‘Aida’s Secrets’ Available on iTunes and Amazon

‘Aida’s Secrets’ Available on iTunes and Amazon

“Aida’s Secrets” is a touching documentary that tells the true story of two brothers separated as young children in post-World War II Europe. They hadn’t seen one another in 65 years — until MyHeritage reunited them!

New York Times Critics’ Pick “Aida’s Secrets” is now available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon.

Izak Szewelewicz was born in the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp after WWII. Izak has no memories of his early years in the camp. He was sent to Israel for adoption in 1948, at the age of three, and was raised by his adopting family.

A few years ago, he received documents from the Bergen-Belsen archive that delivered a shocking revelation: he had a brother named Shepsyl in the camp!

In 2013 Izak’s nephew, Alon Schwarz, reached out to MyHeritage and asked us to help him find Izak’s brother. Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet took a special interest in his story, and asked our senior researcher and Head of Genealogy (UK), Laurence Harris, to devote his time and expertise to locate Izak’s family and discover what really happened. Together with Alon, Laurence embarked on an international search through the archives at Bergen-Belsen in Germany and Yad Vashem in Israel, Canadian and Israeli vital records, and online family trees.

Laurence’s search eventually led him to Melanie Shell, the only daughter of a blind Winnipeg man in his 60s named Shep Shell. Corresponding with Melanie, Laurence discovered that Shep’s name had been changed upon arrival in Canada; his original name was Szepsyl Szewelewicz, and Melanie confirmed that he had been born in a displaced persons camp in Germany after the War. All the pieces fit together. Izak’s brother had been found!

Watch the brothers’ emotional reunion below:

We had the privilege of taking part in this life-changing reunion and we hope you enjoy watching the documentary, directed, written and produced by Izak’s nephew, Alon Schwarz.

Download “Aida’s Secrets” on iTunes or Amazon today!