ePub We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust by Ellen Cassedy in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. In her quest she finds no easy answer to any of the questions she hasBy Bernard Terway“We Are Here” a book about a perplexing part of history; WWII; a country; Lithuania; a massacre of almost the entire Jewish population. Ellen Cassedy learns of her family history; their part in this historic time and place and makes it her mission to go to Lithuania; to learn Yiddish; to interview Jews and Lithuanians and come to an understanding of what happened; why it happened; who did what to whom and what is ongoing to find the truth. In her quest she finds no easy answer to any of the questions she has. Her determination to learn Yiddish and to bring some understanding to the horrors of the time takes her on a long; complicated journey.If one is to look at the title and the content of the book; one can go in blaming one side for the atrocities; one can go in and blame the other side. Everything has two sides; but; I think; Ellen Cassedy has shown us that there is a third side in this story. First; there is a lot of blame to go around; a lot of hatred to vent. Rightly so; on both sides and each side has blame for the actions of the side they are on.After reading her interviews; the third side emerges. Yes there is blame; there is a horror story there; but there is a way to remember what happened and look with open eyes and minds and come to an understanding of the time it happened; learn a lesson from what happened; and teach what happened so it will never happen again.Certainly there are those who will not agree with what Ellen wrote; but what she wrote and from the words of the people who are working on understanding; there can be something good to come out of this. The hope is for better understanding; better education and better working together to not let this be forgotten; but to move on to make it never happen again.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A book for everyoneBy CBostonMany of us are Litvaks; and not too many of us know our past. This book is an intriguing; balanced introduction to understanding both Jewish history in Lithuania and the Jewish present there today--and comes in a readable; enjoyable exploration of one woman's search for her roots and her path towards tolerance. I recommend this book not only for Jewish readers; but for all those with Lithuanian roots who want to better understand how others have experienced and continue to experience Lithuanian history. In fact; I recommend this book for NON-Litvaks who are simply interested in understanding that there is no benefit to playing the suffering sweepstakes--whose pain is worse--but rather;we must try to join together in understanding that we must all move towards a world where EVERYONE works against all kinds of hate and resentment. That is the brilliance of this book--we move towards that revelation together under Ellen Cassedy's skillful and compelling guidance.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The ambiguity of human behaviorBy Stuart A SeidelEllen Cassedy provides invaluable insight into the complexities of life in the Jewish ghettos of Lithuania during during World War Two. From the distance of decades following those events; many of us fall pretty to the comforts of moral certainty; judging the behavior of people who lived -- and died -- in those times; without having an appreciation of the circumstances that dictated their actions. Cassedy makes such certainty far less absolute; compelling her reader to re-evaluate long-held beliefs about what Jews did to one another; how some cooperated with the Nazis and how some remained passive.