Inheritance of Memory Holocaust Story Project
gathering the photographs…
The Holocaust Story Project presents

Inheritanceof Memory

Holocaust survivors and their children share their stories
Compiled and Edited by John Kornfeld Rhonda D. Findling and Elaine Leeder, Co‑Editors
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About the book

Sixteen families. Two generations. One act of remembering.

Inheritance of Memory gathers the testimonies of Holocaust survivors alongside the reflections of their children — the generation who grew up inside the silence, the absences, and the love these histories left behind.

Each chapter follows a single family across the borders they were forced to cross. The survivors tell what happened. Their children tell what it was to inherit it — the questions never asked at dinner, the relatives known only as names, the maps drawn from half-remembered stories. Together the two voices form something neither could hold alone.

This site is a companion to the book: a way to hold these photographs in your hands, trace these journeys across a map, and sit for a moment with the people who lived them. Begin with any photograph above.

Inheritance of Memory book cover — Holocaust Survivors and Their Children Share Their Stories, compiled and edited by John Kornfeld
Coming August 31, 2026

As the generation of survivors passes away, their stories must live on.

Inheritance of Memory gathers voices from The Holocaust Story Project in a powerful collection of memoir and testimony. These dramatic stories recount survivors’ escapes from Nazi persecution and their harrowing journeys across the globe to safety.

The survivors speak of indescribable loss and life-affirming resilience. Their children share how they came to understand their parents’ endurance and courage—and why telling these stories matters. With a WWII timeline, glossary, maps of survivors’ journeys, and questions for discussion, the book is an ideal resource for middle- and high-school students studying the Holocaust.

“Inheritance of Memory will attract a wide audience, from readers of Holocaust memories and literature to book clubs and reading groups interested in intergenerational trauma, healing, and the impact of history on social and political choices.”

— Midwest Book Review

For educators →
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Paperback & e‑book · Mango Moon Media · ISBN 978‑1‑948749‑99‑2 · Available August 31, 2026
All sixteen stories

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