Hidden Inheritance: Family Secrets, Memory, and Faith

Heidi Neumark’s life changed forever when her daughter’s late-night online searching exposed a generation of family secrets. From a few computer keystrokes, Neumark discovered her hidden Jewish heritage—and uncovered hundreds of questions: Did her grandfather really die in a concentration camp? Howdid she never know her grandmother was a death-camp survivor? Why hadthe family history and faith been rejected and hidden?Heidi’s search for the truth quickly became more than a personaljourney; it also became spiritual. It caused profound ponderings on herthirty-year vocation as a Lutheran pastor. It was a shocking revelationthat her Jewish roots and successive family loss and trauma now suddenlyand inherently connected her to the multi-ethnic, marginalizedcommunity she had been ministering to for three decades.Hidden Inheritance takes the reader on a journey thatseamlessly weaves personal narrative, social history, and biblicalreflection to challenge readers to explore their own identity, vocation,and theology. Neumark boldly calls readers to explore the harsh placesof the past, uncover the possible buried secrets, ask new questions,forge new understanding, and discover new hope for transformation thatis only possible when what has been hidden is finally brought to light.