Door to Door: A Pilgrimage Across Generations

Part of belonging to a lineage is the act of finding ourselves within the story, claiming a particular link in the chain of inheritance, as testimony to our merit for inclusion. And then he’d say, "Jews are responsible for each other." We all heard that phrase from him. It was the partner to his positivity. Forgive in your heart, and take your inheritance of survival, your legacy of peoplehood, seriously.  And we did. 
[1] We thought a lot about how this story ends. Is it with one of Miriam’s children, the next generation? Is it by returning to Simon’s voice? Who gets to hold the final piece of this turning of the story? And in the end, we decided that there is no end, it intentionally hangs, unbalanced, unfinished, a thread that both continues to be pulled and woven at the same time. 
[2] What was it that we inherited? What gift came of this line of life that should never have been? We think it’s one another. The choice to continue to choose each other, to be one another’s best friends and learn to love each other as best as we can. In that spirit, we share a few sweet memories - of lives well lived, joys tangled with sorrows, and the freedom that comes with the birth of new branches on the tree of our family story. 
Check out the website for additional resources and photos of events and people discussed in this episode.

“ I feel like I hold and carry a lot of the stories from my grandfather. I don't always know how to share those stories. I'm sometimes afraid of telling them wrong or making mistakes.” - Neal Strauss
"It’s a surreal experience to watch strangers tell your story. For others to decide they are ready for you to reclaim your stolen lives." - Miriam Terlinchamp
[1] The majority of this audio was taken on a small handheld audiorecorder and carried around by various family members on the trip.
[2] Interested in learning more about Stoperstein? Here is a good resource.
[3] Wondering what Herbert was referring to when he said some Jews don’t like the idea of Stoperstein? Here is an article that discusses dissent about the stones.  
[4] Many photos were taken on the trip. Here is one of the Stoperstein in front of the house: 
And one of David, Ralph and Nadine (children of Lou and Simon) at their grandfather’s grave. 
And a photo of the ceremony in front of the house:

“Years later, I’ll know this feeling as a mother, hearing my baby wail from the other room, wondering, praying, hoping that she is ok. But tonight, I’m 25 in a loft apartment in Berlin, 5,000 miles from home, and it’s not a baby crying: It’s my 89-year-old grandfather, Simon, screaming.” - Miriam Terlinchamp
“To choose, to actively to forgive. To find beauty in strangers paying homage to what you lost. To embrace the learning journey of others even at the expense of your own pain in having to tell and retell it…Well, that’s a whole other capacity to do so within the context of the very place where the trauma occurred.” - Marika Strauss
[1] The audio used for Simon in this episode was recorded by his granddaughter Jennifer Melrose in 1999 as part of Jennifer’s research project for her masters in psychology. 
[2] Fun fact about the above audio! Jennifer had recorded it on a cassette tape, which was then, 2 decades later transcribed onto a CD, and then, upon research for this project, did we all find out that it existed! Jennifer’s son, Simon’s great grandchild, worked tirelessly to turn it into an audio file that could be used for this piece, and is the first time that most of the family have heard this interview. 
[3] Miriam refers to a Holocaust Museum in Cincinnati. It’s amazing! It’s proper name is the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center. You can learn more about their work on their website: www.holocaustandhumanity.org. But the most impactful element is the interactive exhibits where you can have an AI supported conversation with a survivor. Definitely worth a visit.  
[4] Simon talks about his passport, the papers he needed to move freely. Here are a few pages from that passport, which now belong to Miriam.

I got out of the Frankfurt train station. I took a bus to Wachenbuchen.  At this time, remember, there’s no cellphone, no Google maps, none of that. I had an address and I got there early in the day and there it was. It was like seeing something,  you know,  like seeing a picture you've seen forever, right? - Mark Vane
References in this episode:
[1] Here is a photograph of Shane and Simon at Shane’s winging ceremony when he became a Navy pilot. 
[2] Want to learn more from Rabbi Tirzah Firestone? Check out her book, “Wounds into Wisdom: Healing intergenerational Jewish trauma.” or listen to her recent interview on Judaism Unbound here.
[3] The audio from Simon in this episode is from a recording made by Jennifer Melrose as part of her research for her masters in psychology. She interviewed Simon as part of her project. When we interviewed her, this was the first time we’d heard about the recording!
Ohio Humanities made this episode of Door to Doorpossible. Door to Door is a production of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and part of the family of podcasts of Judaism Unbound. Created by Miriam Terlinchamp, directed by Joey Taylor, produced at Monastery Studio, original music by Ric Hordinski, and art by Katie Kaestner. 
We'd love to hear from you, so you can email us at [email protected] or find us at: www.judaismunbound.com/door-to-door

We don’t know the story for a long time. And, even after we learn it, the story continues to unfold. Each generation adding new information, unlocking new mysteries, and trying it’s best to weave something whole out of a family history shredded by trauma. - Miriam Terlinchamp
References in this episode:
[1] Wow! That’s a lot of voices! Here is a family tree from the Strauss family to get a sense of how we are all connected. 
[2] This audio was taken from an interview made by the Houston Holocaust Center. You can watch the full video of the interview here: Collections Search - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org)
[3] Dr. Sarah Crane, visiting professor in the Judaics Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at University of Cincinnati and scholar in residence at the Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanity Center.
Ohio Humanities made this episode of Door to Door possible. Door to Door is a production of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and part of the family of podcasts of Judaism Unbound. Created by Miriam Terlinchamp, directed by Joey Taylor, produced at Monastery Studio, original music by Ric Hordinski, and art by Katie Kaestner. 
We'd love to hear from you, so you can email us at [email protected] or find us at: www.judaismunbound.com/door-to-door