2 comments about The Life of Jews in Poland before the Holocaust: A Memoir.

1. This book is a compeling read. It describes in minute detail the religious, social and economic structure of the time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a glimpse of life in Poland before WWII.



2. As the Holocaust recedes further into the past, it becomes increasingly difficult to treat it as more than an abstraction. It becomes defined by numbers: Six million or more dead, numbingly large. Yet, how can one who did not live in that era imagine what it truly meant, and even more so for a goy such as myself?
   
   Ben-Zion Gold's memoir is truly a treasure, because of its portrait of Jewish life before the Holocaust. He describes his boyhood living in an Orthodox household in Radom, Poland in the 1930's. He paints rich pictures of family members and gatherings and a host of unique individuals. He depicts his religious schooling, cut short by the war.
   
   The last few chapters briefly describe how Gold survived the war, and the impact of his ordeal on his faith. His candor and insights are deeply appreciated.
   
   Gold originally wrote his story with his daughters in mind -- to tell them about the family in Poland, all of whom were murdered well before his daughters' birth. Fortunately for us, he has expanded the tale in such a way as to make it accessible, even to those of us with no familiarity with Jewish life or customs. I was particularly grateful for how terms are defined on first use.
   
   The Holocaust becomes so much more meaningful now. With Gold's story, we see the faces of those who perished, their personalities, community and culture. We understand a little better what was lost.
   
   I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about The Diary of Anne Frank: The Revised Critical Edition.

1. This is not an "easy read" if that's what you're looking for. Plan to spend some time trying to get into this book. Way too technical for what I was looking for.



2. I regard this book as an important addition to my collection of books written by and about Anne Frank. It is for study, rather than for casual reading. The front section of the book contains lots of information about the diary and how it was determined to be authentic. The back section compares three different versions/translations of the diary, page by page. The book contains all of the writings of Anne Frank in one volume.



3. I loved the original Anne Frank I read well in High School. I thought this one would be really good now that I'm older. It was extremely hard to follow so I have had to put it down. I will try again later. It does have some very good parts in it and some pictures you haven't seen.



4. After reading many versions of the Diary of Anne Frank, it was great to finally see the original version Anne herself wrote, with no edits. The first part of this book details the verification process when the authenticity of Anne's diary was challenged. The second part takes Anne's original diary, her own edited version that she began just before discovery, and the published version that Otto edited and compares them in small sections together. Its very well documented and if this is an area of interest to you, I highly recommend it.



5. Forgery allegations made against Anne Frank's diary are thoroughly demolished in the Revised Critical Edition. Certain people either haven't read this book or are (more likely) knowingly spreading debunked allegations to further their political agendas.
   
   Regarding Anne Frank herself, she is an excellent writer and all the idolatry that surrounds her today can often make us forget that. This book is pretty much the definitive presentation of her writings, including not only her diary, but her short stories as well. This is the one to get.

1 comments about Flory: A Miraculous Story of Survival.

1. Flory A. Van Beek has written this memoir of the time she spent hidden from the Nazis. It is inspiring to read of her survival during World War II. I also am amazed by all the help various people gave her even though they were risking their own lives by helping her. After reading the book I saw on the internet that there may or may not be a television mini-series based on the book. I do so hope someone will make sure this story is told as widely as possible. A TV mini-series would be one way to do it. There are others. I just would like to see it done and the sooner the better while the author is still alive. Brenda Foust.

3 comments about The Diary of Petr Ginz.

1. A very thought provoking account of the holocaust. At such a young age Petr inspires through his art, poetry, boyish nature and keenness to learn. Such a clever boy could have grown to be an amazing man and no doubt, if given the opportunity, would have contributed a lot to the world. Unfortunately he was murdered at Auschwitz at age 16 so we are left to a two year snippet of life as he saw it.
   
   His account of Prague during the occupation is very matter of fact, which is very poignant in itself, as it seems almost a natural state of being to Petr. His diary provides a unique insight into the systematic erosion of his rights and the rights of the Jewish community, and the seemingly endless transportation of his friends and family.
   
   Sad and cruel. But I'm glad the diary was uncovered and I was able to experience it is such a small way.



2. This book must be read by both young and old. It will touch your heart and soul. I was moved to tears many times while reading.



3. In reading numerous Holocaust accounts, one is struck especially by the tragic loss of young lives, who had yet to experience the richness of life...Petr Ginz is one such soul. The Diary of Petr Ginz is a chronicle of a 14 year-old boy's day-to-day life under Nazi occupation in Prague. The entries themselves are brief, but are accompanied by Petr's poetry and illustrations, a testament to this young boy's talent, and resilient spirit. His diary chronicles his life between 1941-1942, and ends in Aug 1942, prior to his being deported to Thereisienstadt where he was incarcerated for two years before being sent to a tragic end at the Auschwitz death camp. One can't help but feel a sense of impotent rage at the Nazi monsters that robbed so many innocent souls of a life meant to be lived, especially at the senseless killing of ones so young, and in Petr's case, and many others, possessing such talent that would have enriched the world. This is a remarkable diary, in the vein of the diary of Anne Frank, and other Holocaust diaries that prove the resilience of the human spirit during a dark period in history.

5 comments about Abraham Isaac Kook: The Lights of Penitence, The Moral Principles, Lights of Holiness, Essays, Letters, and Poems (Classics of Western Spirituality).

1. Abraham Isaac Kook has had the Theophany. It is evident in his writing. It informs it. He has been reduced to nothing and raised up. His error and sin have been made whole, they have become the garments by which he understood his nakedness.
   
   He has seen the same world made new. Here, even the shadows are golden.
   
   The Union has been made in him. He has spanned the abyss. He has stood in the presence of Angels. He has proved the Divine. He has witnessed. And he serves the whole with his testimony.
   
   His writing is accessible to everyone, all will benefit from it. Yet only a sweet few will cry tears of joy and affirmation. For our memories, this friendship will last forever.
   
   To anyone interested in the miracle of being, I recommend this text. Don't waste time drinking from other men's buckets. Kook offers up the source. Drink freely, borrow his eyes.



2. This is one of the most profound books I've ever read. I cannot demonstrate the truth of what follows, but if ever words on a page can heal the human psyche, then this book might be a catalyst for it. As a non-Jew, I was deeply moved by the wisdom that fills every page of this book.



3. This is an excellent anthology, and contains samples of a number of different kinds of writing Rabbi Kook Z"Ts"l did. There is the text of his perhaps most well- known work, "Orot" and there are letters, essays, and poems. Rabbi Kook was a remarkable poetic thinker, like Pascal, Kafka, Kierkegaard, . He was too deeply devout and tremendously learned-a master of commentary in all forms of Jewish sacred Literature. His writing is often difficult to understand as it is so richly poetic.
   But behind it all is a philosophical system based on his reading of the Torah, a system which sees the Cosmos as a whole moving toward Redemption. And which in this sees the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel as central to this cosmic process. Rabbi Kook is one of the great religious Zionist thinkers, and his ability to see the good and positive in the works of others, non- religious Jews and non- Jews also make him a philosopher who can speak to us today.
   This work should certainly be read by every Jew who wishes to understand the Jewish role in history. It should also be read by every human being who wishes to come in touch with the work of an inspiring thinker with a message of love and redemption for all of mankind.



4. Rav Kook is the greatest Jewish thinker in the last 200 years because he most fully understands the spiritual crisis of the modern Jew. Although there were a number of dynamic Jewish religious leaders who took up the mantle of leadership in order to rebuild the shattered remnants of the Jewish world in the wake of the Holocaust such as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik and the Satmar Rov, their message was basically directed at a relatively small group of Jews. Rav Kook has a message for the entire Jewish people. His great contributions were: (1) to emphasize the dynamic nature of both the spiritual and physical worlds, and, one the one hand, tell the traditional religious Jew that the Torah is flexible and can stand up to the challenges of modernity and change, while on the other hand demonstrating the perpetual relevance of the Torah to the Jew who has a less than full commitment to it; and (2) to demonstrate the absolute necessity of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel and build a modern society rooted in the Torah. This fine book gives a sampling of these ideas and is a good introduction to the mind of this remarkable thinker.



5. Rav Kook was the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine and helped lead the continuing dialogue of Jewish Mysticism into the 20th century. This collection of his writings is both profound and beautiful. Some of the pieces such as 'The Lights of Penitance' might appeal only to scholars, but Kook's poetry can be appreciated by all. His idea of a unified Judaism where the secular and the holy both make up parts of the whole are very moving. Other themes include vegetarianism and a universal love for all people.

5 comments about Trapped in Hitler's Hell.

1. 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. 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.



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. 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.



5. 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.

5 comments about Sala's Gift: My Mother's Holocaust Story.

1. The story of Polish Jews who were lucky enough not to be sent directly to the death camps, yet unlucky enough not to make it onto Schindler's list or find some other long-term refuge. Writing mostly about her mother's family as they lived for six years on the precipice, Kirschner produces something amazing: an important piece of scholarship that never feels like a historical tome. Rather, it stands on its own as a deeply moving, character-based story that will leave you wanting to revisit passages about remarkably brave and beautiful people -- some survivors, some not -- who were nearly forgotten by history. Despite Kirschner's proximity to the story, she never forces herself into the narrative; rather, she weaves personal elements into the story only when they can add a new and critical dimension. The result is a book that deserves to be dog-eared and passed around repeatedly.



2. Ann Kirschner meticulously weaves the story of her mother's survival with the overwhelming accounts of the Holocaust...a fine balance between biography and history lesson.



3. This is a very moving tribute written by a daughter about her mother. It is also well-researched and well-written, shedding new light on the movement of mail through work camps and even concentration camps. Sala's story of survival and redemption is remarkable, and the reader can well imagine the emotional roller-coaster the author must have experienced uncovering her mother's story.



4. I was so moved by this book I will include share my heartfelt comments to the author.
   Just want to THANK YOU for such an amazing book! Your decision to share your mothers personal life with readers who benefit so from your investment of labor and emotion is generous and to be admired! When you were complete it must have looked like E=Mc squared did to Einstein! Simple on the surface with the complexity of the universes author within. My highest regards to you and Sala Kirschner.
   Glenn from Tampa Fl and sometimes Lake Tahoe Nv



5. I picked this book, figuring it would be an interesting read. It is, hands down, one of the best books I have read regarding the Holocaust. What a wonderful book! Where other books have let me down, this book did not. It is a must read.

5 comments about Crucible of Terror: A Story of Survival Through the Nazi Storm.

1. One of the better books I have read on the subject. Clear and concise. That it was written from a Jewish perspective -- somebody who could not leave any concentration camp -- made it even more insightful. We should all be aware of the history that Jehovah's Witnesses were quite successful in peacefully standing against Hitler and his regime.



2. Once I started reading, I just couldn't put this book down. An incredible account of one man's struggle for survival during the Nazi regime. This is one story that no one else has ever written or heard of before. He is one-a-kind.



3. This account is powerful, inspiring and deeply disturbing all at the same time. It's positive proof that no amount of oppression can destroy a person's firm desire to remain true to his convictions and faith.



4. While this gentleman's stand is certainly commendable and his story moving, there IS one aspect of the whole "Jehovah's Witnesses" in the concentration camps issue which is never touched upon by these books, but is very important.
   
   Those in the camps referred to as "Jehovah's Witnesses" were in fact Bible Students (Bibelforschers); many whom were NOT affiliated with the WT, then or after. They were all labeled with the same "purple" triangle and lumped together. These faithful Bible Students who suffered and died in these camps too, NEVER associated with the Watchtower organization and were NEVER "Jehovah's Witnesses", a name not yet adopted at the time in Germany. Out of respect for these individuals this distinction SHOULD be made.
   
   Sincerely,
   
   (Bible Student - NOT JW)



5. There's not much I can add to the other reviewer's comments other than to say it's gratifying to know Max and his wife Simone (her autobiography is twice the length of her husband's and also worth reading) are still faithful and loyal Jehovah's Witnesses to this day.
   
   Some witnesses survived the Nazi concentration camps only to succomb to materialism or immorality during the post-war times.
   
   Max wasn't the only Jew to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I surmise that a Jew is more likely to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses than they are to become a Mormon. That would make an interesting study.

2 comments about An Island Called Home: Returning to Jewish Cuba.

1. a great book with wonderful photography. it's written by an academic, but is widely accessible. would make a wonderful addition to any library.



2. This is a touching and lyrical account that mixes memoir with ethnography in ways that enrich both. A pleasure to read. Those who want to see how an anthropologist can also reveal something of herself as she reveals others would do well to read this book

5 comments about Miriam's Kitchen: A Memoir.

1. I read this many years ago. I love the stories that the author tells about her life and her family as related to food and Jewish tradition. I could relate. The recipies provided in the book are delicious. I am keeping the book as a reference.



2. Elizabeth Ehrlich is a Jewish American woman who rejected, for many years, her connection to the practices of her Jewish faith. It is only through her discovery of her mother-in-law Miriam's kitchen and the foods prepared there that she learns to value the traditions that shaped her own family, traditions brought from the Old World and translated into the New. Through entries in her journal, through letters, memories, stories, and above all, through Miriam's recipes, Ehrlich recreates for us the story of her spiritual awakening and her self-guided journey into the lives of her foremothers, who nourished their faith and kept it alive and growing in difficult times, difficult places, through pain, separation, and even despair.
   
   This often funny, often heart-rending, always beautifully-evocative book is a powerful testimony to the importance of women's domestic contributions to the survival of their families, their communities, and their faith.
   
   Susan Wittig Albert
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   www.storycirclebookreviews.org



3. Miriam's kitchen is a thoughtful, interesting, warm and homey memoir. If you are interested in material culture -- particularly food -- of various groups, you'll find it interesting. It's also a story about balancing identities -- Jewish, American, feminist, traditionalist, etc.



4. Well done, most interesting, all the various recipes, combined with memories from a time long ago. Have enjoyed it immensely.



5. This is one of my all time favorite books.
   
   I first came across this book when I was living in Holland, and one day, while browsing the second hand book market in Amsterdam, I came across an editor's copy, how it ended up there I don't know, but I bought the book. I never realized how homesick I was until I read this book. . . it brought back such beautiful memories. The stories reminded me so much of my grandmother, now gone 25 years.
   
   Each chapter is organized by month, reflecting the Jewish holidays that take place in each month, the endless preparation, the planning, and most importantly, the cooking associated with each holiday.
   
   I was also brought up as an Orthodox Jew, and I so dearly remember my grandmother and mother cleaning and cooking for weeks, getting ready, especially for Passover. Walking to shul and then coming home to a delicious meal - I can close my eyes today and almost bring back those tastes.
   
   This book is a loving tribute to Ms. Ehrlich's mother-in-law, but it is a story of life as well, how to survive when survival is unthinkable, how food connects us so strongly with our past, and how making those special holiday meals helps to forge a strong spiritual future for our children.
   
   I did not realize how important it would have been for me to ask for my grandmother's recipes before she died and this is something I will always regret. I was able to find a lot of my grandmother's cooking in the recipes included in this book as well, and I make those recipes often, especially the egg salad, which is exactly how my grandmother made it. When I make it now in my kitchen, exactly as Ms. Ehrlich describes, I can almost feel my grandmother's presence - it makes me want to weep because it is such a small way of feeling close to her again.
   
   If you don't know a lot about the Jewish religion, this book is an easy and interesting way to become acquainted with our customs surrounding holidays, family, life and death. If you have been brought up in the faith, then this book will touch your heart, because it will remind you of your childhood, your grandparents, and perhaps your life now.
   
   Even though it is not a cookbook, all of the recipes are authentic, easy to make, and delicious. I have made all of them, many times over.
   
   I loved this book so much that when I returned to America I brought it with me. Because I was afraid that my editor's paper fronted copy would wear out, since I had used it so much, I bought two additional copies. The first copy I keep with my cookbooks and refer to it often - the second I gave to my mother, who treasures this book as much as I do.
   
   This is a wonderful, affirming story of life. It is a must read.