When the Nazis came, the Shwartz family would not be taken captive.
Read the incredible true story of one family’s escape during the Holocaust.
This book was inspired by my grandmother, Rachel Shwartz.
I didn’t start to get to know my grandmother until after she died. When she was alive, I visited her multiple times, but we could never have a conversation. While she spoke Yiddish, Polish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Hebrew, I only knew one language: English.
I knew she was a Holocaust survivor. But like many children growing up in America, I didn’t really understand what that meant. Of course, I learned about the Holocaust in school and by going to museums, but I couldn’t really understand the magnitude of what it was.
Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in 2012–still years before I was ready or able to ask the questions about her experience. Thankfully, she–and several other surviving members of her family–had their stories recorded. Their testimonies are what led to this book.
The Shwartz Family
In 1937, the Shwartz family lived a quiet life in Poland. Rachel lived with her brother David, his wife Hinda, and their three children, Sarah, Abi, and Yossi.
When the war reached their village, the Shwartz family resisted. David decided that no matter what, his family would not be taken captive. Instead, he snuck his family through a large forest, and into Hungary, a place that was supposed to be safe. But that didn’t last long. Again the Shwartz family found themselves on the run, escaping prison, Nazis, and bombings.
My grandmother’s dream was to come to Israel.
