I am thinking about getting a tattoo of my grandparents numbers as well. They are both survivors and were both tattooed at Auschwitz. My grandfather, who outlived my grandmother by about 10 years, recently passed. He was never able to tell my family his story in person, however did so on a documentary organized by steven spielberg called "survivors of the shoah". I have always listened to the lessons and morals he taught me, however not until after his death have i truly learned everything that he went through through this videotape. I agree mostly with the number 3 point from the 21 year-old anonymous poster. My grandparents endured and survived horrors that i can not begin to fathom. When i feel overwhelmed or frustrated with events in my life, i have only to think of my grandparents and all of my troubles seem so small and insignificant. I feel extremely lucky and in debt to my grandparents, because without their tenaciousness and resolve I, along with the descendants of all other survivors, would not be here. My grandmother's number is now lost, and all that we have been able toput together are A8..... from pictures where her sleeves are rolled up. I do not want my grandfathers number to be forgotten, and am very near the point of having A9805 placed somewhere over my heart or on my ribs, in a spot that I would be able to cover with a tank-top. This would make it effectively impossible for me to forget my zaidy's number, and would provide a daily reminder of how lucky I am as well as a reminder that I have something to live up to. It is a way to own the experience, to view the number as a mark of pride and strength, rather than a symbol of persecution. The idea bears many similarities to other ways in which individuals take pride/identify with symbols of their own oppression, similar to the pink/purple triangle originally used by the nazis that is now an international symbol of gay pride. I am probably going to do it but love reading the feedback and other opinions about this topic
I am thinking about getting a tattoo of my grandparents numbers as well. They are both survivors and were both tattooed at Auschwitz. My grandfather, who outlived my grandmother by about 10 years, recently passed. He was never able to tell my family his story in person, however did so on a documentary organized by steven spielberg called "survivors of the shoah". I have always listened to the lessons and morals he taught me, however not until after his death have i truly learned everything that he went through through this videotape. I agree mostly with the number 3 point from the 21 year-old anonymous poster. My grandparents endured and survived horrors that i can not begin to fathom. When i feel overwhelmed or frustrated with events in my life, i have only to think of my grandparents and all of my troubles seem so small and insignificant. I feel extremely lucky and in debt to my grandparents, because without their tenaciousness and resolve I, along with the descendants of all other survivors, would not be here. My grandmother's number is now lost, and all that we have been able toput together are A8..... from pictures where her sleeves are rolled up. I do not want my grandfathers number to be forgotten, and am very near the point of having A9805 placed somewhere over my heart or on my ribs, in a spot that I would be able to cover with a tank-top. This would make it effectively impossible for me to forget my zaidy's number, and would provide a daily reminder of how lucky I am as well as a reminder that I have something to live up to. It is a way to own the experience, to view the number as a mark of pride and strength, rather than a symbol of persecution. The idea bears many similarities to other ways in which individuals take pride/identify with symbols of their own oppression, similar to the pink/purple triangle originally used by the nazis that is now an international symbol of gay pride. I am probably going to do it but love reading the feedback and other opinions about this topic