This post was inspired by the Day 1 Writing Prompt for Lynn Palermo’s February Writing Challenge. Dear Great-Grandpa, I know we must have met. but I was 2 years old when you passed so, have no memory of that My impression of you was formed by pictures of you looking stern and imposing and a […]
Read MoreNOTE: I intended to post this on the 15th, but… um… life. According to Thomas MacEntee’s Facebook post, today is National Hat Day. Thank goodness he made us aware of this very important observance! There have been some exciting happenings recently related to my great-grandparents’ hat business, LITAL (Vienna, Austria – 1899-1938). Many years ago, […]
Read MoreIMPOSTER SYNDROME: “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.” Social Psychologist, Dr. Amy Cuddy When people refer to me as an author, I generally respond with something like, ” Well… Gee.. thanks, but I’m not a real writer.” Or maybe, “No. I’m not really. I just have a lot of stories […]
Read Morehttps://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht On November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. This event came to be called Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht 84 years […]
Read MoreIt seems my ancestors really want to help get my book written. I’ve posted before (here and here) about “coincidences” where I’ve stumbled upon material to support the story of my great-grandfather, Sigmund Lichtenthal, and his business—its growth and loss in 1938 and his lifelong quest for reparation. At least, that was the original plan. […]
Read MoreI had hoped to post this on the occasion of Bob’s 101st birthday. I’m a few days late, I don’t think he would mind. When your ancestors “tell” you to look for something, you do it! Such was the case with my first cousin, twice removed, Kurt Mendl. I was on the search in the […]
Read MoreMost people are aware of the events surrounding the Holocaust as well as the horrific situation in which many Jews found themselves during and after. In this post, I’d like to share a few things that are lesser-known, as well as some documents from my family during that period. My grandfather, Paul Lichtenthal was called […]
Read MoreI recently submitted this chapter to my writing group, (Lynn Palermo’s Family History Masterclass) receiving great feedback including, “Add more emotion.”, “Add more dialog.”, “Too much fact, not enough story.” And finally, the bane of my writing existence: “Kind of choppy – work on your transitions.” I reworked the chapter and would love to hear […]
Read MoreToday, October 20, 2021, is the 146th anniversary of Sigmund Lichtenthals’ birthday. I’ve written about my great-grandfather before; most extensively, in this post from 2013 where I summarized his life. In 2020 I wrote about forming opinions of our ancestors we never knew simply using the photos and documents we collected. I have been diligently […]
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 […]
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Who We Are and How We Got This Way 