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Media Essay

Regina Gelb: Family Photographs

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life after the Holocaust

With the end of World War II and collapse of the Nazi regime, survivors of the Holocaust faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. With little in the way of financial resources and few, if any, surviving family members, most eventually emigrated from Europe to start their lives again.

Regina's journey brought her to the United States.

Laks family photo, Poland, ca. 1925. Sitting, left to right: Pola Laks (Regina's mother) with baby Hania, grandmother Sara Tennenblum, ... [LCID: gelb8] — Laks family photo, Poland, ca. 1925. Sitting, left to right: Pola Laks (Regina's mother) with baby Hania, grandmother Sara Tennenblum, Aunt Andzia Tennenblum. Standing, left to right: Aunt Lodzia Laks, Aunt Regina Tennenblum, Izak Laks (Regina's father), Aunt Rozia Tennenblum, and Aunt Dora Laks.
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Regina and her mother at the Busko-Zdroj spa (note that her mother used a cane and little Regina has been given a child's cane). [LCID: gelb9] — Regina and her mother at the Busko-Zdroj spa (note that her mother used a cane and little Regina has been given a child's cane). Poland, early 1930s.
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Regina's parents, Pola and Isak. Poland, ca. 1934. [LCID: gelb7] — Regina's parents, Pola and Isak. Poland, ca. 1934.
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Regina (left) with sisters Krysia and Hania. Poland, ca. [LCID: gelb11] — Regina (left) with sisters Krysia and Hania. Poland, ca. 1938.
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Photo taken a few weeks before World War II began. [LCID: gelb10] — Photo taken a few weeks before World War II began. Regina is at the right of the front row. Kunow, Poland, July 28, 1939.
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Sepia-toned portrait of a young girl with dark curly hair and light skin tone. “Renia 1995” is scrawled across the bottom of the photograph. — Photograph of Regina (Renia) taken on June 2, 1945, in Lodz, Poland.
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Regina's sister Krysia, Lodz, Poland, 1945. [LCID: gelb18] — Regina's sister Krysia, Lodz, Poland, 1945.
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Portrait of a man with short dark hair and medium-light skin tone. He wears a tweed suit and tie, complete with pocket square. — Miles Lerman (who married Regina's sister Krysia), Lodz, Poland, 1945.
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Regina's sister Hania (later Anna Wilson). Berlin, Germany, 1946. [LCID: gelb12] — Regina's sister Hania (later Anna Wilson). Berlin, Germany, 1946.
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Regina at the Dueppel displaced persons camp in Berlin-Schlachtensee. [LCID: gelb19] — Regina at the Dueppel displaced persons camp in Berlin-Schlachtensee. Germany, September 10, 1946.
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Regina (third from left) with friends while at the Dueppel displaced persons camp. [LCID: gelb20] — Regina (third from left) with friends while at the Dueppel displaced persons camp. Berlin, Germany, May 20, 1946.
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Regina (top, left) with friends at a dance in Berlin. [LCID: gelb21] — Regina (top, left) with friends at a dance in Berlin. Germany, December 26, 1946.
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Regina (left) with two friends at Thomas Jefferson High School, Brooklyn, New York, 1948. [LCID: gelb22] — Regina (left) with two friends at Thomas Jefferson High School, Brooklyn, New York, 1948.
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Dr. Horowitz's Hebrew class at Jefferson High School, Brooklyn, New York, 1947. [LCID: gelb23] — Dr. Horowitz's Hebrew class at Jefferson High School, Brooklyn, New York, 1947. (Regina is in top row, third from right, Professor Horowitz is in front row, third from right.)
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Regina upon graduation from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York, February 3, 1949. [LCID: gelb25] — Regina upon graduation from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York, February 3, 1949.
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Regina in her college dormitory room at Indiana University. [LCID: gelb26] — Regina in her college dormitory room at Indiana University. Bloomington, Indiana, 1952.
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Regina with Victor Gelb in Vineland, New Jersey, 1952. [LCID: gelb27] — Regina with Victor Gelb in Vineland, New Jersey, 1952.
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Victor (left), September 1952. [LCID: gelb28] — Regina met Victor Gelb, a young Jewish American, in 1950 in Brooklyn. Victor had been drafted into the Korean War. This photograph shows Victor (left) in September 1952.

With the end of World War II and collapse of the Nazi regime, survivors of the Holocaust faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. With little in the way of financial resources and few, if any, surviving family members, most eventually emigrated from Europe to start their lives again. Between 1945 and 1952, more than 80,000 Holocaust survivors immigrated to the United States. Regina was one of them.
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Wedding photo of Regina and Victor. New York City, March 8, 1953. [LCID: gelb30] — Wedding photo of Regina and Victor. New York City, March 8, 1953.
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Regina and Victor with their two sons, Harry (left) and Paul (right) at the World's Fair, New York, 1964. [LCID: gelb32] — Regina and Victor with their two sons, Harry (left) and Paul (right) at the World's Fair, New York, 1964.
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Regina with sons Harry and Paul in a swimming pool. [LCID: gelb33] — Regina with sons Harry and Paul in a swimming pool. August 1968.
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Celebration after one of Regina's sons, Harry, received the Eagle Scout Award. [LCID: gelb34] — Celebration after one of Regina's sons, Harry, received the Eagle Scout Award. February 16, 1973.
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Regina at Zelazowa Wola (near Warsaw), the birthplace of Frederick Chopin, during a visit to Poland in August 1980. [LCID: gelb1] — Regina at Zelazowa Wola (near Warsaw), the birthplace of Frederick Chopin, during a visit to Poland in August 1980.
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Regina and Victor celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. [LCID: gelb39] — Regina and Victor celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. New York City, May 3, 2003.
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Regina Gelb shows her prewar family photographs. 2004. [LCID: athrg145] — Regina Gelb displays an album of her prewar family photographs. 2004.
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2004 portrait of Regina Gelb. [LCID: athrg199] — Born as Regina Laks in 1929, she was raised in Starachowice, an industrial city in central Poland. Her mother, Pola Tennenblum, was an active member of the Zionist movement. Her father, Isaac Laks, was an engineer in the lumber industry. She had two older sisters.
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Regina Gelb holds buttons from her high school days. [LCID: athrg504] — Regina Gelb holds buttons from her high school days.
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Stack of Regina Gelb's photographs and albums. 2004. [LCID: athrg554] — Stack of Regina Gelb's photographs and albums. 2004.
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Thank you for supporting our work

We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, the Claims Conference, EVZ, and BMF for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. View the list of donor acknowledgement.