For the German photographer who chose a picture of a Jewish child as the ideal Aryan for Nazi propagandists, it was a sly joke. For the child's family, it became a terrifying ordeal. Hessy Taft was 6 months old in 1935 when her portrait by the well-known German photographer Hans Ballin was chosen by Nazis and reprinted on the cover of a family magazine, on postcards and on shop placards urging customers to "buy beautiful clothes for your beautiful baby." When Taft's mother demanded an explanation from Ballin and reminded him that her family was Jewish, the photographer told her: "I wanted to allow myself the pleasure of this joke." After keeping her story a secret for decades, Taft - whose maiden name is Levinsons and who now lives in the United States and is a chemistry professor - has begun to talk about her ordeal. On Wednesday, she spoke to Reuters. Taft said she bears no ill will toward the photographer. "Yes, I thank him for having the cour