These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Uncle Bob

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Derek Kwait

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I had no relatives in the Holocaust, but I did have “Uncle” Bob Mendler. Uncle Bob’s family was my Mom’s family’s best friends in her native Latrobe, PA’s tiny Jewish community, and his wife was a cousin of my Grandmother on my father’s side. As the video documents, he used to lecture on his experiences in the Holocaust at nearby St. Vincent’s and Seton Hill Universities, who gave him an honorary doctorate. He was the sweetest man you could ever meet. Another point of interest in this video is how strongly Holocaust survivor stories impact non-Jews who have not heard one or even met a survivor (let alone a Jew) until going to college. He passed away in December 2009. He is dearly missed. May his, and all survivors and victim’s memories forever be for a blessing.