Asked to Speak

I've been asked to speak at the Chatham Synagogue, the time to be determined when the program committee meets next week. I am not looking forward to the presentation. Talking about the Holocaust, about my parents' experiences in the Holocaust, is painful. I have avoided Holocaust movies and books. I have several of Elie Weisel's books on my shelves, but only the first few pages of each have been read.



My father dealt with the Holocaust by keeping it locked away for a very long time. In many ways, I have done the same; avoiding movies, reading the bare minimum needed to get by this part of world history in school, avoiding certain services at the synagogue. But his story should be told - a Jew smuggling in weapons to the ghetto, a Jew saving Jews, leading them into the Rudnick Jungle to become Partisans and fight the nazis.



So I will talk, and tell of his tale. It is the least I can do.

Gratifying Feedback

My father is very close to the vest about the book. He has been throughout the entire writing process. While he never showed more than nominal interest, whenever I sent him a section to review for accuracy, he returned it to me via priority mail in the shortest time possible; which means he opened the package upon receipt, read the piece and mailed it the following day.

My brother Barry, who lives nearest my father, called me yesterday. He loved the book. "It's just like I was sitting down talking to Pop." Then he told me that while he was visiting on Sunday, someone called for my father. It was a Vilner, another survivor, who had just finished the book. He told my father how important it was to him. Then his wife got on the phone to tell my father in her own words. Barry could hear the excitement in their voices even though he was hearing only the littlest tidbits of the conversation.

When Vilner read the story and give it a "thumbs up", I'm satisfied. Actually, that's not quite right. When my father received many copies of the book he called and said, "Thank you mine kin-d" (Yiddish for my child), that was all the praise I needed and will need.

Of course I would be happy to hear from readers, but my most important critic is pleased, and that makes all the work worthwhile.

The Book is in Print

Ever since my father started talking about the Holocaust, ever since his return from a Holocaust survivors' reunion in Israel in the 1980s, I thought how important it would be to add his voice to the many who have spoken about their Holocaust experiences. When I learned more and more of his story - when I learned how he smuggled in weapons; how he smuggled out Jews to join the partisans; I knew that his story was even more valuable to share. Here is a first hand account of Jews helping Jews. This notion that some have of how Jews just waited passively for their doom is misguided. My father was not alone.
Now that his story is in print I hope it is read far and wide. Let his voice be added to the chorus of witnesses around the world who speak out against genocide.