DreamComeTruePhoto Marlboro NJ Senior legacy portrait photosession grandfather personal branding preserve memories older menDreamComeTruePhoto Marlboro NJ Senior legacy portrait photosession grandfather personal branding preserve memories older men Every important bit of information went on this wall: he put phone numbers and articles, little reminders form himself and notes, family photographs and artworks his grandchildren were creating. I could see my own drawings, half covered torn pieces of paper of greater and lesser significance. It didn’t matter: this wall became a living-breathing relic, a memory and an heirloom of unique sort and significance.

My mom made an interesting observation, how every year we tend to celebrate the birthday of this great man - Simon Averbuh, not the sad date of passing of my dear grandfather. We tend to rejoice, talk about him, yes, celebrate- as if my grandfather - the source of awe and inspiration for each of us - was still alive: with his witty sense of humor, remarkable positivity (despite all the horrors his life got him through!!), sheer brilliance of his thoughts, observations, articles, letters.

My children have never seen my grandfather. To them - he is a figure no less fantastic than Santa: they keep hearing all the stories about his life from parents, see the gifts and legacy he left behind. No, not under a Christmas tree: a whole row of beautiful volumes with gilded Hebrew lettering - incredible collections of documents and essays preserving Jewish heroism in the most horrid pages of 20th century. My grandfather poured his life and soul into this precious legacy lining up on a bookshelf next to our favorite minorah.

The incredible wall he created in his home has not outlived my grandfather long enough. It was impossible to preserve an heirloom of a size of a city apartment.

His books did. And these images. Every time I see them, I realize they became the only link for my kids to bring the legends back into family history reality.

Who is such a special figure in your family?

DreamComeTruePhoto Marlboro NJ Senior legacy portrait with his granddaughter during last in life photosession of a grandfather, public figure, major influencer in his community, personal branding preserve memories older menDreamComeTruePhoto Marlboro NJ Senior legacy portrait with his granddaughter during last in life photosession of a grandfather, public figure, major influencer in his community, personal branding preserve memories older men