As a survivor of a major catastrophe, preserving my family's culture is something that would be essential to my own personal survival. The idea of continuing life in a brand new place, without any evidence of familiar culture, would be absolutely devastating to me. With the ability to select three items to bring with me as artifacts of my own culture, I surprising find myself with clear, quick selections.

The first item that I have chosen to bring is my grandmother's menorah. The menorah has been in our family for four generations, making it's own pilgrimage from Lithuanian, across Europe, and into the United States right in the heat of the Holocaust. This menorah holds value not only to my direct family culture, but the culture from which my ancestors originated. In regards to explaining this item to the people that have begun to host me, I will simply tell the story of Hanukkah and explain the similarities between the struggle of the Jewish people in relation to the struggle that my fellow survivors were experiencing.

The second item that I would bring with me would be that of my grandfather's purple heart. This medal represents the pride my family has for not only our country, but preserving the rights of others throughout the world. I choose this item as it is connected to a man that shared incredible, selfless qualities with my mother and her siblings. It also reminds me of the struggles that my family has overcome, both in their daily lives and in their quest for moral clarity. I can explain this item by telling the stories of my grandfather, both during this time of service to our country and to his family as well. Though the medal is small, it holds incredible weight to my self identity.

The third item I would choose to bring is a photograph of my immediate family. This possession is the one that I would hold on to if told that I were only able to keep one item. Through my family photograph, I will always have a vivid memory of the people who shape who I am. With the power of written and spoken word, I will be able to share with others the traits that my family has shared with me. These traits have all stemmed from various routes, many of which were influenced by the different cultures of which my parents were raised.