London – French swimmer Fabien Gilot generated a lot of buzz this week at the 2012 Olympic Games. But it wasn’t just because he and his teammates won a historic gold medal for France in the 4X100 freestyle relay.
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Yediot Ahronot reports (http://bit.ly/R7GSZJ) that Gilot surprised viewers in both Israel and across the world when they noticed Gilot had a tattoo written in Hebrew lettering. The tattoo, featured prominently on his left arm, reads: אני כלום בלעדיהם “I am nothing without them.”
Gilot explained that the tattoo is a tribute to his grandmother’s husband, Max Goldschmidt, a Holocaust survivor who witnessed and endured the horrors of Auschwitz and greatly influenced the Olympic champion.
“Max was a Jew who survived the Holocaust and Auschwitz,” explained Michel Gilot, Fabien’s father. “He was born in Berlin and moved to France after the war. In Fabien’s eyes, he was a hero. He admired him and was very attached to him. He was a grandfather in every way.”
Max died earlier this year, but he was aware of Fabien’s tattoo and his swimming accomplishments, according to Fabien’s father.
The swimmer has other tattoos including one of the Olympic rings and one of three stars to symbolize each of his brothers.
I think someone from Chabad should speak to Gilot about joining us as a fellow Yid.He seems like a special person for giving credit to his Jewish grandfather.
What a busha to use a tattoo that’s asur to honor a jew
#2 , it’s because of you that there are many Jews today that unfortunately are what they are!
#2 . A naar veist men nisht kein halbe arbeit.
#2 ,
You’re wrong. He’s not Jewish, so a tattoo is not assur for him.
In an odd way, this is a geder of a kiddush Hashem.
His grandfather was a Jew who was m’kedesh sheim shamayim with the tattoo placed upon his arm, and his non jewish grandson is machshiv that. I do t think there’s anything wrong with this. Addarabah!
When there are so many descendents of intermarriage out there trying to ignore or erase their Jewish heritage, this is a beautiful sight.
A message we should all take to heart.
There is nothing worse to the visual accomplishment of any jew than to tattoo any hebrew letters on their body. Hebrew is the coded language of humanity and life and to think that the very letters of Torah could be used to disgrace Torah is a completely horrible consideration. Since he is not a jew, this clearly does not apply to him. Sadly however, I fear that his pride may spill over to the yidden who are impressionable and may elect to tattoo hebrew letters on their body. I have seen some of the most heinous examples of disregard for Torah on line in places that I have somehow come across that showed hebrew tattoos (I actually googled Chai). I must say it was the most troubling think especially in light of the holocaust that any jew might willingly write a hebrew letter on his soul. And to tell you the most heinous of all, G-ds name was included in some of their frightfully heretical and wicked displays. That is something that you can not desecrate.
#10 ,
The issur of Kak’ea applies to any letters, not specifically to Hebrew lettering.
He is not Jewish. He is paying tribute to the Jewish man that his non-Jewish grandmother married.
here’s a young french person who is PROUD of his grandmother’s choice. and willing to share it and show to the world. dont knock him….we need more like him in this world, too many hate us.
merci fabien. bravo