I Just Learned My Grandfather Was Famous!

I knew that my grandfather was an orthodox rabbi. But, he had died before I was born and I did not know much more about his achievements as a rabbi. Dr. Grayson found actual newspaper clippings advertising his speeches. When Dr. Grayson discovered that he was a featured speaker at the famous Touro synagogue in Rhode Island, and was described as Jewish speaker and a renowned Talmudic scholar, I felt a great pride and excitement! There are no words to describe what this information meant to me. --Arlene S.

Deeper Meaning Unlocked through Translations

I have done significant research of my ancestral German family towns as well as my father and his family’s escape route on Kristallnacht from Germany to Holland through hiding and liberation for those who survived. I was fortunate to have a number of photos, documents, and letters from various family members – all in German. Dr. Grayson was the key to unlocking a much deeper understanding of my family’s story. Joshua deciphered and translated antiquated German script from my 5-year-old father’s letters home during a pre-war summer vacation, difficult transitional German handwriting in my grandfather’s letters from various labor and concentration camps in the early 1940s, and very-difficult-to-read Kurrentschrift handwriting from a dying great-grandmother writing a note of longing on liberation day in 1945 to her son whom she would never see again. These translations, and those of legal documents and correspondence, bring to life the feelings and struggles of my family. When I make presentations about my family’s story, these personal documents get a lot of attention. Dr. Grayson’s care in his work is clear as he provided both the literal translation, the likely intentional meaning, and even some historical context. Thank you for deepening my research and understanding of my family! I highly recommend Lost Roots Family History for translating German documents – in print, old writing, or new writing! --Irene F.