The Nazi and his Jewish Grandchildren

This is such a bittersweet story, I had it on my mind all day. This story shows that even in the presence of such great evil G-D still shows himself as merciful.

It is easy to empathize with the total range of emotions that the visitors have shared in response to this article. Todah for their comments. Likewise, it is an amazingly person who could share his families’ story with us. This being said, I am neither the Righteous Judge nor understand the scope of Hashem’s mercy. What I do know is that this Todtenkopf officer raised a son that looked for truth and found it in Torah. If it is appropriate to think of this story in terms of Amalek, then it is the son of this officer that by being a Jew has destroyed the seed of Amalek, in his way. While we will never forget Amalek, this son’s action is a mitzvah. B”H Thus to this Jewish man and his family, thanks for coming home and sharing your story. You have made us better and made a contribution to healing this world. Shalom aleichem.

I have been listening to Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier alot lately, and in one shiur he said something very susinct. It says that Nebuchadnetzar (you know the one that destroyed the Beis Hamikdash and killed thousands of Jews) became king because when he sent to King Chizkiyahu a get well note, and his scribes wrote on the note first, Chizkiyahu then Yerushalayim and only then did they write Hashem. Nevuchadnetzar chased after the messanger 2 and a half steps, before an angle came and stopped him from running more. Nevuchadnetzar won the kingship from running one step, his son got the kingship for the second step and his grandson got the kingdom but lost it half way for the last half step that he took. Here we have someone who was much worse than this Nazi officer, getting all his reward in this world. It very well could be, that that Nazi officers "reward" in this world was to have those three kids as his grandchildren. I am not sure that this can be considered a reward in his eyes, as a matter of fact it was most probably a slap in the face to his belief's. Haman had a grandkid who was a major Gadol in Israel. We don't know G-d's ways. We like to think we do, but in the end we don't see the whole picture until hundreds of years later. Yes, "Wipe out the remembrence of Amalek". Yes "never ever forgive a nation that destroyed yours". But always remember, the ultimate slap in the face to the Nazi murderers are more Jewish children. Jewish children born from the son of a Nazi is the ultimate slap in the face.

Stop it. The nazi gradfather didn't escape punishment. Think, do we not believe in repentence. Do we not believe that God is the only one who truly knows our hearts? Has it occurred to you that the grandfather felt most uncomfortable because his grandsons stood there like an accusation of his past? During the war, he was a fool who let himself get brainwashed and behave as a beast. Sometime in the middle of that his logic took over and he said, No! I will not do it again! So because he only saved 3 boys you will still hate him? Do we only forgive womanizers like schindler because they save hundreds? What happened to the saying that when you save one life you have saved world's. Well he did that three times at once. I recently met a former Nazi dying in a hospital bed who was ridiculing the mexican girls that cleaned with me. He assumed that because I am white looking that I was a nurse and then I turned it around, joking with him about his nice stay and did he like his bratwurst and wine? What a 5 star hotel the place was. He smiled, laughed with me and then told me his secret. He said he spent most of the war hiding out as a Nazi deserter because he didn't want to kill his countrymen even if thy were Jewish. Sometimes he came close to getting caught. I counted it a blessing to meet him. The last thing he said to me as I was leaving is, "Those girls aren't so bad. I'm not really like that you know? Have a good day." It was Friday at 3:pm. A little war was won. ;D

How are we to understand Judaism in this story? A murderer who killed is being rewarded with grandchildren because once he restrained himself? This is as twisted as they come, I'm sorry I can't by far find any resemblance of mitzva in not killing. It makes my skin crawl.

Most of father's family was lost in the Holocaust also so I complete understand and agree with your 'never forget' and never forget Amalek point. However, the son we are talking about here is obviously a righteous ger, not a 'pal' but a full member of the family with the same jewish neshama that Hashem and Hashem only has decided should be born into this body and this circumstance. This is not for us to second guess. Amalek must be destroyed, but am yisrael must always live and live together in peace. Shabbat Shalom

SHALOM/ TO THE WRITER I WOULD SAY,THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE CALLED A NAZI MURDERER,"PAPA",A MURDERER WHOSE HANDS ARE TAINTED WITH PAPAS BLOOD ,JEWISH OF ALL AGES? YOUR FATHER IS SIMBOLYZING THE ABOMINATION OF THE REAL MEANING OF ABA,PAPA,TATE AND MANY MANY MILLIONS OF FATHERS WHOSE FATHERHOOD HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY BEASTS LIKE YOURS.SORRY PAL,THIS JEW WONT EVER FORGIVE OR FORGET!!!!

A Story Of a Lifelong Duty And Truth By D.K. Milgrim-Heath©2010 A story of a lifelong duty and truth- Affected a person in their youth. A father convicted as a Nazi in second world war- Changed a child’s life forever more. Educating himself fully about the Holocaust- Understanding the ways how a race was sadly lost. By murders his father did do it was really so- Horrors being a Nazi’s son remained from years ago. From the father’s cruelties known by the son- Became reversed as his love of Judaism begun. Very deep spiritual soul stirrings were sought- Conquered totally immersed in Jewish thought. The tides of real love were profoundly turning- A longing to be Jewish so strong was this yearning. This young man finally fulfilled his Jewish destiny. Having a prouder heritage he felt peaceful and free. Once more the son saw his father fail and now old- The old father saving Jewish orphans a story was told. Never knowing how one’s life can radically change- Are we prepared whenGod helps our lives to re-arrange?

This is from “obvious improbable” stories which we all need to collect and repeat again and again...

this is measure for measure the altimate punishment for a nazi that from his own seed will come out jews .just like pharo raised moshe in his own home while ordering every jewish boy to be killed.

Good job in your search for the truth,You are a great man for your ability to take the tough road to find peace love and a wonderful future for yourself and your family. Nice story on your part as for the past it is what it is we live and we learn hopefully we never forget.

How could Heaven and its inhabitants keep on going while the 2nd world war and the "final solution" unraveled is perplexing. At least something good, as the story above shows, came from it.

I wonder if Avraham was born after the war ... if that were the case then if the Nazi had been killed ~ Avraham & his sons would never have existed ...

that's all i can say about that story....wow. Thanks for letting me hear that incredible story. thank you!!

Its known that G-D gives the evil ones a chance to make teshuba so He gives them long life hoping for they to go back to the right path.Of course dont always the person sees it.

THE REAL PUNISHMENT FOR THIS NAZI MURDERER WAS TO SEE HIS JEWISH OFFSPRING. I PRAY THAT HE LIVE ANOTHER 100 YEARS, SUFFERING EVERY DAY. IN CASE HE IS ALREADY DEAD, I HOPE HIS BLACK SOUL WILL KEEP BURNING!!!

(AVRAHAM) ONE OF OUR FORE-FATHERS:,HIS CHILDREN WILL MULTIPLY,WITH THE GRACE OF HASHEM,TO AS MANY AS 6 MILLION,AND MORE.THROUGH THE SON OF THIS ,OFFICER OF THE GESTAPO.HE WHO SAVES A JEW ITS LIKE HE SAVED A WORLD,AND ALL THEIR DECENDANTS.

Your article inspired me to be more proud that I was born a Jew. Your dedication and courage to Judiasm is absolutely amazing.

this story is so sad. it shows that even the nazis had a good side to them and how tragic it is that they turned out like they did

My father is very old now, over ninety, and I wanted to know what he did to merit such a long life with such grandchildren, so I asked him point blank what he had done to earn his good fortune.

"I explained to him that we Jews believe that there are consequences to what we do, and the reward system in life is measured very carefully. He looked at me and pondered the question.

I believe the talmud states that the wicked receive their full reward for any positve deeds in this world and the righteous receive it in the next world.
A little too much pie in the sky when you die for my taste which I suspect tries to explain the unknowable but I am not qualified to know if it's true and my hunch may be wrong.

It seems that all people do some acts of kindness however that does not make them kind people. To make the leap that because this mass murderer acted compassionately once he merits living to an old age with fine grandchildren seems a stretch to put it mildly.

wonderful story. I wish there were more of them.

Is it supposed to make the grandfather repent for what he has done by showing him his Jewish grandchildren?

amazing!

I am most thankful I was born in the U.S. in 1942 and that while I remember my Grandparents talking about the Gestapo both I, my parents, and my beloved grandparents were not in Germany.

While reading this article it dawned on me that if this Nazi officer had killed himself at the height of his murderous career perhaps more than 4 Jewish children might have survived. I see nothing redeeming to merit his long life and loving Jewish children and grand children.

It's sp nice and powerful.It also shows us the power of G-d.Thanks for this article.

The stories I read on Aish.com are so powerful and moving-- I wish every single person on earth could read these stories--there are lessons here for all mankind if they would simply open their minds and souls. I pray to G-d that that would happen.

This article was very interesting I enjoyed reading it. I thought that Avraham was brave converting to become a "Jew." I thought that all people that were raised by Nazi parents are terrible and horrible. This article proved me wrong. It also taught me a lesson, just because people are raised by Nazis' or terrorists doesn't mean that they will grow up that way.

It is also a very odd story. Iremember listening to Bertold Goldschmidt speaking about his interrogation with a Gestapo officer(before the war).They got on to talk about how much Bertold charged for teaching music. The officer's child was obviously being charged more for learning the piano.
For a moment at least, a touch of humanity came over the Nazi. Bertold was no longer loked upon as just another Jew,but a man ,like any other.
The officer gave Bertold the best advice he had ever received:'Whatever you do, get out of Germany'.

Yes, I'm envious with a Jewish father and a non-jewish mother, who for years impressed on me not to reveal any Jewish roots. I'd much prefer to have been born with a nazi criminal for a father, to then become a Jew like the man in your story, than one without an identity and this longing which no amount of study and voluntary Brit-Milah can satisfy. I admit to envying the old killer for having his zerak kadeeshed by the One and Only Baruch Hu U Varuch Shemo. Only hope now lies in Olam ha Ba.

This is such a moving story...I loved the part of "had you saved four boys, you would have had four grandchildren". How amazing! I'm sure it made the Nazi think. I wonder about the end?...did the Nazi ever repent?

I believe that many of us are called to Judaism it is up to each of us to answer, to pick the right path

I just cried and cried when I read this story about the German converted to Judaism. There are many stories along these lines untold, and so our G-d will have his way, as it should be.

I think it’s as plain as day and the answer to the son’s questions are in his own story. The man is alive today to witness the rebirth of the Jewish nation. This is what this man hated and feared all his life. His worst nightmare came true, not only did he not succeed in exterminating all of us, his own son and grandson, have become exactly what he feared and loathed.

The long life of this Nazi is G-d’s punishment; maybe the man can live another 30 years with his shame to bear.

it was a very moving story for me abour how he visited his father after murdering all those jews it was just very moving

Nazi operators got away with their deeds... and very few were apprehended... they were mass murderers... and deserved life sentences in multiples.... saving 3 boys is fine, but what about the others he murdered... for their sake... he does not deserve foregivenes....toitkpopf... says it all ... the murderous insolence... the glee even , that is implied in this evil name and intention....

Wow! What a story of conversion....how encouraging. I also am fulfilling my Jewish Destiny! I am a former Xtian, in the process of converting. I was married to Jew who is a 'messy' (messianic, being that he believes in jc/yushkie) and he was raised in Israel. He still believes in JC. Now that I have been divorced frum him for over 10 years..I have woken up to my error ( thanks to www.messiahtruth.com ), left Xtianity, and am now in the process of converting to Torah observant Judaism. THANKS FOR POSTING THIS STORY! It encourages me to maybe one day to tell my story....B"H ~Shalom ~Sassy

Very powerful story. One point though:
We as Jews believe in something called, “Hestar Punim,” which means that although everything is carefully measured with a reward and consequence system, not everything is revealed to the naked eye. If not for “Hestar Punim,” how could Hitler get away for so many years? Of course when the heavenly system shows, as it did in this case, it is astonishing. But one must not lose his Emunah and belief in Hashem regardless of the outcome.

The ending made me cry.. It reminded me of Schindler's List, where Oskar Schindler realizes that had he just taken his ring, and sold it, he could have saved hundreds more Jews. In the end, we're told, we're shown our life as we lived it, and then our life as it could have been had we fulfilled our potential. The disparity between the two defines whether we're in heaven or hell. I imagine that Nazi father is definitely in hell... if not physically, then mentally, because he has to live with what he's done.

almost unbelievable that the son of a Nazi would become a Jew!

Wow! What an amazing story. I had to print it out to share. What strength and depth of character Avraham and his wife posess. It is a zechus for Klal Yisroel to have such an example among us. That no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your past is, with your ratzon alone and Hakodesh Barchu's guidance you can move mountains. with gratitude for this story, Tamar

I feel so happy to be born as a Jew , so that I did not have to go through all the ordeal of having a father a criminal and in the end becoming a Jew.

What irony that the son of a Nazi murderer should become an orthodox Jew and bring his orthodox children to see their Nazi grandfather. Unbelievable turn of fate. It shows that with free will a man can escape a terrible past. It reminds me of the patriarch Abraham escaping from his father, the idol maker.

this man killed hundreds of jews and in the end was reqarded with grandchildren and a long life...now I have to question..tue we must not question the ways of g-d but what is this..this man should have died a misesrable death and felt the pain he caused millions or thousands of people..I cccccccccccccccant appreciate this story..yes..I like the idea that his son is trying to repend for his father..but I am not impressed..thank you.

I very much enjoyed this article and found the ending fascinating, the son's response to his father's answer of how he would have had 4 grandchildren had he saved/spared 4 Jewish boys!

Evil remains even though it may appear as good. The only good nazi is a dead nazi and this one should not have been allowed to survive for such a long time.

I got goose-pums reading this story.
Thank you for sharing this terribly moving story with us.

This story was very moving and enjoyable.Last week i read about the TV warnings by a Rabbi and that was very shocking, a real eye opener, yours faithfully, Mathew