L'Dor V'Dor: How One Grandmother's Hidden Story of Survival Changed Four Generations
Have you ever looked at an old family photo and wondered about the untold stories behind those familiar eyes? What if the quiet strength you saw in your grandmother's smile masked an extraordinary journey of survival that would one day transform your family's understanding of itself?
That's exactly what Howard Hochhauser discovered when he began exploring his grandmother Serena's past. Like many who survived the Holocaust, Serena rarely spoke about her life before coming to America. She was known simply as a loving grandmother who made borscht on Sundays and suggested a small glass of beer for an upset stomach - the kind of Eastern European grandmother who showed her love through food and practical wisdom.
From Records to Revelation
When newly available records from the International Tracing Service (ITS) became accessible through Ancestry's partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Howard found himself face-to-face with a different image of his grandmother - one that would forever change how his family understood their own story.
"It's amazing. I remember growing up looking at her thinking oh, this is this, you know, not fragile but sort of smallish... You know, family woman from Eastern Europe. You know, I certainly didn't think of her as a tough guy but in reality gosh to survive that she's the strongest person I've ever known."
What started as simple genealogical curiosity led to an extraordinary discovery: a single card documenting Serena's journey through one of history's darkest chapters. That card opened the door to more records, each revealing new layers of her remarkable story of survival - from enduring medical experiments at Auschwitz to forced labor, and ultimately, to freedom.
The Whole Story
If you haven't heard Howard share his grandmother's remarkable story, take a moment to watch now:
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🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:
- The surprising discovery in Serena's naturalization records that revealed her first marriage
- How the ITS records unveiled her incredible journey through Auschwitz
- Why she chose to stay in Europe for several years after liberation
- The profound impact these discoveries had on three generations of the Hochhauser family
- How understanding Serena's strength continues to influence her great-grandchildren today
The Power of One Story
Serena's story reminds us that family history isn't just about building trees or collecting dates - it's about understanding the extraordinary strength that runs through our family lines. As Howard shared, learning about his grandmother's survival transformed how his family faces their own challenges: "I think we're all now just a little stronger."
The discovery of Serena's past didn't just fill in missing branches on a family tree - it provided a foundation of resilience that continues to influence her descendants. When Howard's son faced anti-Semitic bullying at school, knowing his great-grandmother's story gave him the courage to stand up and educate others.
Your Story
Think about the quiet strength in your own family tree. What untold stories might be waiting to be discovered? How might understanding those stories change your family's sense of identity and resilience?
Story Seeds 🌱
Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.
- What do you know about your grandparents' lives before they became grandparents? What questions do you wish you had asked them?
- How has your family's history influenced how you face challenges today?
- Are there stories in your family that weren't talked about but shaped who you are?
- What family traditions or wisdom have been passed down through generations in your family?
Story Sparks 🔑
Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.
- Check naturalization records for clues about your ancestors' previous lives - they often contain surprising details about family members and places of origin.
- Use Ancestry's Card Catalog to explore specialized collections like the Arolsen Archives (ITS) records- they might hold unexpected stories about your family.
- Add important historical events to your ancestors' timelines in your Ancestry family tree. These events impacted them.
- Look for clusters of records around major historical events and read Newspaper headlines of the day - sometimes the most powerful stories emerge from understanding how your ancestors navigated challenging times.
As Howard reminded us with the Hebrew phrase "L'dor V'dor" - from generation to generation - our family stories have the power to strengthen and connect us across time. Whether those stories are of triumph or survival, joy or hardship, each one adds to the legacy we pass on to future generations.
Ready to discover more powerful family stories? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. And if this episode touched your heart, please leave us a rating and review - it helps other family story seekers find us.
