I did not hear my grandparents' stories until I was much older, but seeing their tattoos made the history and story books real it was right there on my grandmother's arm. Instead they were intriguing and mysterious.Ĭurious about my family's history, I read every young-adult Holocaust book I could get my hands on. The tattoos carried a silent presence in everything we did together, but for me as a child, the tattoos were neither sinister or depressing. The tattoos were present when my grandfather showed me how to lift smoked whitefish off the bone, and when my grandmother served a bowl of fruit compote for dessert. I remember looking at my grandparents' Auschwitz tattoos as a child, mesmerized by what they signified. Needless to say, I don't have a tattoo, but I continue to think about it to this day. ![]() What if it did happen again? And finally, the most compelling reason of all, getting a tattoo like that would cause my parents and especially my grandparents a lot of pain and bring tzuris to the family. Not only that, my father explained, it wasn't safe to walk around with a tattoo identifying you as Jewish. "Absolutely not!" My grandparents survived so that Jews would never have to be tattooed, marked, or counted ever again. When I first shared this idea with my parents, I quickly learned the traditional stance on this issue. But could or should I go under the needle myself? At the same time, tattoos are experiencing a revival among young Jews, and are perhaps becoming integrated into our generational identity and culture. Holocaust remembrance tattoos are not new, but they are always controversial in the Jewish community, especially since tattoos are somewhat taboo according to Jewish law. I was not the first person to have this idea. While I would not get my grandparents' numbers tattooed on my arm like the Israeli men profiled (I would not want to remember them by the number the Nazis gave them) I have considered getting the Hebrew word for "Remember" or perhaps "Love" tattooed on my forearm. The only thing that ever "felt right" was my Jewish identity, which to a large extent is based on being the grandchild of Holocaust survivors. And since this tattoo would be permanent, it would have to represent a part of my identity that would never change. I have always wanted a tattoo, but I never saw the point of butterflies or shooting stars I wanted something meaningful. ![]() As a grandchild of survivors who has seriously thought about getting a remembrance tattoo, I would like to offer a different point of view. While I am also a little uncomfortable with the idea of remembering a survivor by their Nazi-given number, I am not opposed to the idea of remembrance tattoos-even ones on the forearm. She, like many Jews, has trouble with tattoos and finds Holocaust remembrance tattoos particularly offensive. She already had a sun on her upper back.Today on Truth, Praise & Help, Renee Ghert-Zand expressed her displeasure at two Israeli men who decided to honor their Holocaust survivor matriarch with a tattoo of her Auschwitz number on their forearms. This tattoo, which they got in July 2018, is actually the second tattoo that Lucy and her sister got together to honor their grandmother. I don’t think many people thought in my family that would be what it is, but I always think that she did. Me and my sister talk about it all the time that we wish she could be here to see what I’ve done. I definitely felt like I was with her today, but then again I always feel close to her…I definitely always feel her presence. She attempted to connect with her grandma on an episode of E!’s Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry and said: Lucy’s grandmother is still a major part of her life even after she passed away. Also, my sister is a badass who raises two kids, teaches combat classes AND goes on tattoo runs with her baby sister. After years of wanting our grandmothers writing, we did it! Our Grammy was our favorite person & now she’s even more a part of us. ![]() Nothing says sisterly bonding more than permanently tattooing your body. Lucy showed off the matching tatts on her instagram and wrote: The sisters both inked “ I love you” on their right forearm in their grandmother’s own handwriting. Lucy Hale and her older sister Maggie got matching tattoos in memory of their late grandmother.
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