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Today in America, Holocaust denial is a trend, fascism is on the rise, books are being banned, voting rights are being suppressed, women’s rights are under attack, racism and antisemitism are on the rise and freedom of the press is under attack. American institutions are being attacked and delegitimized. White supremacy is on the rise and evangelicals are pushing hard to make America a “Christian Nation.” Will American democracy survive? Does the America of today look like the Germany of the 1930s?
Most Holocaust survivors are no longer alive to tell their stories. Their stories would remind us of the parallels with Germany in the 1930s and the grave danger America faces today.
Miracles Through Hell is a deeply moving account of bravery, luck, and redemption, in which Elman uncovers the details of his parents’ lives before the Nazi’s took control of Poland, leads us through the miracles and hell his parents experienced as the war raged on, and finally, reveals the trauma of second-generation survivors. Through the telling of his family history, Elman’s own story is told.
Jerry pursued the research and writing of this book for two reasons. First was a lifelong curiosity of his parents’ stories and experiences they had kept to themselves. Second was his personal fear of where America is heading today. Were his fears the same as his parents’ fears in the 1930s?
The release of the book is planned for April 2022 on Amazon.
Book Review
To be honest, I have never had such an emotional reaction to reading about the Holocaust and the experience of the Jews in Europe during this time. I had to go slowly because I found myself reacting very strongly to some of the details you have included. For example, I thought about the vulnerability of Jewish women specifically and was placed back in time, feeling nauseous at the thought of my brother escaping while I stayed behind. I thought about all the untold stories of pain, bravery, and guilt. I had to stop working, close my computer, and talk to my husband about the emotions I was feeling.
I am confident your book will have a huge impact on those who read it.
Yasmin Gruss
Professor/lecturer, Brooklyn College, CUNY
Professional Book Editor
About Jerry Elman
Jerry Elman was born in 1954 in Syracuse, NY. He has lived in the Rochester, NY area for almost fifty years. Both his parents were Holocaust survivors. He is a first-generation American. Children of Holocaust survivors have been referred to as second-generation survivors. The emotional impact on the parents carried over to their children. The Holocaust was never discussed. Jerry, like other second-generation survivors, lived most of his life not knowing his parents’ stories or his European roots and family. He did not understand his own emotional issues as he grew up.
His father passed away in 1989, his mother in 2004. Jerry retired in 2021. The desire to know his parent’s story kept nagging at him.
In 2021, at age sixty-seven, he began searching files and documents his parents left behind. He started his research effort. Every piece of information led to other information. He connected with resources at the US Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem in Israel, YIVO, JewishGen, the University of Southern California (USC) Shoah Project and others.
Jerry successfully found all the information that became the basis for this book. This is his first book as an author. It is a work of love and closure to questions never answered most of his life. Writing this book was a cathartic experience for Jerry.
Contact Information:
Jerry Elman, author, and owner of Waterview Books
5993 Pine Haven Lane
Honeoye, NY 14471Telephone: 585-737-2737
Website: www.jerry-elman.com
Email: jerry.elman@jerry-elman.com
