44,44
44,
Vol.3 No.4
Today's third generation must ensure the Holocaust is not forgotten.
by Sam Gringlas
ne day each spring, during a time of
rebirth and new buds, a small white
memorial candle sits atop the counter
in Jewish homes across the world. For as long as I
can remember, a similar candle has flickered in my
grandparents' kitchen, casting shadows that dance
across the wall.
Only within the past few years have I truly begun
to understand this monumental duty, that of remem-
bering the more than 6 million Jews who perished
during the Holocaust. Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Re-
membrance Day, falls on April 21 this year.
When you think about this terrible time in our
history, words such as horror, death, destruction and
hate come to mind. Somewhere, though, along this
dark train of thought, come the watchwords: "Never
Forget" and "Never Again."
Now, the responsibility of carrying on the legacy
of the survivors and ensuring a catastrophic event
of this kind can never repeat itself falls on today's
youth. The grandchildren of Holocaust survivors
and the generation they are apart of will likely be
the last to have an opportunity to hear the history
firsthand from survivors. This makes the third gen-
eration's task even more imperative.
"It is vital that we never forget what happened,"
says Robin Teweles, 22, of West Bloomfield, a grand-
daughter of Holocaust survivors. "We need to make
sure to tell all future generations the survivors' sto-
ries for their legacy to live on. I feel very special to
be here because of all the tragedy they endured."
Another area teen is already putting the third
generation's mission into action. Anna Eisenberg,
16, of Birmingham is helping to jumpstart a new
program, Third Generation, whose goal is to carry
on the legacy of survivors as well as bring together
the third generation in the hope of getting closer
with Michigan Holocaust survivors.
"It is very important to make sure that all of [the
survivors'] stories continue to be heard," she says.
"And while the survivors are still alive, they should
know that we are here for them. I am very proud to
be the granddaughter of survivors."
Her program, which will hold its first meeting on
May 11, welcomes grandchildren — ages 13-18 — of
and reassure the existence of the Holocaust to future
: generations."
Sam Gringlas,
15, is determined the Holocaust legacy of his
grandfather Sol Gringlas will not be forgotten.
Holocaust survivors. Third Generation is sponsored
by Jewish Home and Aging Services' Program for
Holocaust Survivors and Families, directed by Dr.
Charles Silow, a son of Holocaust survivors.
"I feel so proud to see the third generation be-
coming interested in telling their grandparents'
histories to their peers and to others," Silow says.
"Their pride in their identities as grandchildren of
survivors and their desire to help the survivors as
they age is heartening."
Marissa Ceresnie, 17, of Farmington Hills says,
"I'm so proud to be the granddaughter of two Ho-
locaust survivors. By listening to their stories as I've
grown up, I'm capable to pass down their legacy
Grandparents' Legacy
I, too, am part of the third generation. My grandpar-
ents, Sol and the late Paula Gringlas, survived the
Holocaust. I feel that it is my responsibility to carry
on their legacy so their stories will always live on.
Paula (Cukier) Gringlas was born in 1926 in Ra-
doszyce, Poland. One of her most memorable sto-
ries took place in the ghetto. Because she didn't look
Jewish, she was often sent to smuggle food into the
ghetto. One time, she was stopped and harassed by
a group of Polish boys. Upon closer inspection, they
realized she wasn't Jewish, or so they thought. Im-
mediately they began apologizing to her, and she
was able to sneak the food in. Paula survived the
German concentration camps and was liberated by
the Russians.
Sol Gringlas was born in 1923 in Ostrowiec, Po-
land. When Sol was 17, he was taken to work for the
Germans when they invaded Poland, with the prom-
ise his family would be saved. When Sol returned
home from work one day, he found the ghetto liqui-
dated and his family gone. He would never see his
parents and four siblings again. Later, Sol was sent
to several concentration camps — Buna, Auschwitz
and Nordhausen-Dora. On April 11, 1945, Sol was
liberated from Nordhausen-Dora by the United
States Army.
I've always felt extremely proud to be a grandson
of survivors, and especially lucky to have the chance
to hear the history from someone who lived it. I nev-
er really heard my grandpa's story, except for bits
and pieces, until last May when I interviewed him
for a school project.
Listening to his story firsthand was different
from my past learning about the Holocaust. When
you hear it was your own ancestors that perished,
and that your father that grew up never knowing
his grandparents as a result, the horror really hits
home.
It is so significant that we, as the third generation,
pass on their history and carry on their legacy so
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