This is a unique; eye-witness account of everyday life right at the heart of the Nazi extermination machine. Slomo Venezia was born into a poor Jewish-Italian community living in Thessaloniki; Greece. At first; the occupying Italians protected his family; but when the Germans invaded; the Venezias were deported to Auschwitz. His mother and sisters disappeared on arrival; and he learned; at first with disbelief; that they had almost certainly been gassed. Given the chance to earn a little extra bread; he agreed to become a ‘Sonderkommando'; without realising what this entailed. He soon found himself a member of the ‘special unit' responsible for removing the corpses from the gas chambers and burning their bodies. Dispassionately; he details the grim round of daily tasks; evokes the terror inspired by the man in charge of the crematoria; ‘Angel of Death' Otto Moll; and recounts the attempts made by some of the prisoners to escape; including the revolt of October 1944. It is usual to imagine that none of those who went into the gas chambers at Auschwitz ever emerged to tell their tale - but; as a member of a ‘Sonderkommando'; Shlomo Venezia was given this horrific privilege. He knew that; having witnessed the unspeakable; he in turn would probably be eliminated by the SS in case he ever told his tale. He survived: this is his story. Published in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
#571169 in Books Atria Books 2004-07-20 2004-07-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.44 x .60 x 5.50l; .70 #File Name: 0743483723240 pagesGreat product!
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Bringing the Spirit into Conversations about Women's RightsBy Moira BradyRogersI loved this book when I first read it 10 years ago. I appreciated it even more this second time round after meeting the author and picking it up again a few weeks ago.As a psychotherapist specializing in treatment of eating and body related disturbances among women; I'm regularly reminded of the need for women of faith to reclaim the beauty and goodness of our bodies -- something the feminist movement attempted to do in advocating for reproductive rights for women. But; the need for embodiment and honoring our female bodies goes much deeper than freedom to choose how we control our bodies capacity to reproduce or not. Issues of body and soul need to be addressed in unison. The church has historically neglected (and sometimes denigrated and demonized) the spiritual needs related to embodiment. And the feminist movement; while gaining great ground on other fronts; did the same in neglecting the spiritual aspects of the right to control our own bodies. My work with eating disorder patients has taught me that control unmitigated by compassion and other spiritually resourced qualities typically leads to chaos and destruction. Freedom to choose and to control our bodies needs to be grounded in a solid center of knowing who we are; knowing our own values; listening deeply to our own lives; and taking full responsibility for the choices we make -- qualities that reflect the life of the psyche (soul) and spirit. Sadly; I don't see the culture; the feminist movement or the church doing enough to effectively equip teenagers and young adults with the necessary skills for making wise choices with the reproductive rights we fought so hard to earn.As LaKelly Hunt points out; the most recent wave of feminism left out issues of soul and spirit; especially those related to Christian faith. She does a beautiful service telling the stories of five early feminists whose faith fueled their advocacy for the rights of women and other disenfranchised members of our human family. Offering their stories as a guide for empowering her readers to find our own place in the great story of freedom and justice for all; her questions for reflection are a wonderful resource for individual or group work. I'm looking forward to gathering a few soul sisters to explore them together.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Pearls of WisdomBy ErikaThis is an excellent book! Five women in history were beautifully described in separate chapters to illustrate the union between women of faith and their passion to change perceptions; injustice and inequality for human beings and inparticular women. The authors applies the model of a hero's journey with its five stages to each women's story highlighting personal as well as social growth and development. Helen La Kelly Hunt offers us pearls of wisdom throughout the book.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A call to actionBy Rosalie W. ReynoldsA call to action and service growing out of both faith and feminist ideals. Much still needs to be done to address women's justice issues.
