Holocaust Survivor True Stories WWII Series by Fred Feldman, Zvi Wiesenfeld, Emanuel Rosen, Kenneth P. Price, Evelyn Joseph Grossman, Barbara Gilford, Adena Bernstein Astrowsky, Ettie Zilber, Dorothy Pierce, Tammy Bottner, Ronny Hein

During the dark days of the Holocaust, a Jewish family struggles to survive.When her son was born, Tammy Bottner experienced flashbacks of being hunted by the Nazis. The strange thing is, these experiences didn’t happen to her. They happened to her grandmother decades earlier and thousands of miles away.Back in Belgium, Grandma Melly made unthinkable choices in order to save her family during WWII, including sending her two-year-old son, Bottner’s father, into hiding in a lonely Belgian convent... moreDuring the dark days of the Holocaust, a Jewish family struggles to survive.When her son was born, Tammy Bottner experienced flashbacks of being hunted by the Nazis. The strange thing is, these experiences didn’t happen to her. They happened to her grandmother decades earlier and thousands of miles away.Back in Belgium, Grandma Melly made unthinkable choices in order to save her family during WWII, including sending her two-year-old son, Bottner’s father, into hiding in a lonely Belgian convent. Did the trauma that Tammy Bottner’s predecessors experience affect their DNA? Did she inherit the “memories” of the war-time trauma in her very genes?In this moving family memoir, told partly from Melly’s perspective, the author, a physician, recounts the saga of her family’s experiences during the Holocaust. This tale, part history, part scientific reflection on epigenetics, takes the reader on a journey that may read like a novel but is all the more fascinating for being true. less

With the Nazi occupation of Kovno (Lithuania), her life changed forever. Zlata Santocki Sidrer was Jewish, but she survived the horrors of the Holocaust.Gone was her normal life and her teenage dream of becoming a doctor. Instead, she witnessed untold deprivations, massacres, imprisonment, hunger and slave labor before being transported to the Stutthof Concentration Camp. Her story of the death march is a testament to her fighting spirit and the limits of human endurance... moreWith the Nazi occupation of Kovno (Lithuania), her life changed forever. Zlata Santocki Sidrer was Jewish, but she survived the horrors of the Holocaust.Gone was her normal life and her teenage dream of becoming a doctor. Instead, she witnessed untold deprivations, massacres, imprisonment, hunger and slave labor before being transported to the Stutthof Concentration Camp. Her story of the death march is a testament to her fighting spirit and the limits of human endurance. Yet the challenges did not end with liberation. Lovingly compiled from recorded interviews and researched by her eldest daughter, Ettie, this is an account of a remarkably resilient woman who raised herself out of the ashes after unimaginable hardship and sorrow. She found love and happiness where none could be expected—a secret marriage in the ghetto, escapes, dangerous border crossings, reunifications, and life-saving friendships.Ettie’s quest to learn more about her ancestry led her to Lithuania and Poland–in her mother’s footsteps. The author reflects on the impact of her family’s experiences on her own beliefs and behaviors, thereby adding to the literature about Second Generation and transgenerational trauma.In these memoirs she honors her family by telling their amazing story of survival and collects evidence to corroborate their painful history. less

This is the story of one remarkable young woman's unimaginable journey through the rise of the Nazi regime, the Second World War, and the aftermath. Mania Lichtenstein’s dramatic story of survival is narrated by her granddaughter and her memories are interwoven with beautiful passages of poetry and personal reflection. Holocaust survivor Mania Lichtenstein used writing as a medium to deal with the traumatic effects of the war... moreThis is the story of one remarkable young woman's unimaginable journey through the rise of the Nazi regime, the Second World War, and the aftermath. Mania Lichtenstein’s dramatic story of survival is narrated by her granddaughter and her memories are interwoven with beautiful passages of poetry and personal reflection. Holocaust survivor Mania Lichtenstein used writing as a medium to deal with the traumatic effects of the war. Many Jews did not die in concentration camps, but were murdered in their lifelong communities, slaughtered by mass killing units, and then buried in pits. As a young girl, Mania witnessed the horrors while doing everything within her power to subsist. She lived in Włodzimierz, north of Lvov (Ukraine), was interned for three years in the labor camp nearby, managed to escape and hid in the forests until the end of the war. Although she was the sole survivor of her family, Mania went on to rebuild a new life in the United States, with a new language and new customs, always carrying with her the losses of her family and her memories. Nearly eighty years after liberation, we are still witnessing acts of cruelty born out of hatred and discrimination. Living among the Dead reminds us of the beautiful communities that existed before WWII, the lives lost and those that lived on, and the importance to never forget these stories so that history does not repeat itself. less

When the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the Buchsbaum family chose different paths to escape Nazi brutality. Intelligence was not enough to survive the SS; bad decisions could prove fatal. Their stories live in Heart Songs - A Holocaust Memoir, and form the legacy of love and loss inherited by the author, a second-generation Holocaust survivor.Grandmother Clara Buchsbaum fled to Italy in 1939 and found refuge in the mountain village of San Donato Val di Comino... moreWhen the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the Buchsbaum family chose different paths to escape Nazi brutality. Intelligence was not enough to survive the SS; bad decisions could prove fatal. Their stories live in Heart Songs - A Holocaust Memoir, and form the legacy of love and loss inherited by the author, a second-generation Holocaust survivor.Grandmother Clara Buchsbaum fled to Italy in 1939 and found refuge in the mountain village of San Donato Val di Comino. There, the local residents sheltered twenty-eight Jewish refugees, risking their own safety by hiding them from German soldiers. Clara’s letters to her son, John, who had escaped to England before emigrating to the United States, illustrate her relentless efforts to obtain a visa to a country beyond Europe’s borders. She sustained an unimaginable optimism despite separation from her beloved family and an uncertain future.In telling the tragic story of the grandmother she never knew, the author explores historical, familial and psychological aspects of the Holocaust. Heart Songs illuminates the consequences of inherited grief and unmourned losses, and celebrates the strength and resilience of those who died and those who survived. less

Henny had just graduated from high school when the Germans invaded Lithuania. Her care-free life rapidly changed from a life of privilege to a living hell. Simply because she was Jewish.The horrors inflicted upon the Jews of Kovno, taken place in the old forts built during Czarist Russia, are not as well known as what happened in the German Nazi camps during World War II... moreHenny had just graduated from high school when the Germans invaded Lithuania. Her care-free life rapidly changed from a life of privilege to a living hell. Simply because she was Jewish.The horrors inflicted upon the Jews of Kovno, taken place in the old forts built during Czarist Russia, are not as well known as what happened in the German Nazi camps during World War II.Henny recounts her beautiful life in Kovno before the invasion by the Nazis when she and 35,000 other Jews were put in the ghetto. We hear about the acts of cruelty done to her family and friends. How can one describe seeing friends and relatives ripped from their lives and being cruelly and viciously murdered?Travel with her to the filth and stench of the Kovno ghetto and the Stutthof concentration camp, and walk with her on her death march. Hear about the shoes that miraculously saved her.Henny’s story is one of courage, hope and the will to live. It is the heart-breaking story of surviving the most horrible experiences imaginable. Hopefully, her story will inspire those in dire conditions and remind us of what we as humans are capable of doing. less

Lilo and Ernst survived the horrors of WW2 in the center of Berlin, but not without help. An incredible tale of survival and kindness.Lilo was just a teenager when the Nazis took away her mother and father in September 1942. She never saw them again. A year later, she received another painful blow when her brother Hans was taken too. She was now alone at 19 years old in a dangerous and brutal world.Until she heard one familiar voice that called her name, and saved her life... moreLilo and Ernst survived the horrors of WW2 in the center of Berlin, but not without help. An incredible tale of survival and kindness.Lilo was just a teenager when the Nazis took away her mother and father in September 1942. She never saw them again. A year later, she received another painful blow when her brother Hans was taken too. She was now alone at 19 years old in a dangerous and brutal world.Until she heard one familiar voice that called her name, and saved her life.Meanwhile, her boyfriend Ernst was hiding in a small room with his parents, doing all he could to ensure their survival, even when violent explosions and the possibility of exposure threatened to take their lives. They remained hidden for 27 months, but sadly it was only Ernst and his mother who emerged from the shelter after the war.Ernst and Lilo eventually marry, re-locate to America, create a new life, and have a daughter who is the author of this book.This deeply saddening yet touching memoir is not only about the horrific Nazi regime and how it affected both Lilo and Ernst but it is also a memoir to recognize and thank the heroic people who put themselves in danger to save their lives. Without them, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to read their important story. less

The Incredible True WWII Story of Soulmates Stranded an Ocean Apart Before World War II, Abe and Sonia Huberman were two soulmates happily married and in love, living a peaceful life with their family in Warsaw, Poland. But while Abe was away, on a short business trip to America, World War II broke out and the Nazis invaded. Abe was stranded far from home, while Sonia was left alone with their two young children to face the Nazis... moreThe Incredible True WWII Story of Soulmates Stranded an Ocean Apart Before World War II, Abe and Sonia Huberman were two soulmates happily married and in love, living a peaceful life with their family in Warsaw, Poland. But while Abe was away, on a short business trip to America, World War II broke out and the Nazis invaded. Abe was stranded far from home, while Sonia was left alone with their two young children to face the Nazis. This is the story of her bravery, of Sonia’s survival of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and Nazi death camps, including the notorious Auschwitz.What was supposed to be a separation of seven weeks turned into one of seven years.This is the story of their love, of soulmates reunited against all odds. Learn about history through the lens of this inspirational account that serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. less

Yankel's simple life is upended when the Nazis invade Romania in this biographical novel. As the fascist dictator Ion Antonescu imposes increasingly ruthless antisemitic edicts, the horrors of the Holocaust are visited on Romania's Jewish community. Stripped of their rights, Yankel's family is forced from their home in Czernowitz and sent on a long and dangerous journey across the Dniester River to Transnistria - the Ukrainian killing fields... moreYankel's simple life is upended when the Nazis invade Romania in this biographical novel. As the fascist dictator Ion Antonescu imposes increasingly ruthless antisemitic edicts, the horrors of the Holocaust are visited on Romania's Jewish community. Stripped of their rights, Yankel's family is forced from their home in Czernowitz and sent on a long and dangerous journey across the Dniester River to Transnistria - the Ukrainian killing fields. Through the ghettos and labor camps of Ukraine, the front lines of the Red Army, and the displaced persons camps of Italy, death stalks Yankel at every turn as he struggles to survive.This biographical novel, written by Yankel's grandson, is the harrowing story of a young man's remarkable courage, strength, and determination to survive. This incredible story of perseverance in the face of monstrous evil will stay with you long after you put it down. less

The Holocaust and its aftermath were not often discussed in families of second-generation survivors. In Tel Aviv of the 1960s, Emanuel Rosen grew up hearing the staccato of his mother’s typewriter, but had no idea about the battle she was fighting. This changed years later, when he found a box with letters that his grandparents had sent from a tragic 1956-trip to Germany and he decided to retrace their journey... moreThe Holocaust and its aftermath were not often discussed in families of second-generation survivors. In Tel Aviv of the 1960s, Emanuel Rosen grew up hearing the staccato of his mother’s typewriter, but had no idea about the battle she was fighting. This changed years later, when he found a box with letters that his grandparents had sent from a tragic 1956-trip to Germany and he decided to retrace their journey.This book braids the stories of three generations—grandparents, daughter, and grandson. The grandparents, the lawyer Dr. Hugo Mendel and his wife Lucie, who were respected German citizens until the Nazis took away their livelihood and their dignity. Their daughter, Mirjam, who had fought for years to prove that those who forced her father out of his profession were responsible for his death. And their grandson, Emanuel, who discovered a shocking truth.This true story demonstrates the devastating consequences of Nazi persecution, even for survivors who fled Europe before WWII and did not experience the horrors of the Holocaust. It is also a stark reminder of the heavy psychological toll of uprooting, still experienced by refugees and exiles today.Written in a personal style brimming with love and wit, 'If Anyone Calls, Tell Them I Died' is a story of loss, strength, and triumph. less

Weaving the Threads of Time and Memory: A MemoirA story ultimately without a time and ultimately without a place. It’s a memoir of families across generations of peace and of war, of homes that become lost and hopes that are kept, and a belief in a future that’s better than the present.The book is a compelling and exhilarating experience exploring the threads of times now long gone and the memories that arose from them to generate the stories that lived on... moreWeaving the Threads of Time and Memory: A MemoirA story ultimately without a time and ultimately without a place. It’s a memoir of families across generations of peace and of war, of homes that become lost and hopes that are kept, and a belief in a future that’s better than the present.The book is a compelling and exhilarating experience exploring the threads of times now long gone and the memories that arose from them to generate the stories that lived on. In each family, a fundamental life event spawns ripples that sweep across time and generations that would fade forever without exploration and would otherwise shed all meaning. The key event in many lives is making the decision to leave home forever and to strike out not knowing if it leads to disaster or to a future and a better place. So many today around the world face the same uncertain decision – to stay or to go. less