The Weight We Carry

This painting depicts the artist’s grandfather, Joost “Joe” Oppenheim (left), and Karel Gaethofs (right). Joost Oppenheim, affectionately known as Grandpa Joe, was a Holocaust survivor. At the age of eight, he and his brother Fred were taken in as 'catholic orphans' by the Heuvalman family despite already having many children of their own. One of the Heuvalman children, Jeanne, was close in age to Joe, and the two developed a deep bond during the war. After the war, Joost and Fred were reunited with their mother, who had survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Their father had been murdered in Auschwitz. With sponsorship from their mother’s sister, the family later emigrated to New York. Joost spoke little of his childhood until much later in life, but he maintained a close relationship with the Heuvalman family, particularly Jeanne. Jeanne later married Karel Gaethofs, with whom Joost also formed a lasting friendship. Jeanne passed away in 2016, and Joost in 2022. Shortly after Joost’s passing, the artist, recently graduated and traveling in Europe, visited Karel. While looking through old photographs together, the artist discovered the image that inspired this painting.