I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name: Jacksonville’s Stories of the Holocaust

by Samuel Cox

A unique approach to Holocaust literature, I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name comprises the compelling stories of nine Jews connected by the Holocaust and Jacksonville, Florida. They experienced the atrocities of the Holocaust in 1930s and 40s Europe, surviving multiple concentration and death camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, Dachau, and Bergen-Belsen. One escaped from a Soviet gulag, another hid in a hole in the ground for months, and another was in charge of executing Nazi criminals after WWII in Landsberg prison. The tenth story is about a courageous Gentile who saved many Jewish lives, risking his own.

While each has his or her own unique, painful, and compelling story of survival, they all landed in a single city in the United States after the Jacksonville, Florida. These stories, however heart-wrenching they might be, demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit and, ultimately, the joys of lives well lived in their new home in the United States.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2024

Reviews

[Mary Elizabeth Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching tribute to those who endured the holocaust. It really brings to life the people, places, and families that were impacted, and how even long after it was over there were still lingering effects of the tragedies and traumas they went through. Some were inspiring stories of bravery, others touching stories of parents, siblings, and children learning how to survive the worst imaginable circumstances. I appreciate the author’s constant reminder that we need to remember history, to honor those who have gone before us, and to never forget what they have been through.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel Cox sets out to tell about the wonderful survivors he met in Jacksonville, Florida and who took time from their day to talk to his classes. The way in which he describes these men and women and who gave up their time to talk to students in his classes is nothing but remarkable. Some were too stressed to talk for more than once and others talked several times. This just represents what the Holocaust was. It was a definite leveler of people.
The stories are just as unique as the people telling them and showing the animals the Nazis became. Some portrayed themselves as totally recovered people and others showed they were not. Their stories are fascinating.

[G. Darnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing and Beautiful

Samuel Cox has put together an amazing compilation of stories about remarkable people who not only survived the unsurvivable but managed to build wonderful lives after the atrocities they witnessed and lived through. This book serves as their voices and tells their stories, which are vital to our understanding of that time in our history. May they never be forgotten.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I was in Hebrew school back in the 60’s, one of my classmate’s mother spoke to us. All I can basically remember was her telling us she was naked and told to go to right, or left. That I can’t remember. Right or left. Somehow she snuck in the other direction and lived to tell her story. She and her husband lived in Daytona Beach (south of Jacksonville) and opened up a few leather goods stores. I’ll never forget her story.

[Ann Sussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Cox has accurately documented the life events of 10 individuals who, unfortunately, experienced the atrocities of the holocaust. I know this to be a fact as two of the individuals of whom he writes were my parents. This book is an important read for people to understand the impact of hatred & antisemitism

[James Allred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compelling read! The stories of these amazing survivors will not be forgotten.
After finishing Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, I wanted to learn more about WWII Jewish persecution. This nonfiction account was a great follow-up read.
Thanks so much Sam for putting this work together.

[Dewin Anguas Barnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written. It tells the stories of ten people who were involved in differing ways in the Holocaust. I have studied the Holocaust for almost twenty years; yet, I learned so much from this book and heard perspectives I had not heard before. The author offers not only a factual insight about these heroes, but a personal one, as he knew each of them, as well as several of their family members. I highly recommend this book, not only for residents of Jacksonville, but for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and the power of human resilience.

[Elyse B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good read. Not only does it have real life stories of those in concentration camps, but also those who hid, helped in the resistance and those who were there for the trials of the Nazi's caught. Definitely recommend.

[Donald R Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stories

[Lynn Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ss1960samuel Cox puts together a unique and compelling way to tell stories of nine Jewish people. What makes it so interesting is that you get to know each one of these nine Holocaust survivors pre-Holocaust. Knowing their history from birth and how their lives intertwined with family and friends. Then comes the capture and imprisonment in the worst "hell" of the 20th century. The atrocities endured by these nine individuals and how fate spared them from death. The uniqueness of this book is that all nine of the Jewish survivors all ended up spending their final days in Jacksonville, Florida. I personally was aware of the strong Jewish community in Jacksonville as a young person. I was privileged to actually know one of the nine. Her name was Gina Sculz Freiden. Mrs. Freiden had a small community store in the Springfield area of Jacksonville. Everyone who met and got to know Mrs. Freiden really grew to love her. Widowed at an early age by her second husband and left with two children to support she worked long hard hours at the grocery store. She gave her children a good life. I still have a friendship with her daughter Elisa. Elisa has that same work ethic like her mother. All the other eight survivors came alive to me in this book. History and Holocaust studies readers will come away with a new feeling of understanding about that one moment in time that changed nine lives forever and all the people knowing them through the years. We will never forget what happened during the Holocaust and in hopes history never repeats this horrible historical atrocities of a people now all gone from our lives. Samuel Cox did give this unique victims an everlasting name.

[Brad Newkirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Will Give Them An Everlasting Name are the firsthand accounts of the experiences of ten individuals who suffered through and survived the holocaust. The suffering was immense and heart-wrenching to read. The atrocities and the callous and casual nature in which they were applied defies the imagination. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the depths of human cruelty during the holocaust and also the enduring power of hope and strength of the human spirit. Sam Cox, the author, personally knew each of these individuals and did an exceptional job in relating their stories. I highly recommend this book.

[Jb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative of one person's life is powerful. The collected narrative of eight people's lives in this book is all the more powerful; for, together, each individual testimony shines to give a reflection of the whole of humanity. There is but one humanity, and as Samuel Cox's book reminds us, the one that perpetrated and survived the Shoah is the same one that lives today. This is a necessary read in order to not forget, and to gain a sober view on today's world conflicts.