3GATL: From Generation to Generation

More than 25 women gathered in the kitchen of Susan Weiner’s Brookhaven home to prepare cherished family recipes passed down from her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt her life in Colombia, South America after fleeing Poland.

As the women chopped mangoes, rolled out pierogi dough, and baked cookies, conversations drifted from recipes to remembrance, as attendees shared family stories with others who intimately understood the emotional weight and layered legacy of being descendants of Holocaust survivors. From accounts of grandparents forced on death marches from Auschwitz to Buchenwald to memories of liberation by American and Russian forces, each participant had a deeply personal story of survival and heroism to tell.

The cooking series was created by 3GATL, the Atlanta chapter of a national network formed to connect grandchildren and descendants of Holocaust survivors. “3G” is a term that refers to the third generation, meaning the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Its mission is to foster community while ensuring that survivor testimonies and legacies are preserved and passed on to future generations. The Atlanta chapter was founded in 2023 by Emily Yehezkel. Through programs like this one, 3GATL empowers descendants of Holocaust survivors to find their voices and take active roles in carrying forward their families’ histories.

“I have always felt a responsibility to tell my grandfather’s story and be involved in the community. When I moved to Atlanta from New York, I spent a few years getting to know the landscape and the opportunities for involvement that we have here. I wanted to be in a space dedicated to the grandchildren of survivors to share their stories and build a connected community based on our history,” said Yehezkel.

Yehezkel, who had previously been active in 3GNY before moving to Atlanta, built the local chapter from the ground up with support from the national organization Living Links and other 3G chapters around the country. The chapter’s official kickoff took place at a dinner in December 2023 with about 40 participants. Today, the Atlanta chapter has 100 people on its email list and continues to grow.

The evening’s gathering was the first in a culinary series that will continue in the fall, designed to bring together descendants of survivors for an evening of cooking, camaraderie, and community. On the menu that night was mango cucumber salad, a dish Weiner called an homage to the matriarchs of her family and to the country of Colombia, the adopted home of her family before moving to the United States. Mangoes are a plentiful and beloved fruit in the South American country. Colombian pan de yucca, another Colombian staple, was also served, evoking special memories of visits from Weiner’s grandmother, who would make the rolls by hand in Weiner’s childhood home. The potato and onion pierogis, another favorite on the menu, reflected Weiner’s Polish heritage and honored her grandmother’s efforts to preserve their family’s legacy. Chocolate pinwheel cookies, a dessert Weiner made with her grandmother growing up, were served as a sweet complement to the evening’s meal.

Each recipe was printed for participants to take home, along with photos of family members, background information, and what inspired the inclusion of each recipe. 3GATL plans to publish a cookbook with all the recipes and stories shared throughout the series.

Following the preparation of the evening meal, as the group assembled to dine on the night’s creations, Weiner shared her grandparents’ story of survival. “The part of Poland where my grandparents lived was invaded by Russia. Initially, my family fared a little better than most because my grandfather was a doctor. When Germany invaded, however, my family was forced to wear the armbands and move into the Jewish ghetto,” said Weiner.

Toward the end of the war as Nazis invaded their town of Stanislawow, Poland (now Ukraine), her grandmother, Helena, who had been hidden by a Christian family, was forced to move into a literal hole dug into the ground in an outdoor shed. What she thought would be a week of hiding turned into six months underground.

As attendees lingered around the communal table finishing the meal they had prepared together, conversations continued. Stories of resilience, escape and survival flowed as naturally as the recipes themselves, understood deeply by women who had grown up hearing similar testimonies within their own families.

In sharing these memories together, participants honored not only the experiences of their grandparents, but a collective commitment to ensure those histories are never forgotten and continue to be told for generations to come.

For those who wish to become involved in 3GATL, please send an email to 3gatlantaga@gmail.com and visit https://www.instagram.com/3gatl/