Description
After the end of World War II, Holocaust survivors Bela and Judit Rubinstein, their families having been murdered by the Nazis, returned to Hungary. This chronicle follows them first there, and then to a refugee camp in northern Italy, the only haven for homeless Jews in postwar Europe. The account also describes the unexpected opportunity for the Rubinsteins to immigrate to Canada, and narrates their life there—the home that they establish, the circle of relatives they raise, and their social and professional integration into the Toronto community. Along the way, Bela and Judit reclaim their ravished ancestral faith, an act that imbues their lives with meaning and purpose. Written with sensitivity and eloquence by their son, this biography breaks with the tradition of tragic Holocaust literature to present a story of the astounding process of healing and recovery undergone by such a lot of survivors, who had to conquer unspeakable personal trauma to build successful new lives. The universal message of hope that emanates from this book will inspire a broad range of readers.
The story follows Bela and Judit Rubinstein as they return from the camps on the end of the War, their families having been murdered by the Nazis. Seeing no future in the land of their birth, they flee Hungary and finally end up trapped in a refugee camp in northern Italy, because homeless Jews are welcome nowhere on this planet. In the end, an unforeseen opportunity arises to immigrate to Canada. The Rubinsteins establish a new home, raise a circle of relatives, and integrate into the Toronto community. Achieving unimagined material success, they remain warm, decent, unassuming people. Along the way, they reclaim their ravaged ancestral faith, and this imbues their lives with meaning and purpose.
The book’s universal message of hope is sure to inspire a broad range of readers.