Context: my husband passed away 2 months ago, and somehow this feels important to me to understand some ways to honor his heritage even though it was unknown to him and his family until 3 years ago.
Background: I started to put together his family tree about 3 years ago, and became infatuated with his great grandmother who came from romania / hungary region, and arrived at Ellis Island as a widow with 2 small children. But when I discovered that his grandfather was not born until 2 years later, we started to wonder who his great grandfather actual was.
Long story short, I got him a DNA test, and he is 1/8th european jew, which accounts for the unknown great grandparent. He has a living aunt and uncle that confirm that their father didn’t know anything about his dad, or didn’t talk about it at all. In an overheard conversation bewteen my husband’s grandfather and the grandfather’s older sister, my husband’s aunt cofirms that the family also didn’t know his birthday which makes us assume he was adopted, or born out of wedlock to a relative and raised by the family.
I’ve also heard similar stories from the same generation, relating to unknown jewish lieneage, often babies given up for adoption to be raised in a catholic family (“The adoption train”). Whatever was the case with his grandfather, no one ever spoke about it in the family.
Because my husband was dealing with cancer the last 3 years of his life, he never had a chance to explore this side of him, but was very proud of it, having been raised and baptised catholic but never practicing as an adult. His nephew has started to celebrate jewish holidays as well, and I can’t speak for him so I don’t know to what degree he has studied up and learned about jewish history/customs/beliefs, etc.
So my question is what are some appropriate was for me to honor this heritage
submitted by /u/Lilith_Speaks
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Source: Reditt
