeon and internist. Most importantly, he was the founding physician of Rolling Hills Hospital in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania in the 1950s. This story connects to Judaism because my great-grandfather left Germany right before Poland was annexed, and that saved his life. My whole family knows that he influenced us with his intelligence and its genetic effect. I still have many artifacts of his, like his microscope. Benjamin Lukov is a very important part of my family, and he will always be remembered. On the Way to New York: Benjamin K. ‘24 In 1938, the cruise line Holland-America Line’s SS Nieuw Amsterdam sailed my great- grandparents along with over 3,600 other passengers from France to New York. Since getting to America was in high demand, my great-grandparents got help from a Hebrew organization in order to leave Europe. They were in Berlin when they heard that Hitler was taking over different places in Europe and putting people in concentration camps, and so they left to avoid it happening to them. They traveled to New York on first class and in preparation for the 12-day trip. They took home furnishing, silverware, dishes, clothing, household items with value, and small jewelry, but no furniture. Later, my great-grandmother’s family left Europe, but my great- grandfather’s family refused to leave so they never got out. For my project, I have made a replica of the SS Nieuw Amsterdam with the same structure and details as the real ship. I had never heard this story about my family until I started researching and interviewing. I admire that my family anticipated what was going to happen and did the best to keep them and their family safe.

From Shoe Store to Shores of the U.S.: Julian K. ‘24 My project is the re-creation of the boat that my great-grandparents took to America. My family lived in Lithuania and owned a shoe store. I made a papier-mache boat with the word Lithuania and their flag painted on the side. The ship is sailing on the ocean which is a wooden board painted blue. Floating around the ocean are some of the original shoe making parts. This connects to my Jewish life because they were some of the first in my family to immigrate to the U.S.A., where there was freedom of religion. Now, that whole part of the family gets together for dinner on every holiday.

Defeating Hitler: Elan K. ‘24 This representation of my family’s story depicts my great-grandma Margot Jeremias’ survival route from the Holocaust. Her normal life was taken away from her at only age 13. I cannot imagine if I had to live constantly in fear and on the run like she did. She must have been very brave. I portrayed this struggle by painting four different scenarios on a wooden board. The first of the four is when my great-grandma stayed with her parents in the Gers concentration camp, which took away any chances of a normal childhood. In the beginning of the Holocaust, children were not required to stay in the camps, so she was taken in by French girl scouts. When the rules changed and children were required to stay in the camps, she hid in the forests with the scouts, which is the second scenario. It must have been miserable for her to stay there because of the lack of food and parenting. She also had to be constantly on the lookout and learned to be cautious. It was very courageous of her to live on the run at such a young age. When she got a little older, Margot went to a convent and boarded there. Despite being around mostly Christians, she remained strong with her Judaism and encouraged the few Jews around her to do so too. Unfortunately, they did not do so. She was taken in by nuns and stayed in an all-girls school, which is the third scenario. The fourth scenario is when Margot worked as a maid for a French family, moving further away from her parents. This connects to Judaism because my great- grandma was able to survive the Holocaust and come to America. She always said that proof that Hitler did not win is that she was able to come to America and have great-grandchildren. We can learn a great lesson from her to never give up your faith in something and don’t give in when times are tough. Her bravery and perseverance are very inspiring to me and I hope I can learn from her to be a better person and Jew. Our Daily Bread: Katie K. ‘24 My Family Story display is about my mother giving back to the less fortunate and influencing my life because of it. Almost every Friday for the past three years, my mother has volunteered at a food pantry in downtown Baltimore called Our Daily Bread. Besides volunteering at Our Daily Bread, my mother and I have gone downtown and volunteered for many different events. One of the events I have done was when my mother and I made 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with water and fruit in brown paper lunches and then handing them out around downtown Baltimore. In my project, you can see that there is a brown paper bag with a logo on it. The logo shown is the logo of Our Daily Bread. Inside the bag, you can see a papier-mache apple and sandwich and a mini water bottle with once again the Our Daily Bread logo. My story connects me to Judaism because through volunteering, I show kindness (chesed) and fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah (charity).

Passover Seder: Ella L. ‘24 In this representation of my family’s story I created a Seder. On the table you will notice the blue and white jar. This is a horseradish jar that has been passed down through three generations. My great-grandparents were the first generation to have the jar and passed it down to my grandfather who passed it down to by mother and uncles. Below you can see a picture of my uncle smelling the jar from our latest Seder in April of 2019. When I talked to my grandfather about the story, he told me that there have been Seders with the jar that over 30 people have attended. I thought that was very interesting because even now, my family has relatively large Seders. This jar connects the past three generations of my Jewish relatives because we all shared the same jar. It brings all the generations together and keeps a relationship between my generation and the past generations. I show this in my project by having many generations sitting around the Seder table: grandparents, parents and children. I feel more connected to my Jewish heritage and I can’t wait to pass the jar down to more generations.

The Jewish Nation Lives on Through Us: Talia L. ‘24 This representation of my family’s story depicts the Kiever Synagogue in Toronto, Canada. In the summer of 2013, my grandparents, Dr. Bruce and Gail Lebowitz, attended a medical conference in Toronto. Friends had advised them to see the Synagogue in “China Town.” Their curiosity was aroused. While on tour of Toronto they saw and stopped at the JCC. There, they were shown on a map where some holy synagogues were located. They decided to start at the Kiever Synagogue, and it was there where my grandmother learned that her grandparents and father became members of this exact synagogue when they emigrated from Kiev in 1921. My grandmother was flooded with emotions when she realized she was standing in the exact same place her relatives stood nearly a century ago. My grandmother couldn’t believe her ears and insisted on learning the history of the Kiever Synagogue. She approached a young family and asked if they knew any information on the synagogue. The man replied and said he was the rabbi of the synagogue but didn’t know much of the history because he just moved to Toronto from Maryland. My grandparents continued to look further and found an elderly man who was able to provide them with more information about the synagogue’s history. The message I learned from this scenario was that our Jewish roots are strong, long lasting, and are present in unexpected places. The artwork I made is a model of the synagogue. One of the sides of the synagogue is black and white to represent my great grandparents, and the color side represents my grandparents and my family now and how we are affected by it. This event impacted my understanding of how deep my Jewish roots are and our everlasting faith, and strength as one Jewish nation. Am Yisroel Chai: The Jewish nation lives.

The Last Fight: Marissa Arin L. ‘24 This depiction of my family’s story showcases the fascinating life and legacy of my great-great- uncle, Emanuel J. Stolbach, also known as Manny. Throughout the time of my research and investigation into Manny’s life, I found striking information. My great-aunt, Marni LaCorte, has helped me along my journey for My Family Story. My aunt Marni is one of the few last living relatives to Manny, and yet she never met him. From a young age, genetics, genealogy and family ancestry have been an interest of mine, and I was so thrilled to start this project. To begin, I started to paint the basis of my piece as the ocean, the place where Manny’s plane crashed. The ocean displayed is very rough, demonstrating his time at war. Before going into war, he was forbidden to tell his family his location. I would imagine this was devastating for his family to not know your location. It probably was a hard time for him. Through all of this, Manny loved his family so very much. He sent my great-grandmother Blanche Elias a letter in code. The letter said, “How is your new nephew Marshall?” Blanche had no nephew named, Marshall. Manny was located in the Marshall Islands. In addition, I made a replica of Manny’s plane crashing into the ocean; made out of papier-mache. The reason I used papier-mache is to represent how Manny stuck to his task like the paper sticks to my plane. A letter written to Manny’s older brother, Walter, after his fatal crash reveals that as the plane was sinking, Manny stuck to his mission. Manny was seen firing at the enemy until the bitter end. I am so proud to be a part of this amazing family. This story has been passed down for already three generations! Just like we keep our Jewish tradition alive, I hope to forever keep Manny alive. I have also created a collage of photos of Manny hoping to carry on his legacy. One day, I hope to pass down these photos and family heirlooms to my children and so on. I hope to become a genealogist, in hopes of finding even more information on Emanuel. Ever since I heard this story, I always thought of naming one of my children after him: Emilia.

The Machine of Dreams: Adrian M. ‘24 My Family Story displays my grandfather’s machine shop, which he started when he immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union. The letters PMC stand for Precision Machining Company, which is the name of the business. My grandfather started his company in 1985. He immigrated with barely any money, but he had hope for a better life in the U.S., and he was determined to live the “American Dream.” The gear symbolizes his machine shop and the basis of his success. He only had enough money for a few small machines, but he had a passion for machining and his aspiration to provide for his family and thrive in this new country had only flourished since he had immigrated. To him, the “American Dream” was about being able to practice religion freely in this new country. He became a prominent member of the Baltimore Jewish community and sent his kids to a Jewish day school so they too could develop a passion for religion. The gear in the middle of the board symbolizes the foundation of his success, which was his machine shop that he developed by working hard and persevering through his many obstacles.

Perseverance and Anti-Semitism: Daniel M. ‘24 This representation of My Family Story shows the ways in which my family has dealt with anti- Semitism. There are three examples in my collage. The first is my grandpa, who was sent to jail in Siberia for practicing Judaism. In my collage I have included pictures of a jail in Siberia and my grandfather’s mug-shot. The next one is my father, who was a victim of an anti-Semitic attack in Germany in July of 2018. I have included a picture of my father, a picture of a swastika crossed out, and a Jewish star. Finally, there is myself. I chose to put myself in this display because of what occurred when I stepped on the athletic fields. Over the years there have been a couple of times where other athletes and spectators have said things to me about being Jewish. I was often called names like “Moses,” for example. I have chosen to put a man playing college basketball while wearing a kippah, and a picture of me to represent why I take pride in playing with a kippah. Throughout all of these examples of discrimination, my grandfather, my dad and I would never be ashamed of being Jewish. While my grandfather was in jail, he would try to celebrate Jewish holidays as much as he could, and my father told me that the security guard would bring him food during Passover. Then there is my father. Whereas since the attack my mother and sister have told him to wear a hat when he’s on a business trip, my dad never listens; he takes pride in wearing a kippah. As for me, I feel more motivated when I play teams who yell anti-Semitic slurs, because it feels better when we beat them! “We got beat by Moses!” This is a lesson in Jewish pride and courage that has been passed down in my family for many generations and I hope that it will remain that way.

The Immigration Presentation: Gabrielle M. ‘24 My Family Story project is a timeline representing my dad’s immigration. He was born in South Africa in June of 1973 and he moved to Baltimore in 1999. In 1998, he decided to travel around the world at 25 years old to look for a new home due to the amount of crime and corruption in South Africa. When he came to Baltimore in December of 1998, he stayed with my mom’s uncle. He then met my mom at a Shabbat dinner and they had an instant connection. He left Baltimore to continue traveling and in January, he went home to South Africa. Two months later, on March 29, 1999, he came back to Baltimore to propose to my mother. I chose to create a timeline of my dad’s journey from South Africa to America. On this timeline, there are pictures from his journey, where he went, and when he went there. At the end of the timeline, I chose to put a recent picture of my family and a picture from the day my parents were engaged. If they had not met at the Shabbat dinner, we would not have had the opportunity to keep our Jewish identity alive as we continue our education and Jewish values at BT.

Gisela the Heroine: Azriel M. ‘24 “If your contribution has been vital there will always be somebody to pick up where you left off, and that will be your claim to immortality.”

-Walter Gropius, German-American architect

In the small, secluded town of Schlüchtern, Germany, Gisela Goldschmidt Rothschild bolted into the synagogue. It was the night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938. Gisela heard the Nazis returning to the local gas station to retrieve more gasoline to ignite the Aron, the ark in which the holy Torahs stood. This was the only synagogue in the hamlet of Schlüchtern. Out of breath, she muttered “Master of the Universe, I am doing my part, please do yours.” Moving swiftly past the rows of chairs once abundant with congregants, she had one duty and one duty only: to save the Torah scrolls. Heart pumping with adrenaline, Gisela slid the great oak doors open just enough to seize the scrolls and gently stowed them into her wool coat. She darted up the stairs leading up to the women's balcony where there was a door conjoining the synagogue with a neighboring home. Gisela slipped through the door and escaped into the night. She accomplished this feat several times, completely unnoticed, right under the noses of the Nazis.

Gisela Goldschmidt Rothschild (who would later become Breslau) was the third to eldest and happened to be my great-great aunt, an observant Jewish woman who prayed three times daily. Blue eyed, blond-haired, Gisela was frequently sent to purchase groceries to provide for the family and bore the responsibility to manage the family’s estate, long after the rest of her family immigrated to England. Even though back then she could easily get by as a German, she insisted on having her passport stamped with a “J” for Jew and included the middle name “Sara.” Already at the young age of 34, Gisela was widowed, wholeheartedly devoted to her family and Jewish heritage. The Goldschmidt family had been living in Schlüchtern for nearly five centuries. While Gisela boldly rescued these Sifrei Torah from the synagogue, the Goldschmidt family held a personal family Torah for their own home. Gisela not only smuggled Torah scrolls, but later, while living in an apartment in Berlin, hid two Jewish men wanted by the Gestapo, on condition that they wore kippot while staying in her place, respecting the fact that they were dwelling in a place with a Sefer Torah too was kept. When the time came for Gisela to leave Berlin, she again risked her life and stowed the precious family Torah in between linens in a storage trunk to be smuggled out of Europe. Later, that very Torah scroll was inherited by her younger brother, my great-grandfather, Fred “Fritz” Goldschmidt/Goldsmith. Fred carried on the tradition of housing this beloved heirloom in his new home in South Bend, Indiana; regular minyanim (a quorum of 10 Jewish men for prayer) regularly benefitted from its use, chanting the weekly portions. Many years later, my mother’s cousin (who became the next heir), generously shared with my older brother the opportunity to use this family Torah for his own bar mitzvah (the right of passage of Jewish maturity from childhood into manhood and the adult community). This tradition continued to my next brother, cousins and myself, as last year I was honored with the privilege of chanting from the very Torah smuggled by the brave heroine Gisela.

I began the process of delving into my family’s past by interviewing generations of family members, including Gisela’s own son, my grandmother’s cousin, Franklin Breslau, who provided many photos and a copy of his mother’s original passport. I combined papier-mâché cardboard pieces to form the trunk in which Gisela so cunningly concealed the Torah in the bedding. I painted the trunk with a mahogany brown acrylic and decided to sculpt and papier- mâché a miniature version of Gisela Goldschmidt Rothchild (Breslau) rescuing the Sefer Torah before the Nazis could burn them in the ark. I decided to not specify Gisela’s facial features to represent her never speaking of her exploits. She never dwelled on her courageous deeds nor reflected her accomplishments, even with her own family; she was extremely humble. On the internet, I successfully found the actual (and only) synagogue in Schlüchtern pre-Kristallnacht; I realized that I could depict part of it on one end of the trunk. Utilizing paper towel rolls, cardboard, wooden beads and acrylic paint, I crafted a replica of the Goldschmidt family Torah. I included the passport pictures as well as images of myself and other family members’ chanting from the very same Torah. I am excited to share this art piece that depicts my family’s dedication, perseverance and passion for protecting Torah and Jewish continuity through many generations and through many adversities.

My Jewish Family “Diversi-tree:” Rachel M. ‘24 My family tree has many branches — some of them are grafted. I love trees, and on my ninth birthday, my mom and I planted a grafted cherry tree that could yield several different types of cherries. My family tree is kind of like that cherry tree. My mom converted to Judaism several years before she met my dad. My dad, who was from Russia, had been a refusenik and went to secret meetings in the woods; he was one of the first refuseniks to go to Israel.

Because our family is so small, our very close friends have been just like family. We have very dear friends in Israel that are like cousins. In Baltimore, our dearest friends have been the Friers and their daughter’s family, the Lists. Mr. and Mrs. Frier have been like grandparents to me. In my interview with her, Mrs. Frier said, “I feel like you have been family, we always want to have you with us at simchas, dinners, and holidays. I love you guys. I really feel that way.” A special part of my project recalls that my grandfather from Moscow grew rose bushes and lemon trees despite the frigid temperatures there. This is why there is a rose vine around the trunk of the tree and little lemons hanging from the tree. The tree also represents the diversity of the Jewish people with the tree having “grafted” tree branches to show no matter what type of Jew you are, you can always be part of the community. Hanging from the tree are olives, dates and grapes which are all first fruits of Israel. Although the tree is small, it is strong, just like us as a Jewish people. The pot of the tree is decorated in green ombre, to celebrate growth, and has a gold star of David, which is showing the pride that we as Jews have in our identity.

The Trek of a Lifetime: Ami N. ‘24 My Family Story project displays my father and grandfather crossing the Iran-Pakistani border. My grandfather faced anti-Semitism in his workplace, and he wanted a better education for his children. On their escape to America, their first step was to get out of Iran. They paid smugglers months in advance to take them. The smugglers told them to be ready at any moment and that one day he will call and tell them instructions. Three months later, he calls and tells them to take a plane from Shiraz to Zahedan. When they got out of the airport, he picked them up and brought them to a house to wait until nighttime. At nighttime, he had a truck, picked them up and gave them a blanket. Eleven people were crammed in the back of the truck. They drove and they reached the border of Iran and Pakistan. This display depicts their situation at the border of Iran and Pakistan. There are multiple soldiers and a guardhouse in the distance, but they were driving off-road to be far from them. They were cramped, hiding in fear and anxious of what will happen next.

A Remembered Hero: Abigail O. ‘24 My project represents the story of how my grandfather and his sister were left without their father at very young ages of two and three years old. On December 31, 1947, my great- grandfather, Nuriel Alima, was simply doing his job in Palestine, which is now modern-day Israel, delivering newspapers for the Palestine Post. On this particular day, he was warned not to go through the Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem, but he thought he would to be safe as he was well known in the neighborhood. What he didn’t know was that the British had warned the Arabs that he was coming. When he got to the Arab checkpoint, they let him through but then shot him in the back and burned all the newspapers. On January 1, 1948, Nuriel was the last Jew to be buried in Har Hazeitim, Mount of Olives, located in Jerusalem, before it was closed to the Jewish people for many years. About 20 years later, after the Six Day War, my grandfather was able to go to Har Hazeitim, since it had opened to Jews. He found where my great-grandfather’s grave was located and added the gravestone. My great-grandfather was not able to see his two children grow up and become parents to their own children. For my project I decided to create a stone out of cardboard that represents his grave. On the inside of the doors, there is the text from the newspaper which was published the day after he was killed. It tells the story of what happened to him. In the interior, I made a collage symbolizing the life of my great-grandfather and how much of an impact he left on my family and my Jewish identity. One of the pictures I chose for my project is a picture of my family and me when we visited Har Hazeitim this summer. It was very special and inspired me to choose his story for my project.

From Darkness to Light: Zachary O. ‘24 The story that I have chosen to depict is how my great-great grandparents, Tzalach and Chana, left everything they had in Iraq to start a family in Israel. In 1925, Tzalach, a successful merchant in Iraq, saved enough money for the two month and 2,000-mile journey. They had to travel at night because in most of Iraqi, Syrian, and Lebanese Jews were not allowed to exit. By day they hid in forests or huts, and by night they traveled by donkey, taxi, or sometimes by walking. In my project, I depicted how during the night they traveled by foot or by donkey and during the day by hiding in huts. I show how they fought through adversity when there wasn’t enough room for both to ride on the donkey. This was a big challenge because my great-great- grandmother was over four months pregnant with my great-grandmother. I showed how they traveled through a desert because deserts are dry and cold at night. Forests though, were the perfect temperature during the day in Syria. That is why I created them hiding in a forest because it was easier to bribe people to help hide them, than travel alone at night. In this piece of art, I wanted to show how devoted my grandparents were to start a family in Israel. They would go on to start a family of over 800 people over the past hundred years. Their daughter, my great-aunt, even helped establish one of the biggest kibbutzim in Israel at the time near Rosh Hanikra. This was very special because this is where her parents entered Israel and started their dream.

Mystery Savior, Crucial Disguise: Lilly P. ‘24 My Family Story project is about my great-great-grandmother, Lina Truss. In 1901, Lina’s brother refused to join the Russian army, so the soldiers hung him. Shortly after that, she had escaped from the Russian soldiers who went searching for her Jewish family. The setting takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania on a family farm. Lina fled to this farm where a kind woman rescued her and hid her in a barn under only her skirts. In My Family Story presentation, the red papier- mache barn represents the compassionate woman’s barn, in which she hid my great-great- grandmother. The pieces of fabric over the wood planks symbolize how my great-great- grandmother hid under the woman’s skirts. Lastly, the toy soldiers portray the soldiers from the Russian army who were searching for her. If it were not for that kind-hearted woman, the Russian soldiers would have killed Lina.

The Escape: A Lesson of Gratitude: Jordan P. ‘24 My two-layer shelf depicts both people in Poland being captured by the Nazis and my great- grandpa, Samuel Glazer, along with others, on a boat (to America). The reason I depicted these situations is because of my gratitude for my great-grandpa escaping Poland. I am so grateful that my great-grandpa escaped Poland, not only because he was safe from the torture Jews in Poland faced, but also because there would be no me without him. When he came to America, he met my great-grandma, Dorothy Glazer, the person he eventually married. Although him getting married to her is the reason I’m alive, Samuel leaving Poland affects me more. It gives me a perspective on how life was for others. It also gives me a reason to be grateful for my life. While many people were dying and being separated from their loved ones, my great-grandpa got to escape safely and live the American dream. When Samuel moved to America, he made sure to give money to the poor and help anyone in need. Although he was not rich, he still gave lots of his money to them. Any penny he got, he would do something with it; whether it be to support his family or give it to someone in need. He did this to show gratitude for the life he was given. Therefore, whenever I think about how bad my life is, I remember to be grateful for all the great miracles that have happened to my family and me.

My Grandfather’s Adventures: Aryeh P. ‘24 This representation of my family’s story is the story of my grandfather and great-grandfather in the Holocaust. The scene of the project is where there are two Nazis and my grandfather and great- grandfather in the trains that were used to transport the Jews. The reason I picked the scene is because that it is what happened in Auschwitz at the time of the Holocaust. The reason I picked this story is because it affects my family and me in a big way. It hurts my grandfather to talk about his experience. Luckily, he got out before he was caught. His mother had blonde hair and blue eyes so it saved them from being caught. He and his father both looked Jewish. The paint and the materials used in my project were chosen to make the scene look realistic.

Fire in the Riots: Asher P. ‘24 My Family Story project displays the hardship in the days following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and the riots that followed in Baltimore city. The day was April 6, 1968, in Baltimore. My grandfather had just gotten back from deployment to Vietnam and had been spending time with his family, when disaster struck. He had to go with his father and defend the store during the Baltimore riots. They fought night and day, shotgun in hand, keeping the store safe. After two nights of staying in the store, they went upstairs to shower and eat, and then they got the dreaded call; his store had been set on fire and was burning to the ground. Unfortunately, it was too late, and the store was beyond repair when they finally got there. My story teaches me to be brave no matter the situation. My grandpa and great-grandfather fought to save what they had worked for. Even though in the end they lost the battle, they were resilient and fought back for what they had worked so hard to achieve.

Red on White: Michelle R. ‘24 My Family Story project is an illustration of the hardships my ancestors endured being Jewish in the Ukrainian Balta Ghetto during the Holocaust. My great-grandpa was only a child when his family was captured escaping Bessarabia and sent to the Balta Ghetto. There, they were forced to process wool to dress the Nazi army. Despite knowing the consequences, they bravely concealed how much wool they produced. By repeatedly forging documents, they were able to mislead the Nazis, saying they produced less wool than they really did. The oldest son, Lev, my great- grandfather’s brother, was 14 at the time. In the dead of night, he would sneak out of the ghetto and bring the extra bags of wool to the partisans, resistance fighters camping in the forest. All alone, on just a single horse and cart, through the cold winter snow, every night, Lev would bring wool to the resistance fighters. The family believed the resistance fighters needed the precious warmth more than they themselves did. They were selfless and willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the good of all the Jews the resistance fighters were helping. They never gave up hope that they would be saved. Sadly, this story ends in tragedy. One night, there was a tear in a burlap sack of red wool Lev was smuggling to the resistance camp. As he rode through the forest, he left a trail of red wool in the snow. The Nazi guards tracked him to the camp and killed him, along with many resistance fighters. My project portrays his journey through the snow on the night of his death. The red wool spilled on the ground represents the blood of the millions of Jews the Nazis spilled during the Holocaust. The white of the snow represents the innocence of the people murdered by the Nazi regime. Though this story is heartbreaking, there is an important lesson we can take away from it. It teaches us the Jewish value of putting others above yourself. By taking a risk and giving wool to the resistance fighters, Lev gave all Jews a better chance of survival and freedom. He didn’t think about the danger he was putting himself into, rather he unselfishly focused on helping others. Even when the family was living through the starvation, filth, illness and extreme cold of the ghetto, they risked everything in order to give to others and help the resistance. I hope that the compassion, strength, and bravery Lev showed long ago has been passed down to me, and I too can do my best to selflessly help others, just like he did.

The Purple Heart Award: Olivia R. ‘24 My Family Story display shows my great-grandfather’s courage in saving a man during WWII. On the sides of my project, you can see the story of how he held the injured man over his shoulder and carried him to safety. This decision not only saved the injured soldier’s life, but it also lead to my great-grandpa winning a very important award. In the middle of my project is a representation of the Purple Heart Award. He won this award for his brave actions during the war. My great-grandpa joined WWII to fight against Germany for the freedom of the Jews during the Holocaust. From him I can learn to fight for my country and religion. I can also learn to always help anyone in need even if it could lead to my own danger. Although my great- grandpa is no longer here today, the award is still kept in my family and will be passed down for future generations to come.

The Light in A World of Dark: Aviva R. ‘24 My Family Story project depicts the birth of my great-uncle Sylvian. He was born in a bomb shelter on December 31, 1941, in Tunis, Tunisia. They were in a bomb shelter because the Americans were liberating Tunisia after World War II. My project shows the bomb shelter on the bottom, and the war scene going on above. I made the structure out of cardboard and wood and painted the bottom layer gray to look like a steel bomb shelter. I painted the ground on the top layer red to symbolize the blood that was shed during the war and the liberation of Tunisia. I chose this story because it spoke to me in many ways. Even though everyone in the bomb shelter was facing adversity, they still found a source of light. Having a baby in the bomb shelter gave everyone a sense of comfort, by knowing that even in difficult times there was hope. I think that this idea of finding light even in the darkest of times applies today. Today as Jews, we are constantly facing anti-Semitism and cruel attacks against our people. Even though we could easily sit back and watch it happen, we choose not to. We search for the sense of hope that keeps us going. In times of adversity, we prosper, instead of receding. In difficult times we must remember to find the light.

Jobs: Rebecca S. ‘24 My Family Story is about two families. My Bubby’s side (Mazor) and my Zayde’s side (Gerstein). Zayde’s family is about two relatives: one who was two years old on the boat and his name was Irvin, whose original name was Israel, and one who was born on the boat and her name was Esther but her nickname was East. The other family was Isaac and Rebecca Mazor. Both of the families came from Kiev, Russia and arrived in Ellis Island, New York. They came over at different times so neither family knew each other. They both left before the Holocaust began because they wanted a better life in America. The reasons they left were because there were signs of the pogroms and there was anti-Semitism and signs of the Holocaust. They were forced out before things got worse. Before the Holocaust and signs of it happening there was peace and the families had working jobs and they were successful. The Mazor family raised wheat. They were a miller family and the other family dealt with fertilizer and products for animals such as feed. Both families became bootleggers. People stopped buying products from the Jewish people, which is when things started to go bad. Both families had to sell their land and businesses to non-Jews who were then able to sell for them. At that point they were only getting a profit off the top from the products that were sold. They basically worked on commission which was not much. They were both good people and the community respected them. They always did good for others. Unfortunately, when they came to America they had nothing and had to start their lives all over again and find work starting from the bottom up. They both went on to raise their families and both sides have grown in size and generationally. It is sad to say that over the years much of the family history has been lost. We know for sure that Irvin’s last name had been changed prior to coming to America but we don’t know about Rebecca and Isaac. I will continue to work towards finding out the secrets and lessons of both my Bubbe and Zayde’s families.

The Samuelson Story: Liza S. ‘24 My Family Story is about how my great-great-grandpa started his own store to try to make a living. This store was built in 1922, almost 100 years ago. The store is still owned by my family and thriving today. Milton Samuelson started Boston Loan Office as a pawn shop, and now it is a jewelry store. There has never been a time where a Samuelson has not owned this store. This is how my family makes a living. The store started in downtown Baltimore and very recently moved to another location. If my great-grandpa did not start this store, it would not have been passed down through so many generations of Samuelsons, and my family would not be where we are today. I wonder if my great-great-grandpa knew that his small shop would still be thriving today, in 2020. My project is a replica of what the store looked like when it was downtown. Then there is a diamond to represent the change from a pawn shop, and now a jewelry store. The project rests on a royal purple board to represent the store colors. By doing this project, I learnt a lot about my great-great-grandpa. My project connects to Judaism because my great-great- grandpa who was Jewish started this business. His business and Jewish beliefs have been passed down to my family for so many years.

Anti-Semitism in Baltimore: Jake S. ‘24 My representation of my Jewish identity started back when my grandma was a kid. As a child she experienced anti-Semitism pretty often. In my project I showed one example from when she was singled out for being Jewish. I put papier-mâché over scraps of newspapers to make the rocky, mountainous terrain that reflects what this park looks like in real life. I then put moss on top of the mountains and made a pathway to walk through where I made people walking. My grandma said there was a sign that read, “No Jews, No Dogs, and No Blacks.” She said some of her friends were able to go in and she was left out because she couldn’t go in. This represents who I am through my Jewish identity because Jews get separated very often but we always fight through it and get stronger.

Heirlooms: Alana S. ‘24 This model of My Family Story portrays a precious item that my family has been lucky enough to have been given. My great-grandfather, Alfred Abramson, was a remarkable man. He was the kind of man that would think of others before himself. He once took a trip to Israel and while he was in Israel, he bought a beautiful Shabbat set which included: A Kiddush cup, candles, and a yahrzeit candle. Every year during Passover he would use the Kiddush cup for Elisha’s cup, and would use the candles every Shabbat. Wistfully he died before I was born and I never got to meet him. In his memory, my mom lights those candles every Friday night for Shabbat. The Kiddush cup is a big part of our family. At every family Simcha we have used the Kiddush cup including: my parents wedding, both of my brother’s brises, my brother’s Bar Mitzvah, my Bat Mitzvah, and my brothers soon-to-be Bar Mitzvah. I chose to do my project on the candle sticks and the Kiddush cup that he gave my mom. As you can see, I have made a replica of the Kiddush cup and the candle sticks. The candlesticks are made of cardboard with papier-mache, then painted and decorated to look like the ones we very often use. The Kiddush cup is a mold of a cup that is then covered in papier-mache and painted. Decorating the board, I have pictures from some of the events where my family has used the Kiddush cup. You might notice that there are two cracks in the cup; these cracks show its age how much love it’s been given throughout its lifetime. Although I sadly never met Alfred Abramson, some lessons that I have learned from him are that you should always be honest. He was known as honest Abe, which shows how honest of a person he was. My papa also taught me that I should live by my values and be true to myself. In the future, I intend on giving this precious item to my grandkids who will then pass it on to their kids. I will tell them the story of this beautiful item and the amazing person behind it all.

The Choice of a Lifetime: Maya S. ‘24 The project before you depicts the story of my great-grandfather fighting in World War II. This story took place in 1942, when Samuel Grosshandler was a lieutenant in the U.S. army and was being sent from England to France. He had the option of taking the bigger, more comfortable boat, which was for all the lieutenants, or a smaller, crowded boat for the soldiers that he was training. My great-grandfather was an extremely humble man and would not separate from his men to be on a nicer boat. He chose to take the smaller boat with his soldiers. Although he didn’t know it at the time, that decision would save his life. He safely made it to France, while the lieutenant boat tragically blew up. There was not a single survivor. If it weren’t for my great-grandfather’s humility and loyalty, he would have died and none of my family would be alive today. This story teaches me that people you care about are much more important than something bigger or fancier. I also aspire to be humble, a quality that is celebrated in the Torah. Moshe was called “Anav mikol adam”– “The most humble of men.” I made these two boats by papier-macheing cardboard and painting the army men to match their status. My great- grandfather is painted white because that’s the color that lieutenants wore, and his men are painted green. This story connects to my Jewish identity because my great-grandfather was fighting in WWII for the lives of Jews all over Europe. My great-grandfather was loving, family-oriented, generous, funny, hardworking, and brave, and I aspire to be like him one day.

The Split Ship: Shayna S. ‘24 My project portrays the stories of both of my grandfathers. I started by creating one ship but split into two parts because I wanted to show how even though my grandfathers came from very different roots, they were still unified through my parents’ marriage. On one side, I have my grandpa’s story of immigrating to America from Poland to escape the discrimination of Jews there when he was two. I painted wooden people and put my grandpa and his parents next to the bench I recreated from the real ship. On the outside of the ship, I have a collage of pictures of my grandpa and his parents on the ship and records from when they arrived in America. On the other side of the ship, I have my other grandfather’s story, or Pop-pop as I call him, of being in the Navy during World War II and going to Japan after America bombed them. I put navy men on the ship, with my Pop-pop painted white to distinguish him from the others. On the outside, I have a collage of pictures of my Pop-pop and his shipmates, the US Navy symbol, and his identification card. On both sides of the ship, I created the flags of the countries that they were coming from in the back, and the countries that they were going to in the front. I created the water that the ships were sailing in to look rough, because sometimes being Jewish is rough where you are, and Jews are sometimes treated harshly. I wanted to show that even though Jews were treated unjustly in the periods of my grandfathers’ stories, we would always prevail, and today, my grandfathers and I can say that we’re proud of being Jewish.

Gold Chain with the Word “Chai”: Ryan S. ‘24 The representation of My Family Story shows the gold necklace my father wears, which my great-grandmother once owned. My great-grandmother, Ada, and my father, Neal, had a very close connection to each other. For Ada’s 40th birthday, Shelli, her daughter and my grandmother, gifted her a 14k gold “Chai” necklace. When Ada passed away at the age of 72, Shelli decided to give the necklace to my father. He was only 12 at the time. He did not wear it at the time because the chain did not fit him, but for his Bar Mitzvah, family friends – the Slesses – gave him a new chain that did fit him, and still does to this day. My father then put on his necklace and hasn’t taken it off since. He sleeps in it, showers in it, and lives in it. On my which translates to ”,שרשרת זהב עם המילה “חי“ ,project, there is a wooden board, which reads “gold necklace with the word “Chai.” On the wooden board is a papier-mache model of shoulders, neck, and lower face. Placed on the bust is a golden Chai necklace to represent my ”חי“ dad’s necklace. This story connects to my Jewish identity because it revolves about a necklace, which is Hebrew for “life.” I am inspired by my dad’s pride in Judaism, and hope that one day, in many many years, I will wear it with pride too.

Traveling to South Africa: Dex S. ‘24 My grandmother, Irena Sherman, grew up in a racist neighborhood with her mother and father. She was born in Germany during the Holocaust and moved on a steamboat to South Africa. She lived in an all-black neighborhood called Luka where she was discriminated against for being white. She was not able to go to public places like schools and restaurants. She grew up as a single child and with no proper education. I made a boat with my grandmother, great- grandmother and great-grandfather. I made the boat out of papier-mache and painted it black and gray. I made two polls to represent the smokestacks of the boat. This connects to my Jewish identity since my grandmother had to escape the Holocaust because they were Jewish. My grandmother was the only Jewish person in her neighborhood. I take pride in my Jewish religion because it is unique and not everyone can say that they are Jewish.

Shalom Shop: Zach S. ‘24 This representation of My Family Story has been important to my grandmother, father, and my grandmother’s cousin. My great-grandfather had a store inside of his house. It was called the Shalom Shop. They were open Sunday through Friday and closed on Shabbos. He sold Jewish items like menorahs, yarmulkes, and tzitzit. Yes, he needed to call it a yarmulke, because to him it was a way more important and religious word. He was the person that was the most religious in my family. He even kept kosher. His name was Nole Simon. He sadly passed away before I was born in 2004. He was a great man and G-d had respected his actions and Jewish identity. He is a huge connection of my Jewish identity because he was very religious and my father was very close with him. My dad tells me stories about a couple of fun things they did together. The materials I am using for my project are cardboard, tape, and papier-mâché for the shop. I painted it white and blue. I am painting the base yellow for the floor outside of the shop. I am also using orange, yellow, and green, for the people walking into the shop. They are little wood people. They look like they are in line walking inside. In conclusion, my great-grandpa Nole was an important family member to me, and his shop was an amazing idea.

The Three Wars: Jack U. ‘24 My Family Story project represents three different war scenes my family has experienced, including the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. In the Civil War my fifth great- grandfather, Samuel, and his brother, Solomon, fought for the north in the Civil War. The surprising thing was that only approximately 1,800 Jews fought in the Civil War, and two out of the 1,800 are my relatives. Later on when World War II was occurring, my second great-uncles Joe, Merl, and Samuel, fought in the war for the United States. Then, in 1956 my grandpa David enlisted in the United States army. In front of you are three separate war scenes. Blue shirts represent the Civil War, brown shirts represent World War I, and green shirts represent World War II. In the book of Devarim it says, “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” I am so blessed to be part of a family who fought for freedom and share a legacy of loyalty, honor, seeking justice and bravery.

It all Started with the Name: Lily W. ‘24 This project is a representation of my great-grandmother, Neysa, and how her legacy still lives on today. When I was two weeks old, my great-grandmother passed away. She was the foundation of my family, and everyone loved her. After she passed, my name was legally changed from Lily Meredith Wolf to Lily Nessa Wolf in honor of my great-grandmother. My parents decided to change the spelling of my name because people would always pronounce my great-grandmother’s name wrong. Ever since my middle name was changed, my family and I believe that my great-grandmother’s soul lives on in me. There have been some pretty unbelievable stories that have happened throughout the years to make my family believe so. For example, in my project, I made a specific cabinet that belonged to my great-grandmother. After Neysa passed away, we had her cabinet in our house. This cabinet is very special and important to my family. It has even become a family joke that we communicate to my great-grandmother through her cabinet. We are still waiting for one of her recipes in there! The cabinet opens up all the stories that make my family believe my great-grandmother is still here with us. My cabinet is made out of cardboard which I papier-mached over and then painted it. It represents the close bond my great-grandmother had, and still has, with my family and me. One of the stories that I have spoken about through my project is based off of my family being Jewish. Even on the Jewish holidays, my great-grandma was there to tell us which apples to use in the charoset on Passover. Even though she isn’t physically here with me today, my stories will help keep her memory and amazing impact she had on everyone alive.

The Name Change: Skylar W. ‘24 My Family Story is a visual representation of my grandfather’s story and how he adapted to being a Jewish American starting a career. His name was Irving Weinzweig, which presents itself as a very Jewish name. He was very smart and graduated from MIT in 1956. Once he graduated, he tried finding a job but unfortunately, no one would hire him because he was Jewish. He changed his name to Benjamin Wood hoping to find employment which he did. He was hired right away and became a successful engineer and also worked on building planes in the Vietnam War. I split my project into two sides to represent his life as Irving Weinzweig and his life as Benjamin Wood. On the first side I tried to create MIT to show his college years and his adolescence as Irving. On the other side I built a plane to represent his job as an engineer and all the planes he worked on. I also built a table with a family around it to depict the start of his adulthood and how he married my grandmother and had my father and aunt. Even though he changed his name to gain employment, he never gave up his Judaism and I’m proud to be attending Beth Tfiloh and to have the ability to honor him.

The Twentieth Train: Allison Z. ‘24 During the Nazi occupation of Belgium, 28 train convoys with over 25,000 Jews and 351 Roma left Mechelen towards the Auschwitz extermination camps. My family was on “Transport XX,” crammed with 1,631 other Jewish passengers. Armed with only one pistol, a pair of pliers, and a red hurricane lamp, three young Belgians stopped the train. They put the lamp on the tracks and the train stopped. They managed to get 233 passengers out of the train but only 118 survived. One hundred and fifteen people were killed during the escape. I made my train out of cardboard and papier-mache so it would look more realistic. I used popsicle sticks to make the tracks and painted wooden people to show the people who were saved. If you look at the little blue men, one has a pair of pliers and the other has a pistol. If you look at the train tracks, there is a red hurricane lantern stopping the train. My family was saved by the three Belgian men and thanks to them, my family came to America and continued life. My mother’s great-grandmother, Bertha Rotenberg-Berkelhammer, is in the book The Twentieth Train, which lists the names of those who escaped the train. This connects to my Jewish identity because my Judaism exists because she was saved.

The Story of Morris Zukerberg Saving the Jewish People: Lexi Z. ‘24 My Family Story is demonstrated on a spinning wheel. When you spin the wheel, you have many different choices, which relates to my family’s story. My great-grandfather had difficult choices to make, specifically turning a blind eye, or taking matters into his own hands and he chose to take action and make a difference. After hearing about concentration camps, my great-grandpa Morris wrote a letter to the White House. This was a long and detailed letter, strongly stating that the United States needs to help the Jewish people because they are all in danger. While growing up in a Jewish home with his mom, dad, three brothers, and one sister, my great-grandfather was very passionate about resolving this issue and helping the Jews. Soon after the letter was sent, he got a reply. It was a threatening letter, stating that my great-grandfather should keep his mouth shut before he messes up the plan! My grandpa told me that the plan was to persuade the Germans that America supported them, and then the United States would attack Germany. Knowing that this plan would not protect the Jews in time, he took pride in his country, and religion and decided to join the Merchant Marines. His three brothers also decided to join, the Air Force, Army, and Navy. His 15-year-old brother even lied about his age in order to serve to protect the United States and fight for his rights. He felt so much pride in serving his country that he became a head commander. Although my great-grandfather and his brothers were only four people out of many, I strongly believe that by taking initiative and fighting for what they knew was right, they helped to save many Jewish people. Unfortunately, I was never able to meet my great-grandfather, but I will continue to view him as a hero and pass this story down to future generations.