Last night, on the CBS show 60 Minutes, they ran a story about the “Ritchie Boys,” a secret US Intelligence group. This group of German-speaking Jews was responsible for uncovering more than half the combat intelligence on the Western Front during World War II. As reported in the story, their mission was to use their […]
Read MoreYou know the saying. “If these walls could talk…” Oh, what we might learn about the history of our homes and their previous occupants! Well, guess what? A discovery inside the closet of our recently purchased condo did just that! Maybe this would be a good time to share some news. On May 7, 2021, […]
Read MoreToday, Wednesday January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the past, I have written about my grandfather’s concentration camp experience. I also told the story of his father, my great-grandfather Sigmund Lichtenthal, and shared how the events during the Holocaust destroyed his lifelong business. Many people are keenly aware of the outcome of the Holocaust […]
Read MoreIt’s been a while since I documented our COVID experiences. As 2020 draws to a close and a vaccine is on the horizon perhaps (and I pray this will be so!) I won’t have much time left to share stories of our lives during this pandemic. Thanksgiving turned out to be a far less stressful […]
Read MoreIn 2007, as part of our mother’s 75th birthday celebration, we arranged for her to receive 75 cards from friends and family. To make up the balance, I created 16 cards. I recently came across the cache of cards while organizing papers. Since I haven’t posted much lately, I decided to share my “creations.” It […]
Read MoreIt has been nine years since my mother left us. When I posted about my mom’s purse three years ago, I merely shared a photo and returned the sacred object to languish on the dusty floor of my closet. It is time. I need to dismiss the feeling I’m invading her privacy and deal with […]
Read MoreThere’s just no way I can do a “Wordless Wednesday” post correctly. I always have to say something! (Maybe that’s why the schoolbus driver put tape on my mouth back when I was 7 or 8.) Anyway, a few days ago Thomas MacEntee of Abundant Genealogy posted on his Genealogy Bargains Facebook page about the […]
Read MoreIn my last post, I shared a chapter from my new book project about my family’s quest to obtain Holocaust reparations. Today, I’d like to share what I learned about the emigration of my maternal great-grandparents, Sigmund and Rosa Lichtenthal. I’ve learned quite a bit more since I orginally posted about their trip a couple […]
Read MoreI’m going to try something – “crowdsourcing” the first chapter of my book about my great-grandfather’s quest for Holocaust reparations. I am looking for feedback. Here’s the “elevator pitch” – “Closing the Circle: Finishing My Great-Grandfather’s Quest for Reparations” tells the story of a family whose livelihood was stolen from them when Hitler’s men seized […]
Read MoreOne of the top rules in genealogy is to avoid BSOs – “bright, shiny, objects.” I break that rule all the time and as a result I learn some pretty cool stuff. Ok, maybe I lose focus and don’t finish the actual task I was working on but honestly, life’s more fun this way! Today’s […]
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