My Grandmother, an essay

My grandmother, Mania Schatz, deserves to win the Grandparents Award to recognize the hardships and accomplishments in her life. When she was a little girl, life in her community in Poland started off normally until the Holocaust began. My Grandma hid in a forest with her cousins and uncles. They stayed underneath trees and wood, and made fires to keep warm. She had to beg for food, but had to remain hidden or everyone would be killed.

Jewish life was impossible for my grandmother and her uncles when they were hiding. The didn’t know when the holidays were or what day it was. The couldn’t celebrate Friday night services or anything that had to
do with the Jewish religion. Her parents and two brothers were all killed.

After the war, my grandmother and her uncles went to live in Germany. She met my grandpa Sam, and they decided to get married and start a new life in America. The knew there were more opportunities and it would be a better place to raise a family. The bought a house and had three children who went to college. My mom was their middle child. Every Jewish holiday, my grandma makes the best potato latkes.

I am so proud of my grandma for making it through such terrible times because if she didn’t, my mother and
her family, and my brother and I would not be here today. She must have been very strong and courageous to survive such a difficult childhood.

This essay was submitted to Chabad of Mineola for its Grandparents Award essay contest.