Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and wishing you sweet holiday time with family and friends!
It’s a magical time of the year. We conjure up nostalgic memories, all while preparing to make new ones in the year to come. My family is spread across four states, so we have to carefully coordinate our holiday locations. This year, we’re getting together in Connecticut and I’m over the moon excited to be together again this year!
With the New Year just around the corner, I find myself reflecting on 2022 and asking…did I accomplish what I set out to do? I believe I did. We moved last year and made our new place home, and most important, we’re seeing more of our family after our pandemic hiatus. My mission to share my father’s story continues, and I’m thrilled to be live at the current events.
On that note, I’m proud to announce that Ruth Wade, another second-generation author, and I will be at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg on January 26th at 7:00 p.m. for a book talk, The Holocaust: From Trauma to Healing. Next month marks three years since Witness For My Father was published on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Ruth and I will commemorate that day at our book event. We would love to have you join us.
Please click on the event announcement image to reserve your spot, or for more information visit https://tombolobooks.com/events and scroll down to our January event.
I’m also asking myself; how do I feel about the state of humanity as we head into 2023? I’m worried and disturbed about the wave of rising antisemitism. It’s like a dark storm cloud sweeping across our states, fanned by winds of hate. I recall addressing this same issue in my book…
“It wasn’t until I became an adult that I grasped the reality of my father’s history. Even then, it took years to face the unsettling details of his losses. Slowly, I came to understand the nature of extremism, how human beings could be driven by fear and hatred to abandon not just goodness, but their very humanity. How else could the Nazis and others like them assume license to terrorize and kill other humans?” (Chapter Twenty-Three, page 143)
I’m not an expert, but growing up in the shadow of my father’s losses, I know first-hand the outcome of hatred and extremism. It’s like a living part of me…the reason I had to write Witness For My Father. It is not just antisemitism, it’s the racist attitude against so many minorities. Looking at the New Year, the big question is: how do we address this? I’m a supporter of speaking out, providing facts, and finding creative ways to best communicate the horrific consequences. I hope to be part of this process.
I’m grateful for all of you, the support you’ve shown, and the words of encouragement you’ve given me since Witness For My Father was published. You’ve read and shared my book, contributed amazing reviews, and reposted my newsletters. Your support helped me to win first place gold medal for biography at the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards’ Miami ceremony in November. I felt a great sense of pride as they honored my father’s story of resilience and hope. My husband Steve surprised me with a video of my award presentation. The clip is posted on my author Facebook page – Click Here to watch it! The Miami International Book Fair also featured our award winning books, and I was fortunate to meet many talented authors. What an incredible honor!!
As we usher in the end of this year, I’m reminded to never take family and dear friends for granted. As so many know, things can change in a minute and dealing with loss of loved ones alters your life, breaks your heart, and redirects the course of your own. We all know that creating memories with family and friends is a precious gift.
Be strong, be kind, and never give up on hope.
I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Barbara