In October 1936, 13-year-old Franz Tischler had his bar mitzvah – a ceremony that formally marks the transition from boyhood to manhood, signifying the moment when the young individual assumes responsibility for his actions in accordance with Jewish religious law. It was an opportunity for two related families, the Tischlers and Haddas, to celebrate together. Both families, which originated from Upper Silesia, maintained close ties even after relocating to Breslau in the early 20th c.
[FURTHER COMMENTARY TO THE PHOTO: Years later, the adult Franz Tischler, already in exile in England, described each person captured in this photo from the bar mitzvah ceremony, thus preserving the memory of his loved ones.]