As I write this, it is late December 2025. With the new year just days away, it feels like a natural time to reflect. While much has happened over the past year, the most meaningful experience for me was the time I spent in Sontra with my immediate and extended family. 

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I am the youngest child of Ruth Heilbrunn Weiss and the youngest granddaughter of Emil Heilbrunn. Our branch of the family story differs somewhat from that of the other children of Meier and Caecile, as my grandfather immigrated to the United States as a young man. My experience is different still. I was only two years old when Peep, as he was known in our family, passed away, so I never really knew him. Even so, he was very present in my life. He lived on through the stories that were shared and in the affection and respect with which he was spoken of by my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, most of whom are older than I am. Our family also has letters Peep received from relatives in the 1930s, which reflect growing concern and fear as Hitler rose to power and the consequences for Jews in Germany became increasingly evident. 

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I expected that traveling to Sontra for the dedication of the Stolpersteine would be meaningful. I did not fully anticipate how personally impactful it would be. Months before the trip, I watched the film "A Real Pain", which follows two cousins traveling to Poland to visit their grandmother’s childhood home and reconnect with their family history. I remember thinking that I might have a similar experience. In some ways, I did, though what unfolded in Sontra felt even more personal and impactful than I had imagined. 

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Spending time there has stayed with me, whether in reflection or in conversations with family and friends. From the first evening, being together as a family felt grounding. My immediate family is spread across the United States, so opportunities to be together are limited. Being there with my siblings, along with cousins and extended family, was meaningful in its own right and something I know would have meant a great deal to my mother and her sisters. Meeting relatives for the first time added another layer, as did learning more about our ancestors and their lives. While I’m quite sure I’m biased, I was especially moved listening to my brother Mark speak about Peep with such love in his voice. I also appreciated the time spent with Hans Isenberg, whose sharing of historical documents and records helped place our family story within a broader context. 

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Having spent much of my career as a secondary school educator, the visit to the Adam von Trott School felt particularly fitting. I valued the opportunity to meet with the principal and students and was impressed by the school’s commitment to ensuring that the Jewish history of Sontra, and those who resisted, are remembered. The students’ thoughtful participation in the Stolpersteine dedication was especially meaningful. 

Standing in front of the home where my ancestors once lived and being present for the Stolpersteine dedication are moments I will not forget. Family members and townspeople gathered together as Gunter Demnig placed the stones into the cobblestones. Students read biographies of relatives they had never met. White roses were laid beside each stone. Kaddish was recited, and memories were shared. These moments were life-defining, connecting my past and present in a very real way. 

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We also visited my great-grandfather’s ancestral home, built in 1690 and in Heilbrunn ownership for hundreds of years, and met the woman who has lived there for the past sixty years. At Sontra’s Town Hall, we met the mayor and viewed my grandfather’s birth certificate from 1888, an ordinary document made meaningful by its history. We visited synagogues and museums being restored by individuals dedicated to preserving Jewish history and memory. 

Our visits to Jewish cemeteries left a particularly strong impression. Some dated back hundreds of years and were located on rocky, hilly land, areas historically considered unsuitable for other uses. We stood at the cemetery where my great-grandfather Meier is buried. We also discovered the grave of my grandfather’s youngest brother. These visits underscored a difficult truth: antisemitism did not begin in the 1930s. That understanding continues to stay with me. 

Alongside the reflection and remembrance, there was genuine enjoyment throughout the trip. Spending time with my immediate family was a gift. Sharing this experience with Paul, my husband, was most special. Getting to know my more distant relatives was a pleasure. We were welcomed openly by the people of Sontra which added a sense of ease to our time there. Experiencing a German barbeque at a Grillhutte, prepared by Lea and her family, added to the sense of warmth and hospitality we felt throughout our time in Germany. I appreciated the opportunity to take in the surrounding countryside as we traveled. On a more personal level, I love thinking about how much my mother would have loved my being there and experiencing these places and moments firsthand. 

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I am very grateful to cousins Milton and Brian for coordinating such a complex and meaningful visit, and to Ludger, Lea, Petra, Hans, and the people of Sontra, who welcomed us with such care. Their commitment to preserving history was evident throughout our time there. Most of all, I am thankful for the time spent with my family and for the opportunity to meet relatives I had never known before. Being in Sontra, walking the same streets our ancestors once walked, added a depth and significance to the experience that I will continue to carry with me.

 

Helene Paroff 

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December 30, 2025