Legacy, Courage, and the Good Name We Leave Behind
Many years ago — maybe 15? — I was the speaker at a joint event for the American Jewish Committee (AJC), where I served as regional director, and the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). We were working to deepen ties between the two communities. I opened with a joke that fell completely flat. (It still makes me laugh; ask me about it next time. I sense it will be even less funny written down.)
That joke touched on what our communities have to offer each other. And recently, I attended an event at the Zekelman Holocaust Center that reminded me of the depth, breadth, and potential of that relationship.
Vinay Gupta — a University of Michigan lecturer and serial entrepreneur — spoke about his newly published book, A Rescue in Vienna: The Story of an Unlikely Saviour, which details how his Indian grandfather rescued five Jewish families from Austria during World War II. Vinay had heard family lore about this for years before finally deciding he needed to know: what was true, what was myth, and what lived in the space in between.
On a whim — on the way to Somerset Mall, no less — he stopped into the Zekelman and ended up in a long conversation with the legendary former librarian, Fayge Weiss. Fayge confirmed that the story wasn’t just true, but documentable, and helped Vinay trace the narrative far beyond the headline.
What he found was astounding. In 1938, his grandfather traveled to Vienna for medical treatment and met a young Jewish couple in the hospital shortly after the woman had given birth to their first child. Despite no common language, the couple conveyed their fears for the future in Austria. Rather than look away, this businessman from Punjab found a way to employ them — and a few more families — in a factory he established near his hometown.
The visa verification process went all the way through the British colonial system and was approved, giving these families a chance to escape the Nazi terror and live full lives. Later in the war, they were forced — much like Japanese Americans — into internment camps in India. In a twist of irony only history can provide, they were treated relatively well because of their “European” appearance, and ended up interned alongside actual Nazis.
The many twists and turns of the story kept those of us in the room on the edge of our seats (his grandfather knew Nehru and was involved in the early days of Indian independence, among other amazing things). Needless to say, I loved hearing this story. Here we are, 80+ years after the end of World War II, and we’re still uncovering new stories of heroism, survival, and sacrifice.
But at the end of the day, eighty years is a long time for the legacy of Kundanlal to be told.
Don’t wait 80 years to share your legacy. Let’s find a way to make yours known — to your family, and to those you care about. Let’s work together to preserve your Good Name through philanthropy.
With my best wishes for a joyous Hanukkah, and a meaningful Christmas, and a happy, healthy (secular!) new year for all.
Warmly,
PS — If you don’t know, AJC has relaunched in Detroit, and they’re doing great work. See more here.
