witnesses to its horror pass on, it is imperative that we preserve their memory. We are all incredibly grateful to my father, Ben Golub, who pushed, organized, financed, and oversaw the creation of Kaddishel for its printed release in 2005. If not for his efforts, many of the powerful details of Grandpa Aharon’s story would have been erased from history. Fortunately, his work, and the release of this digital edition in 2024, can hopefully allow his story to live on in perpetuity. Grandpa Aharon also recorded several testimonial videos for the Univer- sity of Southern California (USC) Shoah Foundation in 1995, where he describes his privileged childhood, the Holocaust, and his participation in the founding of Israel. I highly recommend hearing the testimonials in his own captivating words (and accent) freely available on their website. These videos are the closest thing bringing him back to life. Below are some words from my eulogy for him in 2021: Magnetic, charming, handsome, charismatic, with keen intellect, astounding (compulsive) attention to detail and an elephantine memory, Grandpa Aharon often electrified a room with his larger-than-life presence. As he told stories ranging from several thousand years ago to several hours ago, each with stunning ease and vivid clarity, his big smile instantly warmed a crowd. Sprinkling in mischievous grins, melodramatic seriousness, and infectious bouts of singing, he was adored by everyone he met. Family, friends, neighbors, distant relatives, members of his synagogue, waiters at the Plainview Diner, nurses in the hospital, car drivers and many more showered him with praise and affection. To quote Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Well, he made everyone feel special. It was his greatest gift. And no one did he make feel more special than his children and grandchildren, of which I was unbelievably blessed to be. He was a man so deeply woven in human history and a man so deeply woven into the fabric of our existence. And today, his final identity is his legacy. His story, as written in Kaddishel , needs to be told and retold. It must become embedded deep within our psyche. His body, disfigured by the horrors of the Holocaust, was one of the last living testaments to this terrible tragedy inflicted upon
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