Continuing the Legacy: Parents Naming Their Children After Holocaust Figures

Eighty years have passed since the liberation of Auschwitz, and as the world commemorates the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a poignant initiative by photographer Shani Loya stands out. Over the past eight years, Loya has been photographing children named after relatives who perished or survived the Holocaust. Beside each portrait is the story of the relative they are named after.

Passing Down the Legacy

"The idea came to me while talking with a friend who named her son after her mother’s brother, a Holocaust survivor," Loya explains. "The name isn’t popular in Israel today, which is why I was so moved by her story. That’s how the project began. When I shared it with a college mentor, she was equally touched because her father was a Holocaust survivor."

Currently, Loya’s project features 25 children, with 24 compelling stories. "Most participants are named after Holocaust survivors known to their parents, but some bear the names of victims," clarifies Loya. "I intentionally photograph the children up close, without any background distractions, to focus on the faces of the next generation, ensuring nothing else diverts attention."

This project, which started as a thesis project, has accompanied Loya for the past eight years.

"It might seem that, 80 years after the Holocaust, people are no longer naming children after survivors," she says. "Perhaps because the names feel distant or old-fashioned. But a deeper look reveals otherwise. Across sectors, many children proudly carry the names of family members from the Holocaust era. Even many young families today still feel the Holocaust's presence in their lives, choosing names to honor and remember."

"I even met someone who decided to take on her grandfather's surname at his passing at age 92. It was his dream for the family name to live on as a victory over the Nazis. Over the years, he had only daughters, and the name wasn't passed down. As the firstborn granddaughter, she chose to change her and her children’s surname to his, which moved him deeply."

A Path to Remember

Photographer Shani Loya has spent years capturing "Generational Portraits," photographing families across generations, but her "Name One" project remains a constant presence. "I believe this is a way to honor these individuals in the future," she explains. "It helps remember them and their heritage."

She primarily photographs children up to age eight. "Alongside each name I document, I photograph the child and write about the person they’re named after," Loya explains. "I’m constantly moved by how parents talk about their child’s resemblance to their namesake, and their pride in the name. It’s not always easy, especially in societies where such names are rare, but no one ever regrets it, including the child who proudly shares their unique name."

Can you share a particularly moving story?

"There are several. One is the story of David Yesh"i, a four-and-a-half-year-old named after two great-grandfathers; his father’s grandfather, Nahman David Kaufman, and his mother’s grandfather, David Strauss. David’s second name, Yesh"i, incorporates the names of his great-grandfather Yeshaya's brothers: Yehuda, who perished shortly before the war's end, and David’s children: Shaul and Yosef.

"Another touching story is of two-year-old Goni Rachel, named after Rachel Friedman of the Rosenwasser family. Rachel was the second of seven siblings in the Carpathian region of Czechoslovakia. Most of her family perished in the gas chambers, but three siblings miraculously survived and later reunited. They eventually moved to Kibbutz Ashdot Ya’akov in Israel.

Goni Rachel is the daughter of Daphne, Rachel’s granddaughter, who gave birth to her first child a month and a half after Holocaust Remembrance Day. Inspired by the 'Name One' project late in her pregnancy, she decided to name her daughter after her grandmother Rachel."

What do you plan to do with the collected photos and stories?

"I hope to create an exhibition showcasing all the photographs, with each accompanied by the life story of the family member. I also aim to reach more families in Israel and perhaps abroad, providing a platform for the narratives of the individuals after whom the children are named, and the family’s stories, which are part of the broader Jewish history."