“Our destruction was near… We envied the dead. The enormous suffering of those in hiding defies the imagination…” The two authors tell their stories of their two small but vibrant Jewish communities and bitter end, when the Nazis occupied the area and began to implement the Final Solution. The book reflects the authors’ direct involvement in the lives of the community and enables the readers to view the events that took place through the eyes of two generations, an uncle and nephew, who were among the few who survived the destruction of their native towns. “Still, nearly 60 years after his courage, audacity and sheer will to survive repeatedly saved his life, Gertner remains haunted by one question. ‘Of all the millions who died, why did I of all people survive?’ he asks.” [Etgar Lefkovitz, The Jerusalem Post]
