Some stories deserve to be told. Others are still waiting to be discovered.

Under Other Names grew out of my own family’s history. My father survived the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Poland under an assumed identity. His experiences, and my subsequent efforts to uncover the lives of relatives whose histories had been concealed or forgotten, led me to explore the many ways people negotiate identity under extraordinary circumstances.

You can read some examples on the Stories page of this website.

Although this project began with my family’s Jewish history, its interests extend far beyond any single community, religion, or historical period. We welcome stories of people who concealed or reinvented their identities, whether by choice, necessity, or circumstances beyond their control. Some sought to escape persecution; others sought belonging, opportunity, or a different way of life. Still others inherited identities shaped by decisions made generations before them.

These experiences are not always stories of suffering or rejection. They may also be stories of conviction, discovery, adaptation, and renewal.

Perhaps you have spent years researching a relative who lived under another name. Perhaps you have discovered letters, photographs, or family memories that reveal a life previously unknown to you. Or perhaps you have written about someone whose choices, beliefs, or circumstances placed them between worlds.

We would be delighted to hear from you.

We welcome original essays, personal narratives, family histories, and carefully researched accounts of individuals or communities whose experiences speak to the themes of this project.

You do not need to be a professional writer or historian. What matters is the story, the care with which it is told, and its connection to the project’s themes.

We are particularly interested in stories that bring overlooked lives into view, challenge familiar assumptions, or reveal the complexities of identity and belonging.

Previously published work is also welcome, provided you have the right to share it with us.

We will read your contribution and consider whether it fits the project. We may suggest light editorial changes for clarity, length, or historical context, but any substantive changes will be discussed with you before publication.

We recognize that family histories can contain sensitive material, unresolved questions, and conflicting memories. We do not expect every uncertainty to be resolved. We do ask contributors to distinguish, as far as possible, between documented facts, family recollections, and personal interpretations.

Our aim is to work collaboratively with contributors while preserving their individual voices.

You retain full copyright of your original work.

We do not claim ownership of your writing, photographs, or other original materials. By agreeing to publication, you grant Under Other Names nonexclusive permission to publish your contribution on this website.

You remain free to publish your work elsewhere, include it in a book, or use it in any other way you choose.

Your name will appear with your contribution unless you prefer another form of attribution. We will not make substantive changes or republish your work elsewhere without your permission.

There is no submission fee, and no payment is offered for contributions.

If you have a story you would like to share, please get in touch. You can begin with a brief description of the story and its connection to the project. There is no need to send a finished essay at the outset.

We would also welcome hearing from people who have discovered something intriguing in their family history but are still trying to understand what it means.

Not every story will be suitable for publication here, but every submission will receive thoughtful consideration.

We look forward to hearing from you—and to discovering the lives that might otherwise remain untold.

Yoram Rubin
Founder, Under Other Names