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Time Magazine
4 days ago
- General
- Time Magazine
The Letters My Grandmother Received From Auschwitz
Every year at our family Seder, my dad would pull down a small cedar box from the closet shelf. He'd carry it to the table and lift the lid, releasing the scent of spicy red cedar into the room. Inside were letters, postcards stacked and yellowed with history, written in careful French. At the top corner of each letter: a deep red stamp bearing the profile of Adolf Hitler. 'These were written by my grandfather to my mother,' he would say, 'from Auschwitz.' Then he'd issue his annual warning: 'Every few decades, this happens to the Jews. So always be looking out. Have eyes in the back of your head.' I thought it sounded paranoid. I had never known anything close to antisemitism growing up in Northern California. I wasn't exactly sure what the message these letters held, but they spoke to me. Letter from Avram to Danielle, 1944. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Michel Snegg It was when I turned 40, as I was about to become a father myself, that I felt compelled–by ancestors, by spirit, by responsibility, by the muses–to understand the letters, written both to my grandmother and to the friends looking after her, and to find the story that lived inside their words. My grandmother Fernande Halerie was born in Paris in 1923 to Romanian Jewish immigrants. Her parents, Avram and Marguerite, were sharply dressed tailors. Avram was an amateur poet and her older brother David played the banjo. She loved to roller-skate through the boulevards with her friends. They lived in the bustling 24th arrondissement, part of a thriving immigrant community. Marguerite and Avram circa 1920-1940 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Michel Snegg In 1942, when Fernande was 16, her parents were arrested. They were sent through the Drancy transit camp and loaded onto a cattle car to Auschwitz. The first letter in our collection begins, 'Dear Friends, My wife and I are in a cattle car with no air and no light destined for Poland. I hope that everything is going well at your home with regard to Fernande. Do all that's possible to care for her and keep her at Monique's home. Be brave and we will see you soon.' Slipped through a slot in the cattle car, it arrived days later. Fernande wanted to go with them, but because she was French-born, she wasn't on the list to be deported. They told her to stay behind. So she did. And through the strength, ingenuity, and power of love, she survived. The letters began to arrive from a place called Blechhammer, a forced labor camp in southern Poland, a subcamp of Auschwitz. It turns out my great-grandfather Avram had been pulled from the train with 154 other able-bodied men at the Cosel rail junction. While his wife went on to Auschwitz and was almost certainly gassed upon arrival, Avram was sent as labor to build synthetic-fuel plants for the Nazi war machine. Thanks to his sociable personality, he got a job working at the infirmary away from the hard grind of the plant. He built a black-market network inside the camp, bartering supplies, sewing clothing, and maintaining lines of communication with the outside. He relied on Fernande, his teenage daughter, to move around occupied Paris and gather the packages—food, thread, medicine, perfume—that he needed to stay alive. During the week, Fernande lived alone in the family's Paris apartment under a false name: Danielle Deschampe. The ID card lives in our collection still. On weekends, she stayed with the Pliez family, Catholics who risked their lives to protect her. Their daughter Monique was the same age. They would go to Mass together on Sundays. On Rosh Hashanah of 1944, Fernande met a young American Jewish soldier named David Snegg at the Grand Synagogue in Paris. He didn't speak French and she didn't speak English, but they fell in love. Their romance played out over 120 letters—adorned with lipstick kisses and hand-drawn hearts. 'I kiss your picture so much I'm afraid I'll wear it out,' he wrote. Over 120 letters were sent between Danielle and David. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Michel Snegg Meanwhile, Avram's letters slowed and then stopped. Fernande waited anxiously. She knew Blechhammer had been liberated. She watched other neighbors return. Still, no word. It turns out Avram had survived not only Blechhammer but a two-week death march through the German winter. He passed through Gross-Rosen, then Buchenwald, and finally arrived at Ohrdruf, a subcamp where they were building a grand underground bunker system to hide the Fuhrer. There, Avram's number was recorded on an infirmary card, just days before American troops liberated the camp. Ohrdruf was the first Nazi camp encountered by General Eisenhower. When he saw it, he summoned the press. 'I made the visit deliberately,' he wrote, 'in order to be in a position to give firsthand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to propaganda.' Avram didn't make it. As the Americans approached, SS guards lined up the prisoners and opened fire. Some survived by falling to the ground. But he was killed. His best friend survived and found Fernande in the apartment in Paris. With him, he carried her father's last words: 'Tell Fernande I love her with all my heart.' Soon after, Fernande and David, with a toddler in tow, said goodbye to the Pliez family and the Parisian community that had helped her survive. They set sail for a new life in Los Angeles. My father was conceived in a Pullman car somewhere between New York and California. Going by her new name, Danielle, she lived in Pasadena and raised two boys. One day, she accompanied a friend to the studio lot of her favorite radio show, Queen for a Day , a game-show-style program where women shared personal stories before a live audience. Whoever told the 'saddest' story, and got the loudest applause, was crowned Queen for a Day. The Queen was granted a special wish and received prizes like a new washer-dryer. My grandmother was chosen to take the stage. When she told her story, the applause-o-meter hit the red and she was crowned Queen for a Day. Her wish? To find out what happened to her parents and brother. The show could not provide her with all the answers, but it did find her father's brother who now lived in Memphis and they became close. She also won a beautiful new patio set. Danielle (second from left) winning Queen for a Day. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Michel Snegg Over the years my father attended to the collection of letters. He had them carefully translated by an expert and had intended to donate them to the Shoah museum in Paris. But when he showed the collection to a curator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on a trip to Washington, D.C., with his grandchildren, she stopped him. 'This is the largest collection of uncensored letters I've ever seen,' she told him. 'You can't walk out of here with these.' The letters are now safely held at the USHMM, beautifully presented online and available for future generations. My grandmother's story joins the millions of others, from the darkness of a closet shelf into the healing light of remembrance. Now I'm continuing the work. As an artist I set out to dive deep into the letters and embark on a journey of understanding. A path filled with questions. What were the causes and conditions that these letters needed to be written in the first place? How was it that they were able to send and receive packages in a black-market operation? What happened to Avram? What was it like for a 16-year-old girl to be alone in Paris? As I look for the throughlines, the patterns, the arc, the symbols, and the story, what strikes me most is the power and intimacy of a letter, words on a page that cut through time and space, voices perfectly preserved. The horror of the Holocaust is undeniable, but the letters share a message not of paranoia or fear but of hope and courage. They serve as a reminder that life and love triumph over darkness and evil, that a seed, carried far on the winds and currents of history, can find conditions to flourish. Avram didn't survive. But through the deep love between a father and daughter, our family did. Because of that love, I'm here to write these words, to live a life in freedom, and to raise a beautiful son and a daughter of my own.
News18
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
For Vishnu Manchu, Son Avram's Acting Debut In Kannappa Is ‘Memory For A Lifetime'
Last Updated: Along with the well-known actors, Avram, the grandson of Mohan Babu and son of Vishnu Manchu, is set to make his first appearance on the big screen in Kannappa. Kannappa has become one of the most talked about movies this year, thanks to its star-studded cast and exciting story. Along with many well-known actors, Avram, the grandson of Mohan Babu and son of Vishnu Manchu, is set to make his first appearance on the big screen. Vishnu, who is both an actor and producer, recently shared a behind-the-scenes video showing Avram acting in different scenes and spending time with the team. He also wrote a touching message about how proud he feels watching his son chase his dream. The actor mentioned that seeing Avram on set and speaking his lines was one of the most emotional experiences he has ever had. Talking to X, Vishnu wrote, 'My little Avram makes his debut in Kannappa. Watching him walk onto the set, say his lines and live this dream has been one of the most emotional moments of my life. As a father, nothing compares to seeing your child shine under the same sky you once dreamed beneath. This isn't just a debut. It's a memory for a lifetime. I hope you all shower him with the same love and blessings you've always given me. Avram's journey begins and it begins with Kannappa." My little Avram, makes his debut in him walk onto the set, say his lines, and live this dream, has been one of the most emotional moments of my life. As a father, nothing compares to seeing your child shine under the same sky you once dreamed beneath. This… — Vishnu Manchu (@iVishnuManchu) June 18, 2025 In Kannappa, Avarm Manchu will be seen playing the younger version of the main character, which is played by his real life father, Vishnu Manchu. Speaking about how they cast Avarm in the film, Vishnu told Filmfare, 'I was more like a production manager when my son was doing his scenes. So my son was 2 years old, he could hardly walk and used to speak that monkey language. He comes up to me, there was some song of mine playing on the TV and he goes to the TV, he taps that and says 'Nana.' Nana in Telugu means dad." 'He said, 'Nana, I want to be.' I asked, 'You want to be on TV?' So I was just thinking I'll just shoot him on the phone and just beam it on them, he said, 'No, I want to be an actor.' He was 2 years old, it was a beautiful moment for me and when there was a character on this, I said, 'Okay, let's train him, let's coach him.' So we hired a coach, we got him trained and then he came and he performed and my dad walked him through the entire scene and prompted him with the dialogues and everything," Vishnu Manchu explained. Vishnu Manchu plays the lead role of Thinnadu, also known as Kannappa. His character starts off as a brave warrior but later becomes a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. The film shows his journey from a fighter to a true devotee. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar plays the role of Lord Shiva, while Mohanlal will appear as Kirata and Prabhas plays Rudra. The movie also features Mohan Babu, R Sarathkumar, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji, Siva Balaji, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, Devaraj, Mukesh Rishi, Raghu Babu and Madhoo. Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, the film is set to release on June 27. First Published:
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Vishnu Manchu pens emotional note for son Avram's acting debut in Kannappa: Nothing compares to seeing your child shine
Vishnu Manchu's much-anticipated Telugu film Kannappa is set to hit theatres next week. Ahead of its release, Vishnu took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share a candid BTS video to talk about a special moment. Kannappa also marks the acting debut of his 7-year-old son Avram. Vishnu said that watching Avram on set and face the camera was 'one of the most emotional moments of my life.' (Also read: Akshay Kumar feels Hollywood superheroes come from Indian mythology, Vishnu Manchu says Mahabharat inspired Star Wars) In the video, Avram was seeing on the set of the film with the rest of the cast and crew shooting vital portions in the outdoor locations. Avram talked with his father, tried on the costumes and practised his lines. The video showed a montage where Avram was seen having fun on set, running around, checking his scenes on the monitor in between and making sure it looked okay. The video ended with a small video where he was seen playing with his bow and arrows on set. In the caption, Vishnu penned a note to mark this special occasion. It read, 'My little Avram, makes his debut in Kannappa. Watching him walk onto the set, say his lines, and live this dream, has been one of the most emotional moments of my life. As a father, nothing compares to seeing your child shine under the same sky you once dreamed beneath. This isn't just a debut. It's a memory for a lifetime.' He concluded, saying, 'I hope you all shower him with the same love and blessings you've always given me. Avram's journey begins… and it begins with Kannappa. Har Har Mahadev (folded hands emoticon).' The mythological fantasy thriller is based on the legend of Kannappa, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva in Hinduism. The film stars Vishnu Manchu in the titular role alongside Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, and Madhoo, among others. It also features star-studded cameos—Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva, Mohanlal as Kirata, Prabhas as Rudra, and Kajal Aggarwal as Goddess Parvati. The film is set to release in theatres on 27 June.
Boston Globe
06-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Bad Botox? Six cases of botulism on the South Shore tied to possible Botox injections
South Shore Health declined to answer questions about whether they were treating suspected cases or how many they were seeing, referring instead to the Department of Public Health. Advertisement However Jason Tracy, chief medical officer at the hospital, said generally that patients are given a presumptive diagnosis made off of their clinical presentation of symptoms and history of recent injections. Related : From there, the hospital would involve both the Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, which has an anti-toxin that it provides on a case-by-case basis. The anti-toxin helps slow the progression of symptoms, but does not reverse them, and so hospitals typically also provide supportive measures. 'This is quite rare,' Tracy said. 'This is different than a food-borne botulism type case. It's not as though there is a lot body of literature to refer clinicians to to give prognosis and historical elements and time courses for what to expect.' South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Use of botulinum toxin — commonly known by the popular brand name Botox — for cosmetic procedures is widely Advertisement Cosmetic treatments with botulinum toxin use doses much lower than for medical treatments, said Dr. Mathew M. Avram, director of the Mass General Hospital Dermatology Laser and Cosmetic Center.. With regulated, FDA-approved products in a healthy adult, the amount of the toxin is so small that it is exceedingly rare for it to cause botulism. 'I've never seen a patient or had a colleague of mine at Mass General or elsewhere that has told me they have had a case of this. It is not something that happens normally,' Avram said. 'Someone would have to go outside the realm of what you would typically inject to encounter these issues, for a typical patient.' Beyond injecting far too much, poor administration technique or using counterfeit products can increase risks. 'We have seen instances where injectors have used counterfeit products or products they developed on their own,' Avram said. 'These are unsafe practices that can harm patients.' According to the advisory, botulism results when the botulinum toxin circulates in the blood. Symptoms including double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing. Such symptoms are sometimes followed by muscle weaknesses, which can progress over the course of hours or days. Advertisement DPH has asked clinicians to warn patients interested in these cosmetic injections of the potential risks, and is advising patients to receive injections only from licensed providers. 'If someone has had a botox injection and has had those symptoms they should seek medical attention,' Tracy said. 'I don't want to create worry but someone having visual changes, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing — they should not ignore it." The reports are only the latest Botox problems to surface in the South Shore. In November, 38-year-old Rebecca Fadanelli, was arrested and charged for selling counterfeit Botox out of Skin Beauté Med Spa in Easton and Randolph. Jessica Bartlett can be reached at
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Google search's AI overviews are awful, but here's a browser extension that gets rid of them
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Among the countless examples of the ever-burgeoning ens***ification of the internet, Google's AI-powered search overviews rank pretty highly. Verily, I pine for the days of reliable, organic search results devoid of AI slop. But don't despair. Well, not entirely. For the editor-in-chief of our sister website, Tom's Hardware, has come up with a browser extension that gets rid of AI overviews from Google search results. Give it up for Avram Piltch and his Bye Bye, Google AI extension. To quote the man himself, Avram says Google, "decided to push AI overviews and AI mode onto search users, regardless of the damage it causes to the user experience or the harm it may inflict on publishers and the entire open web." He also points out that Google is rolling out AI Overviews to ever more territories and countries and fears that Google may eventually want to replace all organic search results with AI Overviews . His solution is the aforementioned Bye, Bye Google AI, which works in Chrome or Edge or any desktop browser that supports Chrome extensions. He's currently working on Firefox and Safari versions. "The extension allows you to hide the AI Overview section from all of your queries and goes a step further, allowing you to hide other areas of the Google SERP that you may not want, such as the videos section, text ads, or 'People Also Ask,'" Avram says. The latest 1.5 version now supports 19 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin (Trad + Simplified), Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, Hindi, Thai, Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Danish and Portuguese. You can also now hide the AI Mode tab, not just AI Overviews. Avram also explains the other ways to kill the AI Overview, such as adding "-noai" to your search string. But if you want to permanently kill AI Overviews—or at least for as long as this extension works and Google is serving up any organic results at all—then Bye, Bye Google AI feels like a no brainer of an extension. Of course, you could just use another search engine, like DuckDuckGo. Moreover, the seemingly falling quality of Google's organic results isn't fixed by this extension. But if you just want to remove a little AI slop from your daily interneting, then this could be the tool for you. Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and gaming motherboard: The right graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.
