The Holocaust--perhaps the darkest period in human history--conjures up horrific images: death camps, torture, starvation, genocide on a grand scale. For survivors, the end of World War II and liberation all too often meant being alone, bereft of every last family member, frail in body and spirit. The thought of rebuilding life was daunting. Yet there were some rays of light during this nightmarish time: inexplicable events in which human lives were spared, families were brought back together, and the human spirit and faith somehow endured--because of a chance occurrence at just the right moment. These uplifting twists of fate or "extraordinary coincidences," as they are known, have become the hallmark of the best-selling Small Miracles series, which has sold more than two million copies. In "Small Miracles of the Holocaust"--a magnificent work that appears on the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht ("night of the broken glass")--authors Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal have collected over fifty remarkable Holocaust and post-Holocaust coincidences that defy the imagination and challenge credulity. From remarkable reunions and timeless love stories to amazing survival tales and new twists on heroic acts--ranging from Oskar Schindler to Chiune Sugihara--this book will become a staple in Holocaust literature and a cherished keepsake. A beautiful tapestry of stories both magical and revelatory, no matter what one's persuasion or beliefs, Small Miracles of the Holocaust opens our eyes to the gifts and blessings that surround us all the time--even in the worst of times.

Charles Middleberg and his family are Polish Jews, living in France during World War II. After the German invasion in May 1940, Charles's father is taken away. Soon after, his mother is taken as well, and for the next five years, Charles and his brother will have their lives saved - again and again - by a series of small miracles.

Collects miraculous stories of the Jewish faith, past and present, that recount reunions with lost family, escapes from death, and other true accounts of destiny.

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers. The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.

How Jewish responses during the Holocaust shed new light on the dynamics of genocide and political violence Focusing on the choices and actions of Jews during the Holocaust, Ordinary Jews examines the different patterns of behavior of civilians targeted by mass violence. Relying on rich archival material and hundreds of survivors' testimonies, Evgeny Finkel presents a new framework for understanding the survival strategies in which Jews engaged: cooperation and collaboration, coping and compliance, evasion, and resistance. Finkel compares Jews' behavior in three Jewish ghettos—Minsk, Kraków, and Białystok—and shows that Jews' responses to Nazi genocide varied based on their experiences with prewar policies that either promoted or discouraged their integration into non-Jewish society. Finkel demonstrates that while possible survival strategies were the same for everyone, individuals' choices varied across and within communities. In more cohesive and robust Jewish communities, coping—confronting the danger and trying to survive without leaving—was more organized and successful, while collaboration with the Nazis and attempts to escape the ghetto were minimal. In more heterogeneous Jewish communities, collaboration with the Nazis was more pervasive, while coping was disorganized. In localities with a history of peaceful interethnic relations, evasion was more widespread than in places where interethnic relations were hostile. State repression before WWII, to which local communities were subject, determined the viability of anti-Nazi Jewish resistance. Exploring the critical influences shaping the decisions made by Jews in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe, Ordinary Jews sheds new light on the dynamics of collective violence and genocide.

Told in short, gripping chapters, this is an unforgettable true story of survival. The author was featured in Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.At just 15, her mother, and brother were taken from their Romanian town to the Auschwitz-II/Birkenau concentration camp. When they arrived at Auschwitz, a soldier waved Elly to the right; her mother and brother to the left. She never saw her family alive again. Thanks to a series of miracles, Elly survived the Holocaust. Today she is dedicated to keeping alive the stories of those who did not. Elly appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes for her involvement in bringing an important lawsuit against Volkswagen, whose German factory used her and other Jews as slave laborers.

NOW IN PAPERBACK—FROM THE SERIES THAT HAS SOLD MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES * AWE-INSPIRING, TRUE STORIES FROM THE WORST OF TIMES From the authors of the best-selling Small Miracles series comes this collection of more than fifty true, inspirational stories that are unique in the pantheon of Holocaust literature. Heartfelt, touching, and rich with bittersweet irony,Small Miracles of the Holocaustrecounts love stories, remarkable reunions, and narrow escapes—each ending with the uplifting twist that has become the trademark of the beloved series. And they reaffirm that nothing truly happens by accident . . . * “Love Among the Ruins”—a love story about a girl who saved a dying man during the Holocaust * “An Oscar for Oskar”—the coincidence that brought Oskar Schindler’s story to the attention of Thomas Keneally and Steven Spielberg * And more A beautiful tapestry of stories both magical and revelatory, no matter what one’s persuasion or beliefs,Small Miracles of the Holocaustopens our eyes to the gifts and blessings that surround us all the time—even in the worst of times. “Out of the darkest period of Jewish history comes an uplifting and inspiring book that shows that hope is always warranted.”—Jewish Women Magazine “[This] book remains an uplifting reminder that even in the bleakest times, we are never alone in the dark.”—Star-Ledger