1 comments about Women Surviving the Holocaust: In Spite of the Horror (Symposium Series (Edwin Mellen Press), V. 43.).

1. Women Surviving the Holocaust In Spite of Horror presents the experiences of ten female Holocaust survivors. Each one tells her story in a first person interview, the paragraphs of which are broken up by editor, compiler and author's Jutta T. Bendremer's summaries of the milestones of life. The tales are unflinchingly honest in their portrayal of unspeakable horror, but also reveal determination and boundless strength within the hearts of those who suffered. A powerful, poignant, and welcome addition to Holocaust literature shelves.

4 comments about Warsaw Diary of Adam Czerniakow.

1. This is the daily diary of the man who was the head of the Judenrat (Jewish Council) in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation and most of the ghetto period. Czerniakow was misunderstood by a lot of people, and to avoid this I suggest some background reading about the ghetto first (Emanuel Ringelblum's Notes from the Warsaw Ghetto, Bogdan Wojdowski's Bread for the Departed, John Hersey's The Wall (fiction)). This is because Czerniakow does not give a lot of detail about life in the ghetto (and occupied Warsaw before the ghetto) for the ordinary person. It does not at all mean he was unaware of conditions; he was trying to do an impossible job and please everyone at the same time: the ghetto residents, the other council members, the profiteers, the Polish city administration, the German army, and the SS. That he accomplished any positive goals at all is remarkable and his story must be looked at from that perspective. It comes across clearly that he acted according to his conscience and put his personal concerns last. Without the introductions and the supplementary notes the diary might be difficult to understand, as Czerniakow did not always put down full names or explanations and kept entries brief. It was suggested he may have been afraid of it falling into the wrong hands with good reason. Therefore, I would say it takes a reader with some knowledge of the ghetto period and the Nazi occupation of Poland to get the fullest understanding from this book. I do on that basis give it the highest recommendation.



2. 
   Adam Czerniakow's diary covers the period from the German attack on Poland (early September 1939) through late July 1942. At that time, faced with the prospect of turning over thousands of Jews for the first transports to the death camp at Treblinka, Czerniakow chose to commit suicide instead.
   
   While, of course, focusing on the sufferings of the Jews, Czerniakow never loses sight of the sufferings of the Poles. For instance, he includes an entry on the partial destruction of the Royal Castle and the Church (actually, Cathedral) of St. John, by German artillery (p. 75). He also mentions the massacre of Poles (and some Jews) by the Germans at Wawer (late December, 1939; p. 103). Czerniakow first mentions Treblinka while it had only been used as a forced-labor camp for mostly Poles (p. 316).
   
   The creation of the Warsaw Ghetto by the Germans uprooted a large number of Poles as well as Jews, as described in a report by Czerniakow: "The resettlement, encompassing 700 ethnic Germans, 113,000 Poles, and 138,000 Jews, was carried out at once; 11,567 non-Jewish apartments in the Jewish district and some 13,800 Jewish apartments in the rest of the city were surrendered." (p. 396). Clearly, at that stage of the German occupation, property acquisition was very much a two-way street.
   
   The Germans enclosed the Jews in the ghetto in order to starve them, but both Poles and Jews cooperated to thwart this German intention. In the introduction, Josef Kermisz elaborates on this: "If Warsaw's Jews had had to live on the official bread ration, they would all have died of starvation in the first year. Czerniakow tells stories of smugglers and underground trade...The German plan, to starve the Jews to death quickly, was foiled...Thousands, Jews and non-Jews, were occupied with smuggling." (p. 13).
   
   Czerniakow mentions some events whose potential significance was not realized until later. For example, in the July 1, 1940 entry in his diary, Czerniakow alludes to the German plan to resettle both German and Polish Jews in Madagascar (p. 169).
   
   Ironically, in the first two years of the German occupation, Poles were more likely to be killed by the Germans than Jews. At times, Poles actually disguised themselves as Jews! Czerniakow describes this in two entries; that of February 20, 1940 (p. 119) and of May 8, 1940 (p. 147). In the latter, he writes: "Some Poles are beginning to wear Jewish armbands [to avoid being impressed for labor in Germany]." The brackets had been inserted by the editors of this volume.
   
   Both Poles and Jews were corrupted by the brutalities of the German occupation. The Polish blackmailers (szmalcowniki) are well known, but it is seldom realized that they also had their Jewish counterparts. Josef Kermisz commented: "Czerniakow poured out his wrath on Jews who served the Germans, the informers, extortionists, and underworld figures who degraded and corrupted the ghetto." (p. 19). The looting of even the dead was not limited to Poles. In the entry for November 9, 1941, Czerniakow wrote: "A report of the Order Service about cases of graves being dug up by some gang to extract gold teeth from the dead." (p. 297).
   
   Czerniakow sheds light on the Polish Blue Police (Policja Granatowa). Some of their worst members were actually Volksdeutche (prewar Polish citizens of German extraction). In the entry for June 10, 1942, Czerniakow commented: "Today, Junacy [an informal designation of uniformed youth groups, mainly ethnic German] searched the cellars of the house at 20 Chlodna Street, allegedly looking for hidden leather." (p. 365). Again, the content in the brackets had been supplied by the editors of this volume.
   
   Finally, there is a place for humor in Czerniakow's diary. He speaks of "horizontal Aryans" and "vertical Aryans." (p. 192). The former refers to infant Jews who had been baptized, while the latter refers to Jews who had converted to Christianity as adults. (Of course, under Nazi racial laws, Jews who had converted to Christianity were not recognized as Aryans. They were still considered to be Jews, and treated accordingly).



3. With great interest I have red the "The Warsaw Diary of Adam Czerniakow". It is very moving and an example of outmost dignity in such catastrophical situations.I was touched by the serenity of Professor Raul Hilberg explaining the personality of Adam Zcerniakow in the film "SHOA".He has not deceived me...! By the way, now that
   the Israelis are building Walls... should they not read this terrible Testimony? I recommend then to do



4. This diary is a must read for those who would study the Holocaust. It is a study of a decent man under indecent circumstances. He does what he can to help but, in so doing, he necessarily is complicit with the Nazis. If he had been able to foretell the end result, he may have taken a different path. He couldn't. The Holocaust was a work in progress and didn't, even from the Nazi perspective, start as a plan for annihilation. It started as a plan to contain and control people, many of whom were non-Jews.
   
   Czerniaikow did as much as he could to protect his increasingly confined and crowded people. His success made the end all the more terrible. His document is that of the complexities and irrationality of a system terrible beyond its own expectations. Yes, Czerniakow, as a leader, was complicit but he did as well as he could.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

2 comments about Holocaust Project: From Darkness Into Light.

1. A terrific book by one of the most famous feminist artists. When one considers the cruelties of males against Jewish women during and after the Holocaust, it is a pleasure to discover this book, which shows Judy Chicago's passionate work to remind us of the horrors while also discovering her Jewishness just as she contemplated the victimization of the Jews. I love this book.



2. A wonderful collection of artwork that ranges from the history of the Holocaust to how it's dangers are still present in modern society. I have the honor of attending a university that is displaying the artwork and the having the artist visit. It is a must see for every race and nationality. If you are unable to see the work in person, this book is a MUST have!

5 comments about In Kindling Flame: The Story of Hannah Senesh, 1921-1944.

1. This biography for young adults uses the diary, letters, poetry, interviews with her mother and brother, and official documents to tell the story of Hannah Senesh. Atkinson begins Hannah's story by describing her happy life before anti-Semitism took hold in Hungary. She uses Hannah's own words to describe her need to make something of her life. Hannah's decision to immigrate to Palestine shows that she clearly appreciated the potential for danger in remaining in Hungary too long. The reader quickly comes to admire Hannah, for she is described as a flesh-and-blood creature. She is forceful, determined, and youthful, but not without self-doubt. It is her self-doubt that makes her want to "do something" by returning to Hungary from the relative security of Palestine to help Jews escape to freedom. Although Hannah's mission was not successful, her willingness to act decisively makes her a symbol of her adopted homeland. By reading the story of Hannah Senesh, young readers will gain a clearer understanding into the national character of Israel.



2. I read this book in the 6th grade and it was very heavy, but it is my favorite book. I did a project on Hanna Senesh and I learned so much about the Holocaust. I would recomend this book to anyone who needs to be inspired. Hanna Senesh was a brave young lady.



3. When I first read this book, I had just finished touring the Holocaust Museum in Wash. D.C and I picked this out at the bookstore. I am amazed by this book. The reader immediatly falls in love with Hannah, for her strength and courage. The reader finds themselves reading on wanting to know if she succeeds the Nazis or not. If you enjoy reading about the Holocaust, you will love this book! Thank You for reading my review.



4. When I read this book, I had no idea what to expect. The assidnment was to read a book from the WWII/Holocaust period. There were shelves full, but this one caught my attention. I took it home and started to read, but was so sucked in I didn't want to stop! Hannah Senesh had such a wonderful story, and I could easily compare her to Anne Frank. She had such a wonderful personality; she was poetic, determined, and courageous. Unlike Anne, Hannah didn't go into hiding. She escaped to Palestine and trained for a parachuting mission back to her homeland of Hungary. She was captured and beaten, and eventually killed, but remained a beacon to her fellow women in jail, making dolls for children and teaching Hebrew to the adults. Hannah was such an inspiration, I think everyone should read her story.



5. I just received this today and skimmed over the pages. There is close to nothing about why the British flew these Jews from Palestine into Europe. There is a vauge reference to intelligence work, but even the young girls' book on Hannah Senesh put out by Scholastic Books states on the back cover that she was sent by the British to set up an escape network for Allied airmen shot down in the region. The group was also sent to help repatriate Russian soldiers from the nearby (to Roumania) Soviet border. The VHS movie "Hannah's War" from the 1980s makes that also very clear and plain.
   
   I felt I was reading a good general history of WW II, with Jewish partisan movement included and major battles, but not a book about why Hannah Senesh voluteered to go to Europe on a dangerous mission, other than to see her mother. As if this was "tourist season" in WW II.
   
   The need for Hannah's mission (it included 30 men and another woman) stems originally from the Allies repeated air attacks on the Ploesti oilfields in Roumania which supplied the Germans 60% of their oil. The first attack in 1943 lead to 200 shot down Allied fliers captured. This lead to two other major attacks on the oilfields because the were put back in production quickly. Flack damaged airplanes can go hundreds of miles before a need for the crew to parachute out. The border distances between Roumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia (the return route to an Allied airbase in Italy) are small, even for a World War II bomber. In fact, Hannah's group did rescue some Allied airmen. And there was a major secondary reason the British knew about but would not endorse: setting up escape networks for fleeing Jewish refugees AFTER WW II to get to Palestine (Israel) by outfoxing the British blockade, a blockade in effect even before WW II.
   
   But reading this book, I got the impression that the author Linda Atkinson all but thought the British were running a travel agency or a "Make a Wish" Foundation to reunite Hannah with her mother. Despite the worthy inclusion of many biographical concerns of a Hannah as a young woman, including boyfriends, decisions about what she wanted to do with her life, her self-doubts and strengths, I found the extremely limited discussion of why Hannah was sent to Europe an insult to the military mission, the British and the Israelis who risked their lives to fly all 32 native European speakers in to set up escape networks. I thought, in the sections regarding Hannah, that I was reading "Hannah's (Not So) Excellent Adventure." I would recommend the Scholastic book over this for teenage girls.

No comments about AND THE BRIDGE IS LOVE.

No comments about A Privileged Marriage: The Autobiography of Elizabeth Pschorr.

No comments about The Traitor.

No comments about On Austrian Soil: Teaching Those I Was Taught To Hate.

2 comments about This Child Died Tomorrow.

1. THIS IS AN ASTONISHING BOOK. Written during the German occupation of Greece during WW II by a 12-year-old Jewish boy in hiding from a barbarian force, it conveys with amazing clarity both the horror of war and the invincible hope of the human spirit that so often prevails in the inexorable struggle between Good and Evil. Offered in English translation by a 12-year-old American boy, who also wrote a scholarly introduction and historical background, this book also reveals that even in the 21st century 12-year-olds are capable of amazing spiritual feats, because, in final analysis, this is what this book is.

   I recommend it to anyone who is interested in a neglected part of the holocaust, that of southern Europe and/or in Jewish history in general; and, above all, to anyone with a heart who can appreciate the striking contrast between the tenderness and innocence of childhood juxtaposed to the brutality of war. None of those I know read the chapter on the death of a Greek boy (Fondas) without a cathartic tear. Reading it, has been quite an experience!




2. In the Spring of 1941, a cancer was spreading all over Europe. The (...) plague also came to Greece. Death followed their path. Twelve year old Nestor Matsas, a Greek-Jewish boy, wrote this diary after his father was murdered in a concentration camp. Now, twelve-year old Jason Rigas has translated this remarkable work, an astonishing feat in itself, gifting the world with a masterpiece that is infused with strength and wonderment. One cannot help but be struck by the incredible strength of young Nestor as he comes to grips with his father's loss; to comprehend the incomprehensible. "Can you kill a bird in a drawing"? wondered young Nestor, as he asked tougher and tougher questions of life. Amidst the destruction, young Nestor matures, an incredible sense of strength emerges that guides him to write with clarity and sensitivity. This same sensitivity is displayed by young Jason. The rendering to English of a deeply personal diary is exilarating. This is a monumental work of translation.
   I could not put this book down. I read it twice. Once on the train to work, religiously every morning and then back. Another time in a quiet corner at the local Borders Cafe. I sincerely hope that it will be widely read.

5 comments about Child of the Holocaust.

1. Jack's mother sends him to live with a Polish family, away from German occupied Warsaw. When he comes back to visit he finds that his family has been taken away by the Germans. In vivid, realistic prose, the author recounts his wanderings from one family to another, often having to escape for his life from neighbors and even from the people who had previously befriended him. This is a fast paced book that reads like a novel. It also ends like one, leaving you uncertain as to whether it is a work of literature or a true story. Having read many other accounts of this kind, it has the ring of truth and captures in all its heart-wrending detail themisfortunes of Jews in Poland during the Second World War. /subm



2. While in the bookstore of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, I purchased Child of the Holocaust. Four years later I finally read it last week. I could not put it down. My heart bled for the danger and sufferings for young Jankele. This is one of the fastest paced books about survival that I have read of late. I believe that it is important for the youth of today to read such works and should be put into high school libraries. My only criticism is that further information about Jankele and his family was not included. I was hoping for a sequel to come from Jack Kuper. I can see this being made into a Spielburg masterpiece because this story should be told and what appeals to our youth now are only tales where they play a significant part.



3. I read Child of the Holocaust and thought it was an intresting portrayal of a young Jewish boy running from the Gestapo in Poland. I found myself immersed in a book filled with fear, hardship, and luck. The boy, originally named Jenkele, was a clever boy who I thought was more courageous than anyone I had ever seen. Plus the author described the story so well, that I thought I was part of the action. The book incorporates suspense, sadness, and the harsh reality of Hitler's Holocaust. Although the book was great, there were it's moments I didn't like. One of the moments I didn't like was when Jenkele and his friends were told to beat some sick kittens to death with sticks. There were also parts that were unrealistic. An example of an unrealistic part in the book is when a militia who turns over Jews to the Gestapo let Jenkele go not once but twice. Overall the book was great, and I recommend it to all people interested in the Holocaust.



4. "Child of the Holocaust" offers an insightful look into the life of a young Jewish boy trying to keep his identity hidden in a war-torn Poland during World War One. It is deeply emotional and frighteningly realistic. When the main character, originally called Jenkele, is hiding from the Gastapo in a haystack with his uncle, you almost feel as though you are there beside them, living through the freezing temperatures, the lice, vermin, and constant threat of being discovered.
   Not only does the book offer the point of view of that of a young Jewish boy, it also offers an insight into German and Russian soldiers, young men called to honour by their countries, but whom would rather be at home with their families. Its perspective is refreshingly different from the usual cold-blooded murderer portrayal of German soldiers.
   I definatly recommend this book for anybody, even if the Holocaust isn't a subject that normally appeals to them.



5. I haven't read this book in probably 25 years, but it is a part of who I am today just the same. I still vividly remember certain events and even remember parts of some sentences from it. Having always loved books, I read the first addition of Jack Kuper's memoir when I was about 10 years old, after picking it up from a used book dealer. It made lasting impacts on my young mind. This book was part of how I came about rejecting the racist views held by my family. I'm grateful to Mr. Kuper for having shared such painful but powerful memories.