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Elli Friedmann #3
Hello, America: A Refugee's Journey from Auschwitz to the New World
Having withstood the horrors of Auschwitz and made it out alive, eighteen-year-old Elli is more than ready to leave behind the painful memories and start fresh in America. What she is not fully prepared for, though, are all the challenges of creating a new life in a completely new place -- especially one as hectic as New York City! Within moments of stepping off the ship and into the arms of welcoming relatives, Elli's mind starts spinning with questions. Will she go to college? Will she have to take on a full-time job to pay the bills? And will she be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher?
Elli has dreamed for years of this abundance of opportunity and possibility -- and to think, this is only the beginning!
Elli has dreamed for years of this abundance of opportunity and possibility -- and to think, this is only the beginning!
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Livia Bitton-Jackson
15 books150 followersLivia Bitton-Jackson (born February 28, 1931) is an author and a Holocaust survivor. She was born as Elli L. Friedmann in Samorin, Czechoslovakia. She was 13 years old when she, her mother, father, aunt and brother Bubi, were taken to Ghetto Nagymagyar. Eventually, they were transported to Auschwitz, the largest German concentration camp. She was liberated in 1945. Bitton-Jackson came to the U.S. on a refugee boat in 1951. She then studied at New York University, from which she received a Ph.D. in Hebrew Culture and Jewish History. She also wrote her 1997 memoir I Have Lived a Thousand Years.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 5, 2021
An interesting story which read to me as a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. The narrative was odd and a little odd. The naivety about sex by Livia after surviving Auschwitz and other camps was odd. The fanaticism about following the Sabbath was scary. There was also no mixture of Jewish people with other cultures or beliefs. The anti Semitic episodes were realistic but the Rabbi of the school telling her to hide her number tattoo and not to talk about the concentration camps was sad. Its good that attitude has changed.
A strange book with odd beliefs and did America in the 1950s have free medical and education care or did the author leave out that aspect. I meed to read the first two books to get some context.
A strange book with odd beliefs and did America in the 1950s have free medical and education care or did the author leave out that aspect. I meed to read the first two books to get some context.
May 28, 2013
To be completely honest, I don’t think that it was a bad book, but I don’t think it was a great book. There were parts in the book where I thought that it could have explained more. Even though this is the third book in the series, I think that it could have had more flashbacks in the beginning of the book before they arrived to New York. What I did like about it was when it talked about being in the train by herself for the first time. “ I have no room to move... to breathe... there’s no air in the wagon... heavy bodies are pressing against me, bearing down... I’m suffocating... and the doors are shut tight. When will the doors open?”(73). I liked how it reminded her about being back at Auschwitz. “ I find myself anticipating the challenge of my new job with a growing sense of adventure. I wake up bright and early, and, armed with a sandwich and an ample supply of good advice provided by my “two mothers,” I reach the Kings Highway train station even before 7:00 A.M”(72). I like how the character is eager to work in a new place right away. She wants to be successful in her new life and knows that its going to take work.
February 24, 2017
Hello, America is a good book with a lesson behind it. The book teaches you to be proud of yourself no matter your background. Elli is a concentration camp servitor who is told by her boss to not mention her past to her students. She also hers comments from a German wife of Jews while on a train ride which she stands up to and makes it clear that she is proud to be a Jew. This book also demonstrates romance and the struggle she goes through adapting to the new "luxuries" American life.
April 16, 2019
This was actually a really interesting book. I like that the author didn't go too deep into detail, but gave you just enough into the story of her life crossing over by ship into America.
At 18 years old in 1949, Leah which is her Jewish name is crossing over into America after being rescued from Auschwitz a German Nazi Concentration and Extermination camp in Poland in I believe the year was 1945.
Leah and her mother are sponsored by a particular group and live are welcomed to live with I believe it is her father's brother and his wife. Leah also has her brother Bubi living in New York as well and going to a Jewish college.
After settling in they are required to meet with a person from their sponsored group to find them each work, at first for Leah it seems a bit rough because she is looking to become a teacher. Her first job she ends up experiencing sexual harassment on the first day and quickly ends that job, but finds herself working at a desk for I believe it was an accountant before long she finally acquires a teaching position at a Hebrew school.
Without a high school diploma she somehow manages to sit in on some college classes and during this time also meets a lovely gentleman by the name of Alex who is a Doctor and sees Leah as his angel, believing that he might be able to mold her and get her interested in becoming a doctor as well, but finally ends up realizing that even though she is a new comer to America she still has a mind of her own.
After spending 3 weeks at a Hebrew camp as a counselor and unfortunately learning that some of the young men & women of her race and age aren't as respectable to themselves as others returns home to find out from her brother Bubi that a local school is registering recipients to take a particular test, probably a GED test in order to receive a high school diploma. She ends up registering herself on the spot not realizing that she has never studied for this exam along the way ends up meeting a gentleman by the name of David Bitton who I'm guessing from part of her last name became her husband.
I found this to be a very interesting read as it gives you some insight into this women's life after WWII and all the different trails and tribulations she must go through in order to learn the ways of the New World.
At 18 years old in 1949, Leah which is her Jewish name is crossing over into America after being rescued from Auschwitz a German Nazi Concentration and Extermination camp in Poland in I believe the year was 1945.
Leah and her mother are sponsored by a particular group and live are welcomed to live with I believe it is her father's brother and his wife. Leah also has her brother Bubi living in New York as well and going to a Jewish college.
After settling in they are required to meet with a person from their sponsored group to find them each work, at first for Leah it seems a bit rough because she is looking to become a teacher. Her first job she ends up experiencing sexual harassment on the first day and quickly ends that job, but finds herself working at a desk for I believe it was an accountant before long she finally acquires a teaching position at a Hebrew school.
Without a high school diploma she somehow manages to sit in on some college classes and during this time also meets a lovely gentleman by the name of Alex who is a Doctor and sees Leah as his angel, believing that he might be able to mold her and get her interested in becoming a doctor as well, but finally ends up realizing that even though she is a new comer to America she still has a mind of her own.
After spending 3 weeks at a Hebrew camp as a counselor and unfortunately learning that some of the young men & women of her race and age aren't as respectable to themselves as others returns home to find out from her brother Bubi that a local school is registering recipients to take a particular test, probably a GED test in order to receive a high school diploma. She ends up registering herself on the spot not realizing that she has never studied for this exam along the way ends up meeting a gentleman by the name of David Bitton who I'm guessing from part of her last name became her husband.
I found this to be a very interesting read as it gives you some insight into this women's life after WWII and all the different trails and tribulations she must go through in order to learn the ways of the New World.
August 14, 2012
This is the third in a series by and about a girl who survived Auschwitz. All of the books are very well written and captivating. She was a remarkable woman with a remarkable story and she tells that story remarkably well. IThese books offer an insight into history, culture and human nature. This book was by far the happiest of the three, not that there wasn't anything sad or hard, but comparatively things were much happier.
I was very curious about what happened to her next and though it was hard to find much online I finally found an article in the Jerusalem Post that gave a little information. The man she meets at the end of this book would become her first husband but he would end up being abusive and after 16 years and two children they divorced. I thought how sad it was that someone who had already survived so much suffering still had more suffering in store for her. But she has since married again (to a widower with two children of his own) and seems to be happy in this marriage. I have been puzzled as to how she got her name since her maiden name was Friedman. Bitton was the last name of her first husband and Jackson was the last name of her second husband. Thus the hyphenated name.
This book made me doubly sad as to how America seems to be going downhill in many ways. When you see what America meant to people and how much hope they had for it it makes it all the more sad that it may not be that for people in the future.
One thing that has surprised me in this series of books is her use of God's name. She is a practicing Jew and strict in her observances of Jewish law so I would think she would be very careful with God's name but she uses it in many ways that strike me as taking it in vain. Maybe you could say she was praying, but more often than not it didn't sound much like a prayer to me. This was my main regret in the books. I'm not Jewish, I'm a Christian and I hold God's name in high esteem and cringe to see it used lightly.
I was very curious about what happened to her next and though it was hard to find much online I finally found an article in the Jerusalem Post that gave a little information. The man she meets at the end of this book would become her first husband but he would end up being abusive and after 16 years and two children they divorced. I thought how sad it was that someone who had already survived so much suffering still had more suffering in store for her. But she has since married again (to a widower with two children of his own) and seems to be happy in this marriage. I have been puzzled as to how she got her name since her maiden name was Friedman. Bitton was the last name of her first husband and Jackson was the last name of her second husband. Thus the hyphenated name.
This book made me doubly sad as to how America seems to be going downhill in many ways. When you see what America meant to people and how much hope they had for it it makes it all the more sad that it may not be that for people in the future.
One thing that has surprised me in this series of books is her use of God's name. She is a practicing Jew and strict in her observances of Jewish law so I would think she would be very careful with God's name but she uses it in many ways that strike me as taking it in vain. Maybe you could say she was praying, but more often than not it didn't sound much like a prayer to me. This was my main regret in the books. I'm not Jewish, I'm a Christian and I hold God's name in high esteem and cringe to see it used lightly.
February 29, 2020
I am sad that this is the last book to the series about Ellie's life. I know there is one more book or maybe two but still it feels like the end of a journey. These books have been a part of my life since the beginning of this year and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them. I loved how independent Ellie was and how she coped with learning a new language and understanding cultural norms. I sympathized with her because of personal experiences. She is so brave and continued to deal with racism. Ellie has almost become a personal friend of mine over 3 books because I got to know so much about her. Much respect to Ellie and her family.
April 23, 2024
Powerful and eye-opening to be reminded of the struggles faced by the refugees from the Holocaust even in America.
This story of Bitton-Jackson's journey, from learning the culture to trying to find her way, to chasing the dream of being a teacher, and following/furthering her own education is one of heartbreak and lessons learned in love, and growth.
We've learned of the horrors, but what of the survivors? How did they recover? Hello, America gives us that perspective, that perseverance, that story of recovery and healing.
This story of Bitton-Jackson's journey, from learning the culture to trying to find her way, to chasing the dream of being a teacher, and following/furthering her own education is one of heartbreak and lessons learned in love, and growth.
We've learned of the horrors, but what of the survivors? How did they recover? Hello, America gives us that perspective, that perseverance, that story of recovery and healing.
July 31, 2020
This is the third book in the series, and it lets us look into the author's life fresh off the boat, trying to make it in America. Again, it reads like a diary like the previous books. It shows how much of a naive spirit she is and trusts everyone, because that was how she grew up. She also always seems to have the best of luck, even when things don't go as she planned. I loved the entire series!
March 5, 2021
Amazing
Very good read enjoyed finding out what happened to ellie.after the war . I would recommend reading this it was sad in places but uplifting
Very good read enjoyed finding out what happened to ellie.after the war . I would recommend reading this it was sad in places but uplifting
October 16, 2016
I was a reader who didn't read the other 2 books, and for me it felt too unexplained. The plot was also boring.
February 9, 2014
Having read the earlier two prequels , I was all anxious to jump into her third book of the trilogy . The book is a living testament that life of Jews after Holocaust was not a cake walk even into the New World . America , to them though opened a door of opportunities , appeared tough and unwelcome to the mother daughter duo .
The incidents are narrated with full passion . One such incident is the tearful reunion with her paternal uncle Abish . He reminds of her father to whom she could not even bid her final goodbye . It brings tears to the readers . As a reader , it is amazing to see her strength of bond with her mother . It is evident when she begs the hospital authorities to allow her to stay with her mother , which is against the hospital rules , one gets a glimpse of the bond which was forged at birth and is strengthened in the concentration camps . Her survival from the terrible camps , her relationship with Alex which is unique in every way and finally choosing to follow her dreams , makes one believe that she deserves to live a life and she was rightly chosen by fate to live and tell her tales .
The incidents related to the Auschwitz number tatooed in her hands sends shiver down the spines . It is a narration that requires introspection , hope , sadness . One finds it to be the most honest description of the life of a survivor , a survivor from the evil ! She is rightly a phoenix , rising out of the ashes of Auschwitz to live a dream life !!
The incidents are narrated with full passion . One such incident is the tearful reunion with her paternal uncle Abish . He reminds of her father to whom she could not even bid her final goodbye . It brings tears to the readers . As a reader , it is amazing to see her strength of bond with her mother . It is evident when she begs the hospital authorities to allow her to stay with her mother , which is against the hospital rules , one gets a glimpse of the bond which was forged at birth and is strengthened in the concentration camps . Her survival from the terrible camps , her relationship with Alex which is unique in every way and finally choosing to follow her dreams , makes one believe that she deserves to live a life and she was rightly chosen by fate to live and tell her tales .
The incidents related to the Auschwitz number tatooed in her hands sends shiver down the spines . It is a narration that requires introspection , hope , sadness . One finds it to be the most honest description of the life of a survivor , a survivor from the evil ! She is rightly a phoenix , rising out of the ashes of Auschwitz to live a dream life !!
August 17, 2011
It was refreshing to pick up a book intended for younger readers that wasn't written poorly. This book definitely surprised me. Sadly, I didn't realize until after I started reading this, that it's actually the third book (I do not say "of a series" here, because it really isn't a series as much as they are companion books to one another). With that being said, I was very thrilled to find that it didn't matter if I hadn't read the first two to understand the story, although it would have been better if I would have been able to understand fully what Elli had gone through in Auschwitz.
Honestly, this book had it's ups and downs for me. I would have liked more description of her time in the concentration camps instead of just a few flashes that didn't contain much substance. Other than that, it was very refreshing to read a Holocaust book based on the aftermath... and how a survivor of one of the camps saw the world differently because of it.
Honestly, this book had it's ups and downs for me. I would have liked more description of her time in the concentration camps instead of just a few flashes that didn't contain much substance. Other than that, it was very refreshing to read a Holocaust book based on the aftermath... and how a survivor of one of the camps saw the world differently because of it.
November 24, 2014
While I don’t think Hello, America was bad by any means, it was my least favorite of the three. I don’t have a problem with her story, I just thought that this book didn’t flow as well as the others. It seemed like a choppy collection of memories and the end was very abrupt. I thought it was a bit strange that there was an elaborate epilogue at the end of the second book (My Bridges of Hope), but a very sudden ending without any sort of epilogue at the end of this one. But setting that aside, it was interesting to read her immigration story and I was happy to read her have happier moments in life, after all the horrors of the Holocaust that she and her family endured.
November 14, 2013
Apparently I missed the "non-fiction" label on the cover until I was nearly done - and was pleasantly surprised that the book represented the author's real-life experience immigrating to New York City in the aftermath of the Holocaust. While "Hello, America" did not specifically revisit the horrors that she had previously experienced, the conditions that the family accepted in New York City said a lot about how horrific things had been in their homeland. I found the author's drive and persistence in advancing herself to be quite impressive - evidence that America truly is a land of opportunity for those who are willing to work for it.
November 28, 2010
It is so amazing to me that we think people these days are so permiscuous, this book was about the 1950's and her expirence being an imigramnt to Brooklyn NY. It was a harsh reality coming to a county where they believed they would find all there dreams come true. The young adults slept around as much they do now a days, it was just more hush hush. She of course does not and I love that she holds strong to her Jewish Beliefs and waits for a man who respects her.
August 14, 2015
This book is very much an autobiography. It relates events and how the author felt about them quite adequately.
However, the book flirts with several issues - sexuality, sexual harassment, poverty and charity, but, it doesn't really address any of them in any sort of depth. It is what I presume to be a faithful record of events, but, does not delve deeply into any of the topics broached.
However, the book flirts with several issues - sexuality, sexual harassment, poverty and charity, but, it doesn't really address any of them in any sort of depth. It is what I presume to be a faithful record of events, but, does not delve deeply into any of the topics broached.
August 20, 2010
-A good story about life in New York City during the 50’s and the turbulence of the refugees who came to America after the war. It’s soothing to hear the happiness of new people to America. It makes us appreciate this country.
January 16, 2011
This is actually the third in a series, but I didn't know that when I started. I really liked how she described what life was like in the US after the Holocaust. I can only assume she was successful.
January 15, 2014
This book was an amazing ending to her other two stories about her life. I read this book after picking up her first one for an in-depth author study. She is simply amazing and this story is told in a way that even teens can enjoy them!
December 23, 2014
wonderful journey of Eli's life in America after suffering the ordeal of the holocaust - however it was not as insightful i as thought it would be. It is definitely an easy read with some profound moments worth contemplating on even today.
June 6, 2009
This was an ok book with an ok delivery of Holocaust related events, but it could have been so much better!
March 24, 2011
The third book in this already beautifully written series about a young girl's survival during and after the holocaust. She describes her experiences in America. Great read!
September 8, 2012
I'm glad I read this. Not many books tell how survivors of the Holocaust make the adjustment of life after.
May 28, 2013
Wow. I swear this woman is made of tougher stuff than Superman. She lead a very interesting and scary life!
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September 12, 2013i didnt read it yet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2016
A 72-year old patient gave me this book
May 11, 2016
The third in a series of this woman's remarkable survival from a concentration camp, this book focuses on her adjustment to life in America.
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December 31, 2016It is very touching to read and walk through Elli's young life....I wish there was a saga to this one.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews