Alexandra Hirons

(11) pays tribute to

her ancestors who
suffered during the
Holocaust by light-
ing a remembrance
candle. “I had six
family members in
the Holocaust. My
great-grandpa and
his family had to
leave their loved
ones to survive,”
Hirons said. Photo
by Matt Hart
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eight
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 Crystal
night Hirons honors her ancestors’ sacrifice
I was trying not to cry as Alexandra Hirons (11) told me
about her family. All I could think of were those Holo-
caust movies where parents were ripped away from their
children and forced onto overcrowded, filthy trains.
Let me tell you, this wasn’t a movie.
“In the Jewish religion, you are suppose to take your
mom’s religion. My mom is Jewish, so technically I am
Jewish too. My mom doesn’t practice it that much—the
only time we do is when we go to my Opa’s (German for
Grandpa) house. I do celebrate Hanukkah, but I also cele-
brate Christmas. My dad is Christian, so it gets confusing
sometimes. Everyone seems to think that being Jewish is
a race—it’s not. It’s a religion completely. It cracks me up
when people say that.
I had six family members in the Holocaust. My Great-
Grandpa Daniel Kahn worked in a bank in Berlin, Germa-
ny. He was in a higher up position, so people knew who
he was. Because his family was Jewish, people started
hinting to him that he was going to get taken after Kristall-
nacht. Hitler was targeting people like him.”
(Kristallnacht [“Night of Broken Glass,” literally “Crystal
Night”] happened on November 7, 1938 in Germany. Jews
were attacked and Jewish property vandalized. The death
toll averaged about 90 people. This incident ignited the
108-109.indd 109
shipment of Jews to concentration camps by the Nazis.)
“So my Great-Grandpa Daniel and his wife took their
children--my Opa, who was seven, and his sister Bob-
by, who was thirteen--and went to Cuba. Just the four of
them. They didn’t tell anybody what was happening; they
didn’t tell anyone where they were going. They escaped
from Berlin during the Kristallnacht. They stayed in Cuba
for awhile. Then, when my Opa was in junior high, they
moved to the U.S.
My Great-Grandpa Daniel left relatives behind in Germa-
ny. His parents, his sister, her husband and their two chil-
dren weren’t so lucky. They were all taken to concentra-
tion camps. None of them survived--they were all gassed.
They were separated, none of them were ever together.
The children, who were three and five, went their separate
ways. My aunt was taken in one area and her husband
went in another area. It was bad.
I talk to my Opa all the time about this stuff. I have only
met my Aunt Bobby once, but my Opa keeps up with her.
Everyone else, I think, has passed away.”
Rebekah Clark
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