Public Grief in Personal Papers: Condolence Letters to the Klinghoffer Family

By Leanora Lange

Personal papers are usually just that—personal. They relate to an individual and may reveal what may have otherwise been private, information that was exclusive to this person and perhaps a select group of relatives or friends.

The Klinghoffer Family Papers are unlike any other personal papers I have processed. They are at once intensely personal and painfully public. Leon Klinghoffer’s death at the hands of hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985 thrust the Klinghoffer family into a global spotlight. As the story of the hijacking was covered extensively in newspapers and on television, word of Leon’s murder reached a huge audience.  The deep, personal pain of the family members reverberated throughout a wide public.

Among this wide public were hundreds who were compelled to share their personal reactions to the events with the Klinghoffer family, to connect from one person to another even if they had never met.

The largest single section of the Klinghoffer Family Papers is made up of condolence letters sent to the family in late 1985. Many of the condolences came from friends, neighbors, colleagues, and former employees. The bulk of the condolences were sent from people who only heard of the Klinghoffers in the news. The following are a small selection of some of these personal messages sent from strangers.

A sympathy card sent from the employees of the U.S. Postal Service Salt Lake City Air Mail Facility. The letter is signed by individual employees on the verso of the front flap, not shown here.

One of many cards sent to the Klinghoffers from children.

Outrage from hairdressers in Long Island.

A woman living in the suburbs of New York City planted daffodils and tulips in Leon’s memory. Other individuals and organizations planted trees and dedicated gardens to the Klinghoffers.

A message from a fellow New Yorker who recited Kaddish for Leon Klinghoffer in front of the Klinghoffers’ apartment building.

The Klinghoffer Family Papers are held at the American Jewish Historical Society at the Center for Jewish History in New York, NY. The full finding aid is available online: http://digifindingaids.cjh.org/?pID=3382074  

Image above: Card sent to the Klinghoffers from a child. This was included with a letter from this child’s parents explaining that the child heard about the news and wanted to say goodbye to Leon.