Melinda, I'm so glad Howard chose this. The Tree of Life was my own childhood synagogue. I had my bat mitzvah there. This essay is dear to my heart. Thank you for letting us run it.
Gorgeous and remarkably insightful. I remember the first time i comprehended that without the holocaust I would not have existed. I was very young. Already then I was struck with how statistically unlikely my life was. But it has taken me time to come to gratitude more so than the weight and guilt that I am here (hineni). Thank you for the wisdom 🙏
Melinda, I'm so glad Howard chose this. The Tree of Life was my own childhood synagogue. I had my bat mitzvah there. This essay is dear to my heart. Thank you for letting us run it.
I’m humbled by the personal connections both you and Howard had to my story, but then again, I also can’t be surprised. We are all family—mishpacha.
I was in Pittsburgh that weekend, visiting my son, who was a student at Pitt. It was surreal.
Here I am too! Thank you!
Gorgeous and remarkably insightful. I remember the first time i comprehended that without the holocaust I would not have existed. I was very young. Already then I was struck with how statistically unlikely my life was. But it has taken me time to come to gratitude more so than the weight and guilt that I am here (hineni). Thank you for the wisdom 🙏
I loved this piece, it’s a wonderful choice for the first nonfiction essay.
Hineni. My grandparents were married at the Tree of Life synagogue. Also Hungarian Jews. Wonderful Jewish community in squirrel hill Pittsburgh.
Hineni! Melinda, your writing is always so on point and gorgeous!
Here we are. Thank you, Melinda, Howard, Elissa.
So beautifully done; thank you for sharing Melinda!