We arrived in Bad Arolsen after dark. Only one other person got off the train with us at the small station and we followed him to the one taxi parked at the curb across the street. The taxi driver was happy to take both fares. As we drove through town, I noticed that everything was … Continue reading Needles in the Haystack
I would like to apologize to my readers for the break from the blog this past month. I needed to do some revisions on my manuscript of Scraps of Hope. Last week, for the first time, I sent it off to be reviewed by a potential publisher. Hopefully, it will be accepted – but I’ll … Continue reading On to Osnabrück
One of the mysteries of my family’s Holocaust survival is their passport from Paraguay. According to my mother, that passport saved her father from a transport to Auschwitz. We have a copy of the document along with a letter of notarization stating that it is real. The mystery here isn’t that the passport exists, but … Continue reading Feeling the Bern*
I had a visceral reaction to Terezín. I’ve started this post several times over the last two weeks, and I can’t wrap my head around putting my reaction into words. I found the town of Terezín (it is a town now) to be completely and utterly depressing. You might say to yourself – of course … Continue reading Terezín
Our guide, Jiri, picked us up at our hotel. After a few minutes of introductions and small talk we climbed into his minivan and headed to Terezín. The drive there from Prague was about 45 minutes, and I used the time to explain to Jiri that my mother and her family were prisoners in Theresienstadt … Continue reading On the Way to Terezín
Erik Schumacher’s new book, “Mau and Gerty: A Jewish Love Story Between Migrations and World Wars” is out. I heard about it from my friend Myriam. I wanted to read it immediately. It tells the story of a couple, Mau Hanemann and Gerty Kelemen. Erik was inspired to write the book after one of the … Continue reading Mau and Gerty
I recently lost two of my sources. Henny’s husband sent me an email notifying me of her passing in November, and then Edith’s son sent an email of her death in January. I did not know either of these women personally, but they both have been instrumental in my research. Through the wonder of the … Continue reading Lost But Not Forgotten
Right now, in a small forgotten corner of The Netherlands, people are gathering and reading the names of the 102,000 people who were deported from Holland and murdered at the hands of the Nazis. Please spend a few minutes on the live stream and listen. You don't have to understand Dutch to appreciate the enormity … Continue reading Reading of the 102,000 Names
Yesterday I came across this article, which I urge you to read for yourself. The surviving Jews of Amsterdam were apparently charged property taxes and utilities during the time that they were either in hiding or deported by the Nazis. They were fighting for their lives. Only 5% of the country's Jews came home, and … Continue reading Surviving Jews were Asked to Pay Back Taxes after the Holocaust
Like many writers, I have hit a spot where I am stuck. This isn't writer's block. It isn't due to a lack of imagination or time or effort. I am stuck because I can't quite fit together the pieces of history that I have unearthed. I have my mother's memories and the stories she has … Continue reading Stuck
