My friend Lena asked mi to sent this letter,so you can place on your Reunion 69 Blog.

Just recently I read the book in Polish,written by one of our generation immigrant. It was one of the hundreds stories that we all read,but more important that we all lived through. True,it was a difficult time for all of us,but even  harder for our parent that lived through the war in Russia or concentration camps or hidden some ware on the mercy of the individuals,not knowing what tomorrow will bring,or there will be a tomorrow.

I think it is a time for us to stop crying and start counting our blessing. It does not mean that we will forget or should we. We will remember and our children will also know what happened to us. Our grandchildren will know with less intensity. Soon for coming generation ,it will be part of history for Jewish people.Our generation should do the most to make  it part of history.I look around at all of us and see accomplished  adults,with children ,and most of us with grandchildren.

Some of us struggle to have higher education,and it was not easy with foreign language ,no money and a deep filing of wrong doing to our lives..None the less a lot of us finished their study,or pursue  business or a good job.Most of us got married,strangely to each outher.We somehow seek our own. I think it was easier that way.We understood each other,we lived the same life,we build families.All our children are well educated,have good jobs.Most of this first generation born outside Poland have families of there own with grown children.And so,we the „emigrants”making the best grandparents.

We the „emigrants” that grew up without grandparents,uncles,aunts or cousins. We that was sheltered from the atrocities that our parents lived through.

Our parents protected us with their silence.They watched us with awe how we adapted and created our lives,how we raised our children,and how they become valued citizen of various countries,Swedes,Israelites,Canadians,Americans etc. My husband always wanted to make a photo of our children and grandchildren and send  it to Poland with the note „see what you missed”.

We should be proud of our self and happy for  life in our adapted countries.

Lets leave our past behind and enjoy present.

Lena Rotmensz USA