5 comments about Swimming Up the Sun: A Memoir of Adoption.

1. Swimming Up the Sun is a touching and well-written story that reveals the wonderful and agonizing complexity of family relationships. The writer demonstrates grace and wit in her portrayals and inspires empathy in her readers. Though I have never been involved in an adoption, I found the story poignant and deeply relevant, especially at a time when fewer and fewer families resemble traditional family models.



2. Nicole has written a heartfelt, honest account of the complex needs, tensions, and feelings of all the members of a biological family involved in adoption. As an adoptive mother, I especially appreciated the open and sensitive account of an adoptee's search and her emotional roller coaster as she sought to connect with her biological family. I highly recommend this book to all those already involved in adoption, or who are considering an adoption. Adoptees' needs are an important aspect of the situation, and Nicole presents this perspective simply and eloquently.



3. This is a very eloquent and heartfelt account of one woman's search and reunion. The author provides a very moving and well-written account of the events surrounding her search for her birth family and the ensuing reunions and relations. She honestly portrays the feelings and relationships that occured for her. I would highly recommend this book to anyone touched by adoption.



4. This book rivals some of the best mystery novels. The reader accompanies Nicole Burton as she solves the mystery of who her parents are and describes the relationships she forms with them. The book was sensitive, insightful, and beautifully written. Although it was a serious subject, I found the book witty and humorous. It was a pleasure accompanying her on this adventure.



5. Very interesting and realistic twist on the adoption search story. The author doesn't sugarcoat anything, and produces a nice mix of humor and deep emotion.
   
   Characters are realistic, which is fitting because this is a memoir, not fiction. But it's very hard to convey a realistic view of family members. Hats off to Nicole Burton for that.
   
   Needs a little editing, otherwise 5 stars.

2 comments about Farewell to Salonica: City at the Crossroads.

1. Farewell To Salonica: City At The Crossroads is the autobiography of Leon Sciaky and tells of his having grown up in Salonica (now called Thessaloniki), in Greece. A remarkable view of a place where Sephardic Jews, Greeks, Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, and Bulgarians all met, traded, and went about their daily lives. A superbly written memoir, Farewell to Salonica is a heartfelt, highly recommended testimony to a memorable city and a cultural mecca.



2. I discovered this book by reading Mazower's book. This was a pure delight to read. The author brought me back to a Thessaloniki I had learned about in Mazower, but added the warm, personal details of family life and interaction among the groups which made up Salonica in the early 20th century. I didn't want the book to end. I was surprised to learn that it had been published quite a while ago and that the author's child added an epilogue. I wish I had read it before and wandered the streets to find some of the landmarks.

3 comments about Echoes from the Holocaust: A Memoir.

1. From a priveleged upbringing in pre-war Gdansk, the author and her family are deported first to Warsaw then to other ghettos and camps. The book is written in a frank, no-nonsense fashion and she really states the facts about what happened to her and her family. An amazing book and one that everyone should read.



2. Echoes from the Holocaust by Mira Ryczke Kimmelman is a riveting memoir that recounts her life as a child in Danzig to her life in the United States after World War II. Mira describes how the innocence, effulgence, and peace of her youth are shattered once the Nazi troops force her family to leave their home in Poland in October 1939. Embracing her Jewish heritage, Mira tells of how she strives to preserve her identity and pride as a Jew alive by receiving secret Hebrew lessons, attending prohibited Jewish gatherings, and becoming a member of the Zionist movement. Kimmelman refuses to let herself become discouraged when she learns that more than twenty of her family members and friends are killed by the SS officers.
   
   Infused with aspirations, Mira does whatever she can to cope with the persecution she and others receive at the ghettos and concentration camps. After suffering from typhoid, physical torture, starvation, horrendous living conditions, and simple dehumanization, Mira continues to be a burning flame among all the melted candles. All her struggles and lucky moments become learning experiences.
   
   Mira is able to move on with her life, after the end of the war in 1945. She marries Max Kimmelman, another Holocaust survivor, and has several children and grandchildren after. She gives them the names of her relatives and close companions so that her memories of them will live on. Although life in the United States becomes a bit of a struggle, Mira manages to carve out a content life with her husband and family. She continues to encompass her traditions and tell her story of survival.
   
   The memoir is written simplistically, but with very powerful imagery and episodes, that capture Mira's moments effectively. Metaphors, similes, or hyperboles are not necessary to make this memoir memorable. The book is divided into several short chapters that make it an easy read. With cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, this book becomes a real page-turner. An atmosphere of hope surrounds the events Kimmelman depicts and reiterates the idea that Mira has survived for a purpose. No history book can tell a story such as this one. To capture the meaning and depth of the Holocaust, one must go out and read Mira Kimmelman's account.



3. Mira lived to tell the tale of the holocaust. She's carried the message of strength and forgiveness, of working through the horrors she's lived by bringing the message to all who will listen. This is a strange and different book: on the one hand, so repulsive, so unbelievable, yet, on the other hand, compelling. Several questions ran through my mind: how does a person continue to live with any humanity at all after such an experience; why does one person live, while all the rest die; what kind of magnetism did Mira have that encouraged people to help her?
   I've met Mira; she lives here in my home town of Oak Ridge. She will speak before my class. Perhaps my questons will be answered, and I will know who Mira is after all.

No comments about Dream Homes: From Cairo to Katrina, an Exile's Journey (Jewish Women Writers).

5 comments about Four Girls From Berlin: A True Story of a Friendship That Defied the Holocaust.

1. Marianne Meyerhoff has written an affectingly-personal account that serves a greater purpose: to remind us, yet again, of the strength to love in the face of manifold evil. It is the story of a woman of indomitable spirit, Lotte, who, with the help of an extended family that includes the three other 'girls' of the book's title, salvages a collection of heirlooms--the severed bonds of a family history torn apart by Nazi Germany. Lotte finds a new home for herself and her child, the author, in the United States; the salvaged artifacts serve as a poignant testimony of loss and, above all, love. This is a book you will not soon forget.



2. This is a poignantly written tale of one woman's gradual dawning awareness of the tragedy that befell her family; it's a tale of the holocaust, crafted by one too young to have understood its immensity at the time, but who had to try in the aftermath to understand why she and her mother stood alone with no near relatives.
   
   It's also a tale of outreach and forgiveness towards those she might have condemned. The result gives us a new understanding of those tragic events and of the nation that brought it about. The author's tale is as much one of hope and salvation as it is a tale of tragecy.
   
   I recommend it unqualifiedly.



3. This is a fascinating story. But it is seriously marred by sloppy editing, particularly in the rendering of almost all the many German words and phrases. While reading the book, I had the feeling I was looking at an early, uncorrected draft, one that never received the attention of an even minimally competent German language consultant. This is unacceptable in an expensive hardcover book. And it greatly diminished the author's fine work.



4. Rich in heartfelt emotion and profound wisdom, this exceptionally well-written piece is a multi-faceted literary gem. Brilliant first-time author Marianne Meyerhoff empathetically chronicles her mother Lotte's fragile reawakening to life years after a harrowing solo escape from the Nazis to America left her in torment and shock as the only survivor of her extended Jewish family.
   
   One fateful day a huge, mysterious container arrives at their door in Hollywood, California, like a special delivery from God. It contains family heirlooms, treasured photos, letters, and documents. Lotte's closest German girlfriends, none a Jew, courageously and repeatedly risked their lives to smuggle them out of her family's home in Berlin and restore them to her after the war.
   
   From Ms. Meyerhoff's diligent quest for personal identity and family history emerges an unforgettable saga. It honors the enduring, inter-generational friendships between Jewish and non-Jewish Germans who courageously defied, sometimes openly, the Nazi tyranny and persecution destroying their country and robbing them of their loved ones.
   
   As engaging as her narrative is, the philosophical examination of key issues inherent within her characters' tragic circumstances equally compels our reflection. She gives voice to the view that forgiveness is most of all for the sake of the one forgiving, who needs to be released from remaining a victim.
   
   For Marianna's grandfather, the Old Professor, to flee the Nazi regime would be to commit a dishonorable act of betrayal to his beloved German homeland. How could he turn his back on his country when it needed him most to speak out against the injustice?
   
   Rabbi Benny reminds us that spiritual healing requires giving up hating those who would destroy you because to return their hate is to destroy yourself; and that without the power to choose between good and evil, there is no freedom, and no possibility for spiritual transformation.
   
   Finally, the question of redemption. Is there a way to "make good again" the Holocaust?
   She offers two important suggestions. The first is to "own up to it" and incorporate it into the German educational system's curriculum, so that subsequent generations can benefit from "the healing power of remorse" and learn right from wrong.
   
   The second suggests there is no "antidote". "All one can do is hope to artfully and productively accommodate the heartache in the beauty of the present unfolding of life."
   This book fulfills that mission.



5. Marianne Meyerhoff had a good story to tell but unfortunately she failed to give it it's due; it has so much unfilled potential. It is poorly written and what was sorely lacking was any real investigation and research into her story; so much was needed to be said. I had the feeling that she was encouraged to write the story and did so too quickly to be effective. I question her facts, and translations from German to English. Had she interviewed her principals more throroughly the results would have been better. The book is short, only 241 pages and I had the feeling that at times she was putting in irrelevent material just to pad the pages. Marianne did not ask the pertinent questions that a good writer/investigator would have and it wasn't until the very end that her husband supplied her with questions to ask that she should have thought on her own. There was much left hanging. The story could have had so much more to it and left so much unsaid. One wonders what her mother's friends did during the war; why was more attention not given to how her mother's things were hidden; why did Erica refuse to talk about Ursula at the end and why was more space not given to her mother's rescue and hiding after the illfated trip of the St. Louis. It was very disappointing and at the end I felt that too much had not been said. The one redeeming feature was the many photographs of the family and friends.

2 comments about They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memories of a Jewish Childhood in Poland before the Holocaust.

1. They Called Me Mayer July is a beautiful book, both in the written word and the art work. It details the day-to-day lives of the Jewish people who lived in their 'schtetles' before the Holocaust and it goes into the various personalities, nick names, and jobs that were done during those years. Artistically, the detail is stunning and a joy to behold. For those of us whose ancestors came from these places, it gives us the opportunity to see and read what life was like, both the good and the difficult. I was so impressed that I bought a book as a gift for a friend and have recommended it to others. We owe a debt of gratitude to the author and his daughter for giving us this wonderful gift.



2. This book is a treasure! It provides reminiscences in text and in paintings of a Polish Jewish shtetl, Apatow or, as the Jews called it, Apt. Like Grandma Moses, Kirshenblatt began painting late in life and, like her, has produced primitive, lively, intimate illustrations of his remembered world. The text is equally intimate describing the people, their nicknames, and their lives. Anyone interested in furthering his or her knowledge of the shtetl, as told by one of its last living inhabitants, must read this book.

5 comments about Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir, Second Edition.

1. If you get through this book without shedding a tear, you are not human! POWERFUL and PAINFUL



2. Mr. Faber came to speak at my school and I was absolutely blown away. For a man to go through all of this and still be able to talk about it is just amazing. Thank you for making such a difference in my life Mr. Faber.



3. The author of this book actually came and spoke to my 8th grade class a few years back, and he had told us in great detail of everything that had happened to him. What he said in person and in the manner that he said it made me by his book. This book is possibly one of the best books about one's personal experience during the holocaust i have ever read. I ended up reading it in about a day and a half. This book is very good but quite graphic and may not be for the younger ones, but being able to hear this poor man speak about his life, and then be able to a copy of his book autographed by him just really makes it special.
   
   This is deffinetly a must buy.



4. This book is one that anyone can and should read. There are so many books out there about the Holocaust, but this is straight from the survivors mouth. You won't get a more vivid or perfect picture of what really happened those fateful days in the concentration and death camps set in motion by Adolf Hitler. Take the time to read this rendition. You won't forget what it was about after you put it down.



5. For holocaust survivor to endure the evils of concentration camps and not become bitter towards life and humanity in general is an accomplishment in itself. The book is well written. I can't say I enjoyed reading about the inhumanity that can be directed towards humanity, but it is a necessary book that needed to be written for future generations to learn from. I am glad the book was written for that reason alone. I wanted to add my aggreement with all the other good reveiws here.

5 comments about The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict: Sixth Revised and Updated Edition.

1. The book is simply a collection of documents on the Arab-Israeli conflict, dating back to the British Mandate in Palestine. The editors included all the important papers such as the Balflour Declaration, the "White Paper," various UN declarations, and speeches made by both Arab and Israeli leaders. The latest documents it contains are those covering the Camp David meetings between President Clinton, barak, and Arafat near the end of Clinton's presidency. While it is not a history of the conflict (merely a collection of historical documents), it certainly can provide you with plenty of info on the subject.



2. I write in relation to the sixth revised and updated version of this work. My purchase was based upon the recommendations of others here and I was certainly not disappointed with my acquisition of this book.

   It really is a priceless reference and guide to the way in which the Middle East has taken shape and how the whole Arab-Israeli issue has developed since it's inception. Indeed, references are quoted with effect from 1882 through until the present day.

   We are treated to a seemingly endless accurate list of letters, speeches, reports and articles from a considerable cross section of sources, both in the international arena and in the region itself. This latest version even contains sections on the Camp David negotiations and their subsequent failure in 2000/2001.

   One is able to see from the direct quotes of the parties concerned, exactly what was said, and moreover in it's true context, making this an indisputably essential asset to understanding the conflicts and `peace-making' in the region. This level of understanding is made accessible not only to the Camp David talks but also to virtually every other episode of significance relative to this ongoing issue throughout the many decades.

   A highly recommended read.




3. If one is a previously biased reader, this book will doubtlessly contain some documents that are upsetting to read on grounds of including inciteful material. However, the only real criticism that I have is that the 3rd edition has several documents that are of interest to those seeking to research the early Mandatory period, such as documents by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the Revisionist Zionist and ideological founder of the Irgun Zvai Leumi. It is understanable though, that as future editions come out the length could get phrohibitively long without pruning some data. As a basic and intermediate level documentary text it is one of the best I have come across.



4. What else can be said about a book that contains every UN and League of Nations document about the Israel-Palestine conflict? It is a necessity as a reference for those engaged and a great book to learn about the conflict and its basic political evolution.



5. I will not spend a lot of time writing about how valuable a reference this is - the other reviewers on this site have already more than done it justice. Aside from the relative lack of material on early Zionism (also pointed out by one of the other reviewers), this book has most if not all of the relevant documents. I have only one major criticism (the reason I gave the book four stars instead of 5): the almost complete lack of information about the original sources. Apart from a one-liner preceding each document, no information is given regarding 1) the citation of the original work, including page numbers, where appropriate; 2) the language in which the original work was written; 3) if the work was not written in English, credit for the translation, the date thereof, etc. While these may not be of interest to the casual reader, to anyone doing research in the field, if only for a college paper, these details are critical. Furthermore, in an area as controversial as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the ability to trace documents back to the original and verify translations is everything.

5 comments about Trapped in Hitler's Hell.

1. This book shows the what it was like to be in Germany at the time of the Nazi occupation. I have met Anita Dittman and she is an incredible lady with an incredible story.



2. Trapped In Hitler's Hell by Anita Dittman is the epic and personal recollection of the hardships and difficult times during the second world war in Nazi Germany. Dittman righteously describes the anguish she suffered throughout her captivity and solitude. Trapped In Hitler's Hell is an inspirational tale of one young woman's only certainty being that the God above her would protect her, and is highly recommended for all Christian and Judaic practitioners and students, as well as students of history during World War II, as this book is as informative as it is encouraging.



3. Anita Dittman's story is a vivid testimony to the sovereignty and faithfulness of Christ in the life of a little German-Jewish girl who finds in her Savior both courage and strength to meet each day in the midst of painful persecution and the terror of war. As Anita grows up, abandoned by her father and rejected by her non-Jewish teachers and schoolmates, her spirit grows more lovely with each passing year as she learns that Jesus will never leave her nor forsake her.
   
   This story is not gloomy or depressing in any way. It is full of faith, hope, and glorious glimpses of the power and the love of God. I could hardly put it down.
   
   There is a compelling immediacy to Miss Dittman's story. I felt almost as if I knew her. My faith in the Lord has been challenged and renewed as I've followed her through her trials and triumphs in the pages of this book.
   
   There is a warning here also, with a striking parallel to the present. Just as many of the churches in Nazi Germany fell quickly to the seductive message of the Third Reich, so many of our churches of today are falling quickly for the seductions of the Emergent Church's apostate theology and the allure of occult eastern mysticism through so-called "christian" contemplative spirituality.
   
   As many have described Hitler as a "type" of Anti-christ, so the apostate German church may be said to pre-figure the apostate worldwide "christian" church which the Bible warns will arise in the last days. Is that what we are seeing unfold?
   
   If you want to be uplifted, forewarned, and encouraged during these "perilous times," read Trapped In Hitler's Hell.
   
   [I'd like to thank Miss Dittman for writing this book. I will never be quite the same. :)]



4. This is an excellent book told from the first-hand account of a holocaust survivor. The account is very well written and edited and you won't be able to put it down.
   
   How Anita Dittman survived is simply a miracle and one can see God's hand in sustaining her existence and planning the extraordinary sequence of events that delivered her from her Nazi captors. God's love for the Jewish people and allowing her to survive to tell her story is a witness for all of us that Jewish people have a remarkable future desiny to play in the prophetic timeline leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.
   
   I have heard Anita Dittman and Jan Markell present this story in lecture format. Talk about having a lump in your throat for an hour.
   
   The sad part of this story is that Anti-Semitism since World Warr II has not really gone away. It's always there and there are disturbing signs all around the world that it could return even worse than the holocaust. We now have world leaders such as Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Palestian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas openly deny the Holocaust and the world's media and United Nations don't call them on the carpet for it.
   
   The Book of Zechariah Chapters 12-14, Jeremiah Ch. 30:7, Revelaton Ch. 12 and many other biblical texts indicate that Israel will go through even worse trial and tribulation immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ. If those times are worse than what Anita Dittman and her mother experienced, the world truly needs Jesus Christ to return to save the Jewish people from complete annihilation.



5. When I first read "Trapped in Hitler's Hell," it was called "Angels In the Camp." From the miraculous acts that God preformed for this faith filled German-Jewish girl, there certainly were angels watching over Anita Dittman. For example, while in the hospital the Nazi nurse who attended Anita refused to provide her with food. Knowing Anita was Jewsih, the nurse was trying to starve her to death. A Chritian friend in the next bed shared half of the one potato she received for food each day with Anita. They hid under the covers and ate their potato. The nurse was certainly surprised when not only did Anita not die, but actually gained weight and was soon well enough to go back to work. The book is filled with faith building stories such as this one.
   
   Recently I had the priviledge of hearing Anita speak. Her book had really spsoken to my heart. I remebered many of the stories of her experiences during WWII and quoted them every so often. What an inspring lady she is. She concluded her testimony with a saying I shall always remember. Anita told us, "Safety isn't found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God."
   
   As one reviewer summed it up, there are important lessons we need to learn from Anita's exxperiences. She said, "Just as many of the churches of Nazi Germany fell quickly to the seductive message of the Third Reich, so many of our churches today are falling quickly for the seductions of the Emergent Church's apostate theology and the allure of occult eastern mysticism though so-called "Christian" comtemplative spirituality." Before it's to late, we need to get our lives right with the Savior. We need to let Him show us any sin and pray that He would lead us out of any erroneous doctrine and into His truth.

2 comments about An Unbroken Chain: My Journey Through the Nazi Holocaust.

1. Oertelt tells the story of his life in Germany from his 1938 until his liberation from a concentration camp. It is a stirring memoir -- heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. He uses the analogy of an 18 link chain to demonstrate how each link was important to his survival. The details in the book are remarkable in their lucidity and specificity. He is never graphic in his descriptions, but he is brutally honest. In the end, it is an uplifing tale in the context of terrible sadness.



2. Mr. Oertelt came and spoke at my college in MN when I was a junior. Not only was he an amazing speaker, but he made the Holocaust a reality to everyone packed in that auditorium. He signed his book for everyone who wished to purchase it. I read it in one night unable to out it down!!! Highly recommended!