Reconnecting Broken Links

Entering a concentration camp at 13, Benjamin Waserman, a Holocaust survivor, moved to the United States in hopes of starting a new life, yet a big chunk of his past was missing. His daughter, Kastle, with the intent of learning more about her ancestry decided to do something about it.

She proceeded to contact the Red Cross of Los Angeles and submitted a Family Tracing Services request. Family Tracing Services is provided by the Red Cross free of charge to anybody in the U.S. looking for a close relative in another country. In order to qualify, separation or loss of contact needs to have occurred because of armed conflict or a natural disaster.

Kastle’s efforts proved fruitful as her father was reconnected with his long-lost cousin who relocated in Paris, restoring a link within the family history.*

Now imagine similar success stories from the countries devastated by blood-thirsty civil wars such as the guerrilla filled mountainous regions of El Salvador or the grim jungles of Guatemala.

*The Wasermans’ full story and more information can be found at www.redcrossla.org