Broken Silence

by Betty Bausch-Polak, Liesje Auerbach-Polak

"Broken Silence" tells the fascinating story of two Dutch Jewish sisters both of whom survived World War II.
Betty, the elder sister, stayed in The Netherlands on false identities. Her husband joined the Resistance, was caught by the Germans and executed. Betty was imprisoned, but miraculously survived the war.
Liesje (Elisheva) was sent to the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany. July 1944 she was selected as one of the 220 Jewish prisoners exchanged for German Templars living in Palestine. It saved her life.
The two sisters, now both in their nineties, are amongst the few survivors still able to share their stories, in several languages. Living history! The third generation especially needs to be made aware of what happened. Betty and Liesje continue sharing their stories. Their long silence is finally broken.

184 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2013

About the author

Betty Bausch-Polak was a Dutch Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and an active member of the resistance. She traveled internationally to deliver lectures on the perils of racial discrimination and prejudice.

Reviews

[Ann]

I feel so lucky to have this documentation of my great-aunts' experiences during WWII. They are such strong and independent women. I'm fortunate to call them family.

[Jeanine van Putten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een zeer indrukwekkend boek van twee Joodse zussen die de Shoah (Holocaust) hebben overleefd. Geen enkel woord van mij kan voldoen aan de inhoud van dit boek en ik raad iedereen aan dit te lezen.

[Emily Polak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a bit biased but . . . an engrossing and inspirational read.