Echo of Memory: How Holocaust Trauma Resonates Through Three Generations

Jeffrey and Jason Gad share how being grandsons of Holocaust survivors Evelyn and Joseph Greenblatt shapes their identity and Jewish heritage. While their grandmother was more reticent about her experiences, their grandfather shared his stories more openly, particularly with his grandchildren rather than his own children. The brothers reveal intimate details of their family's survival, including how their grandmother's "gentile nose" helped her avoid detection and how their grandfather used his intelligence to seize opportunities to stay alive.

In processing this legacy, Jason describes the moment when the emotional weight of the Holocaust finally hit him at age 27, moving beyond clinical knowledge to profound grief for all that was lost. Today, both brothers carry forward their grandparents' resilience through different expressions - Jeffrey's preparedness mindset and Jason's commitment to documenting family history. In the face of rising antisemitism, they emphasize the importance of vigilance while maintaining Jewish joy through family traditions and humor. Their powerful story shows how Holocaust survivors managed to build normal, loving homes despite unimaginable trauma, and how their legacy lives on through three generations who ensure these crucial stories are never forgotten.

Josh Gad shares the story of his Grandfather, Joseph Greenblatt, who endured inhuman conditions during the Holocaust - narrowly escaping death several times while imprisoned in forced labor at Auschwitz here