Carmel Ben-David

And He Remembered the Cherry Tree

Even in his last years, suffering from a stroke and dementia, my grandfather remembered the cherry trees. They were repeated in his stories with a smile. The cherry trees represented his carefree childhood. The Holocaust is a generational trauma, but also a personal scar that is passing through the generations. We have only one photograph of my grandfather's house, which was taken in the 70’s, in which the cherry trees are featured. These trees that my great grandmother had planted, are still there. My grandfather's and his family’s legacy, or footprint are evident in the photograph.