Four Letters to the Witnesses of My Childhood

Religion, Theology and the Holocaust

by Helena Ganor

The evocation of memory is wrought with emotional and historical significance in this distinctive holocaust memoir. With lyrical prose and remarkable candor, Helena Ganor narrates her story through a series of recently penned letters to the significant people in her life during her wartime her sister, mother, father, and stepmother. Both Ganor’s mother and sister perished during the war. The author’s letters reveal much about living in pre-war Lvov, Poland. Her descriptions of relationships between local Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, and Gypsies in Lvov lend a broad historical context to the Holocaust. Ganor combines deeply personal reminiscences of trying to survive as a secular Jew under Nazi occupation with reflections on the varied ways that humans respond in the face of utter catastrophe. Punctuating her letters with poems, Ganor’s story is an inspiring contribution to Holocaust literature.

142 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2007

Reviews

[Kathy]

In a few days, two of the books I have recently read will probably blend into one in my memory since both of the authors were little Jewish girls in the same city in Poland during WWII. While Nelly Toll spent her time hiding in a small bedroom, Helena Ganor was surviving on the streets until she was welcomed at an orphanage run by nuns after a previous failed attempt at another orphanage. Both authors lost a sibling and a parent in the war, are now in their 70s, had careers in medical or counseling fields, and live in America.

My favorite quote from this book is in the introduction. Ganor says that now, at the age of 71, is the time to put her memoir on paper. She does not plan to type or write it on a computer where mistakes can be easily erased or corrected. She will leave a large margin for corrections. "In my primitive and sentimental way I am convinced that there is a magic that happens between the brain, the hand, the pen, and the paper, between the writer and the reader, that cannot be trusted to modern technology."

[Sharlin]

I am fascinated by World War 2. I have read several fiction books based on that time period and decided to find some non fiction books. I’m glad i did. It's amazing the horrors that people can endure and still go on to live 'normal' lives. Very engaging.

[Shannon]

This was my non fiction book for Let it Snow Bingo. It was very good. I cried a lot but read it in one day. Josh was pretty impressed. It is definately a must read.