Almost 60 years ago, I went to Alcott Elementary School with a nice young lady named Betty Gluckman. She had two extraordinary parents-Jacob and Sylvie. Both had survived the horrors of the Auschwitz death camp. Both had suffered all the indignities of getting a life started again. Someway, some how, they made it to Houston. Jacob opened a shoe repair shop. Sylvie gave him two beautiful daughters.
When my father was in the US Army in World War II, he was with General George S. Patton on the day that he walked through a liberated death camp. My dad could only discuss that day when he was, shall we say "dead drunk."
Dad talked to me about what the Nazis had done. It led me to have great empathy for Jewish people and their suffering. When Betty told me the story of her mom and dad, I was touched. I wanted to get to know them.
What I discovered were (and are ) two extraordinary people. On the coldest and wettest winter day, they were not depressed.They were happy to be alive each day. They were happy to still be with one another. They had no hate or bitterness toward the Nazis. They never felt that life had been unfair to them.
I last saw the family in 1961. They made a profound impact on me for the rest of my life. When I was facing hopeless situations all over the world, I thought of the Gluckman family and their wonderful spirits. When friends or family members were depressed or feeling hopeless, I told them the story of the Gluckman family.
This morning I found them after 57 years. Jacob and Sylvie are still alive and in their 90's. They live with Betty and her husband Jay in a nice home in Bellaire, Texas.
I shall be sending them a most-kind note in the next day or so.
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