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Bread or Death: Memories of My Childhood During and After the Holocaust
The war brought about scarcities of just about everything...except misery.
"Alle raise," (everybody out), the German soldiers screamed as they pounded on our door with the butts of their rifles. And thus began a 4,500-mile journey from Poland through Russia and Siberia and eventually to Uzbekistan in Central Asia, as the author's family used bribery and darkness of night to flee as the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939.
Young Mendel, from age four to fourteen, tells in vivid detail the wretched journey in cramped cattle cars through frigid Russia, the indignities of being forced labor, the shame of begging for bread just to survive, and death of those closest to him. The family s plight includes abandonment, hunger, and separation (and later remarkable twists of fate and reunion) quite unlike other Holocaust stories.
This coming-of-age, Holocaust memoir is the author's personal account of how through great sacrifices by his mother he managed to survive the worst atrocities in human history and his uncertain days in a Polish Children's Home, scrabbling for fallen fruit, and surviving kidnapping and murder on the Black Road, and return to German Displaced Persons camps at war's end. But to what fate?
Originally written as a memoir just for his grandchildren, Milton Kleinberg gives a moving account of his family s hardships and eventual immigration with a lump-in-the-throat passage to America past the Statue of Liberty and into a land of opportunity tinged with bigotry yet with a promise to future generations.
This book for young adults has been reviewed by the Institute for Holocaust Education and includes a glossary, a book club discussion guide, a timeline, and a Teacher's Guide.
"Alle raise," (everybody out), the German soldiers screamed as they pounded on our door with the butts of their rifles. And thus began a 4,500-mile journey from Poland through Russia and Siberia and eventually to Uzbekistan in Central Asia, as the author's family used bribery and darkness of night to flee as the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939.
Young Mendel, from age four to fourteen, tells in vivid detail the wretched journey in cramped cattle cars through frigid Russia, the indignities of being forced labor, the shame of begging for bread just to survive, and death of those closest to him. The family s plight includes abandonment, hunger, and separation (and later remarkable twists of fate and reunion) quite unlike other Holocaust stories.
This coming-of-age, Holocaust memoir is the author's personal account of how through great sacrifices by his mother he managed to survive the worst atrocities in human history and his uncertain days in a Polish Children's Home, scrabbling for fallen fruit, and surviving kidnapping and murder on the Black Road, and return to German Displaced Persons camps at war's end. But to what fate?
Originally written as a memoir just for his grandchildren, Milton Kleinberg gives a moving account of his family s hardships and eventual immigration with a lump-in-the-throat passage to America past the Statue of Liberty and into a land of opportunity tinged with bigotry yet with a promise to future generations.
This book for young adults has been reviewed by the Institute for Holocaust Education and includes a glossary, a book club discussion guide, a timeline, and a Teacher's Guide.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2014
43 people are currently reading
2098 people want to read
About the author
Milton Mendel Kleinberg
2 books60 followersMilton M. Kleinberg is Chairman and CEO of Senior Market Sales, Inc., an Omaha-based insurance marketing company that provides insurance solutions for an aging America. The company was founded in 1982. Under his leadership, the company has thrived in an ever-evolving senior market by staying on the cutting edge of technology, developing products to meet a changing marketplace, and devising innovative marketing techniques.
His company now serves over 20,000 independent agents writing hundreds of millions of dollars in life and health insurance premium each year worldwide. SMS employs people throughout the United States and Israel, and is one of Omaha’s fastest growing companies.
Kleinberg has served as a special advisor to Congress on insurance reform. He also holds positions on many carrier and industry association advisory boards. He is the author of a popular, informative handbook on Social Insurance Solutions For An Aging America: Exploring The Past, Present, and Future of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Despite his accolades and success in the insurance industry, Kleinberg still maintains his agent licenses and certificates and serves an active client list. He feels he cannot properly serve the agents his company contracts with unless he himself is in the field selling the same products.
When asked about his success, Kleinberg likes to say, “After fifty years of hard work, I became an overnight success.”
Today, Kleinberg still runs his company and travels extensively with his wife of over 50 years, Marsha. He enjoys writing, but he can also be found hustling handball games at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha or playing golf and has no plans to retire.
Milt and Marsha Kleinberg are generous philanthropists giving of their time and expertise to unselfishly serve their religious and local communities. They support a number of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes including the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Chabad House of Nebraska, The Salvation Army, Beth Israel Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy, Bellevue University, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), United Way, the Omaha Public Library, and the Omaha Food Bank.
Kleinberg has begun speaking about his Holocaust experience at schools and synagogues and for the Institute for Holocaust Education. He is dedicated to carrying on the memory of the Holocaust so that future generations can better understand what happened—so that it never happens again.
His company now serves over 20,000 independent agents writing hundreds of millions of dollars in life and health insurance premium each year worldwide. SMS employs people throughout the United States and Israel, and is one of Omaha’s fastest growing companies.
Kleinberg has served as a special advisor to Congress on insurance reform. He also holds positions on many carrier and industry association advisory boards. He is the author of a popular, informative handbook on Social Insurance Solutions For An Aging America: Exploring The Past, Present, and Future of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Despite his accolades and success in the insurance industry, Kleinberg still maintains his agent licenses and certificates and serves an active client list. He feels he cannot properly serve the agents his company contracts with unless he himself is in the field selling the same products.
When asked about his success, Kleinberg likes to say, “After fifty years of hard work, I became an overnight success.”
Today, Kleinberg still runs his company and travels extensively with his wife of over 50 years, Marsha. He enjoys writing, but he can also be found hustling handball games at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha or playing golf and has no plans to retire.
Milt and Marsha Kleinberg are generous philanthropists giving of their time and expertise to unselfishly serve their religious and local communities. They support a number of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes including the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Chabad House of Nebraska, The Salvation Army, Beth Israel Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy, Bellevue University, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), United Way, the Omaha Public Library, and the Omaha Food Bank.
Kleinberg has begun speaking about his Holocaust experience at schools and synagogues and for the Institute for Holocaust Education. He is dedicated to carrying on the memory of the Holocaust so that future generations can better understand what happened—so that it never happens again.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 14, 2019
I am a Holocaust/WWII junkie, in that I love to read about the candle in the darkness, the light that doesn't go out. I love to read about humans helping one another, about the good that we can, and should, do.
While I have read many books from the POV of survivors of death camps, this is the first one I read from the POV of a Polish Jew whose family fled to Russia and survived there during WWII. Despite all of the WWII books I have read, I wasn't aware that some Polish people fled/were taken to Russia as workers, so I learned quite a lot from this book.
Now, even though this man wasn't in a concentration camp, he and his family still had it incredibly tough. Food, warm clothing, all the necessities of life were in short supply, and by the time the war was over, he had lost two siblings. He had nearly died a few times himself. It was difficult and brutal, but he survived with his mother and this is his story.
These stories NEED to be told AND listened to. That this happened at all is a sin. For this sort of thing to happen again, to even only one other person, when we have history to warn us, is a crime against humanity.
This book also goes into the author's life when he and his family came to America and his adult life as well. Which is important, because he experienced a Neo-Nazi movement and with other Jews in his neighborhood, fought it. Not with violence, but by shining light on the hatred and not letting it hide or get away with anything. He had learned the hard way the effect of good people staying quiet and doing nothing. He wasn't going to let it happen in his new home on his watch.
Also, you will need tissues when he describes seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. So touching. We need to not lose sight of what she represents to those who have no hope.
I highly recommend this book, for all to read. Maybe middle reader on up. There is violence and death, but it isn't overly gruesome. This book, and others like it, need to be required reading for all human beings. I can't recommend this book enough. 5, if only humanity can learn from this book, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Concierge Marketing Inc.-Fifth Generation Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
While I have read many books from the POV of survivors of death camps, this is the first one I read from the POV of a Polish Jew whose family fled to Russia and survived there during WWII. Despite all of the WWII books I have read, I wasn't aware that some Polish people fled/were taken to Russia as workers, so I learned quite a lot from this book.
Now, even though this man wasn't in a concentration camp, he and his family still had it incredibly tough. Food, warm clothing, all the necessities of life were in short supply, and by the time the war was over, he had lost two siblings. He had nearly died a few times himself. It was difficult and brutal, but he survived with his mother and this is his story.
These stories NEED to be told AND listened to. That this happened at all is a sin. For this sort of thing to happen again, to even only one other person, when we have history to warn us, is a crime against humanity.
This book also goes into the author's life when he and his family came to America and his adult life as well. Which is important, because he experienced a Neo-Nazi movement and with other Jews in his neighborhood, fought it. Not with violence, but by shining light on the hatred and not letting it hide or get away with anything. He had learned the hard way the effect of good people staying quiet and doing nothing. He wasn't going to let it happen in his new home on his watch.
Also, you will need tissues when he describes seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. So touching. We need to not lose sight of what she represents to those who have no hope.
I highly recommend this book, for all to read. Maybe middle reader on up. There is violence and death, but it isn't overly gruesome. This book, and others like it, need to be required reading for all human beings. I can't recommend this book enough. 5, if only humanity can learn from this book, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Concierge Marketing Inc.-Fifth Generation Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2017
After hearing the author speak, I read the memoir which reads much like he talks. His blunt, plain-speaking style makes the experiences even more horrific. Kleinberg is quick to point out that those who survive do whatever it takes to live through a war. Historical sidebars in most chapters put his experiences within the context of the bigger war. This book is clearly designed as a teaching tool with a teacher's guide, book club discussion questions, a timeline, and a glossary. Photos, many from the author's personal collection, illustrate the book. This work is very accessible to others as many of the Holocaust survivors are now gone.
August 29, 2016
This was a tough and eye-opening read for me. I remember reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" when I was around 10 years old so I jumped at the chance to read another personal account of the Holocaust. I was struck by how much Mr. Kleinberg and his family's survival depended on sheer chance and luck. He really has a gift with writing and the book reads as if he is sitting across from you talking and not through the written word.
There were quite a few times where I just had to stop reading and just cried. Other times, I was so full of grief that I was beyond tears. I really think that this book should be recommended reading to go along with "The Diary of Anne Frank" although considering some of the situations that happened I would recommend slightly older children or "tweens" to be the intended audience for this book.
This is a book that will stay with me and has affected me. The Holocaust is something we should never ever forget. I am also amazed at the courage of Mr. Kleinberg and his family especially his mother. I fully intend to purchase a copy of this book for my older daughter to read and it is one I want on my bookshelf to read again and again.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers (thank you) for free in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank Mr. Kleinberg for having the courage to put down on paper a part of his life that must be very difficult to think about.
There were quite a few times where I just had to stop reading and just cried. Other times, I was so full of grief that I was beyond tears. I really think that this book should be recommended reading to go along with "The Diary of Anne Frank" although considering some of the situations that happened I would recommend slightly older children or "tweens" to be the intended audience for this book.
This is a book that will stay with me and has affected me. The Holocaust is something we should never ever forget. I am also amazed at the courage of Mr. Kleinberg and his family especially his mother. I fully intend to purchase a copy of this book for my older daughter to read and it is one I want on my bookshelf to read again and again.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers (thank you) for free in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank Mr. Kleinberg for having the courage to put down on paper a part of his life that must be very difficult to think about.
November 21, 2016
I had the opportunity to meet with the author and hear some of his story depicted in this book. The book filled a lot of holes and I gained a better appreciation for what I was already aware of. I can't begin to imagine what the author or any other person during that time went though, but am eternally grateful for those that are able to share their experiences to the world. It is partially due to these memoirs that the Holocaust and its victims are not forgotten.
January 13, 2016
An absolutely amazing read. I have actually met Mr. Kleinberg in person, and you would have no idea that he ever experienced such hardship. I found his story to be both heart-wrenching and incredibly educational. This is also a story that could very easily be translated to film, and I really hope we see that happen someday.
September 9, 2016
It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did, I was glad I'd stuck with it. Kleinberg wrote this account of his and his family's experiences during World War II to answer questions for his grandchildren. I've read many Holocaust memoirs and there was a lot here I'd never come across anywhere else, so I was left feeling I'd learned something significant about both the history and the workings of human nature. Strangely, after reading some of the most heartbreaking and shocking stories I've heard from this time period, this book ends up being one of the most optimistic and positive from this genre that I can remember. These two extremes in one person, in one life, are fascinating - I think anyone with an interest in human nature would find this a great study.
And truly, the most amazing thing about this story was Kleinberg's unshakeable optimism. He writes unapologetically about certain things he did in order to survive that are jarring, to say the least. But he frames them in the context of this survival at any costs, especially the determination to keep going after what they'd already been through. He even contrasts these choices with the character of those making them, their behavior before and after the time of their persecution. For such a sad and difficult story, by its end he paints a wonderful, upbeat picture of what a survivor can do with the world that's left to them, what they can make of their life after going through and hell and coming out on the other side. That optimism and achievement can be a welcome lesson for us all.
The book contains a great teacher's guide, and I think this text functions perfectly as an educational tool. The simplistic writing style and conversational tones also make it accessible and suitable for young adult readers. It's good to have additional stories from this time period, another voice and experience to read alongside classics like Anne Frank.
In reading a little bit about the author, I found that he still does a lot of public speaking in the United States, and I can see why he'd make a popular speaker. He writes the book almost as if it were an oral history being recorded, telling his stories very directly and without a lot of philosophy or interpretation. Just direct, bluntly, and there's a lot of power in that. It works for his tone and experience. I was impressed by his personality, he's the type that after reading about his early life and how he made a happy beginning for himself in America, you'd love to have a chat with him and hear more.
And truly, the most amazing thing about this story was Kleinberg's unshakeable optimism. He writes unapologetically about certain things he did in order to survive that are jarring, to say the least. But he frames them in the context of this survival at any costs, especially the determination to keep going after what they'd already been through. He even contrasts these choices with the character of those making them, their behavior before and after the time of their persecution. For such a sad and difficult story, by its end he paints a wonderful, upbeat picture of what a survivor can do with the world that's left to them, what they can make of their life after going through and hell and coming out on the other side. That optimism and achievement can be a welcome lesson for us all.
The book contains a great teacher's guide, and I think this text functions perfectly as an educational tool. The simplistic writing style and conversational tones also make it accessible and suitable for young adult readers. It's good to have additional stories from this time period, another voice and experience to read alongside classics like Anne Frank.
In reading a little bit about the author, I found that he still does a lot of public speaking in the United States, and I can see why he'd make a popular speaker. He writes the book almost as if it were an oral history being recorded, telling his stories very directly and without a lot of philosophy or interpretation. Just direct, bluntly, and there's a lot of power in that. It works for his tone and experience. I was impressed by his personality, he's the type that after reading about his early life and how he made a happy beginning for himself in America, you'd love to have a chat with him and hear more.
May 6, 2016
No memoir from this time is easy to read and this is no exception. The author's story is terribly heartbreaking. His family didn't go through the worst of the Nazi horrors, but surviving Soviet Russia wasn't much easier.
He writes from the point of the child that he was, but with the knowledge he gained as an adult. It makes the story easier to follow. It is very well written.
He writes from the point of the child that he was, but with the knowledge he gained as an adult. It makes the story easier to follow. It is very well written.
June 8, 2015
This was an average read. I was trying to step outside the box and read something a little different. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. And despite what I originally thought, this book didn't provoke a lot of emotion from me. It is a great historical piece.
February 26, 2018
The journey that Milton Kleinberg takes us is one of survival and danger. At a young age, he and his family were forced to relocate, simply because of their faith, during World War II. Born in Poland, he grew up knowing a life of hunger, fear, and fighting to survive from day to day.
As they journeyed through the Siberian landscape, their father left the train one day to look for food, and never returned. Milton's mother did the best she could, caring for three little boys, doing her best to keep food in their mouths through the meager rationing they were able to get. Since his father had all the ration cards with him, there were times they were turned away, but there were times the guards gave them their rations anyway. Through his mother's tenacity, and the hard fought lesson of survival, Milton grew up to enjoy a different life. While one brother died as an infant, and the other was lost after becoming sick in one of the schools they were in, Milton refused to give up. He continued to fight, forging alliances with other boys on the playground, and pushing the limits on being able to steal enough food to keep hunger at bay. While the school fed them, for growing children, it was never enough to completely make the hunger go away. His mother did her best through bribes and gifts to the school officials and guards to make his life better, the war made it hard for all. Having only a few articles of clothing, shoes that were worn out, and one pair of socks, they made do. When the war ended, he was reunited with his mother, and surprisingly of all, with his father. His father had remarried, and had two little girls with his second wife. When his mother found out, she was livid, and went through the proceedings with the Rabbi to get a divorce from her unfaithful husband. On a chance encounter on a bench, she met Milton's stepfather, who never treated him as if he was anything other than his son. After their relocation to America, the family settled down to rebuild and reforge the bonds that had been tried and strengthened through the war.
I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact I read it in one sitting. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that it sat on my shelf for about two years before I got around to reading it, simply because I did not know what to expect when I opened the cover. I was hesitant to read it, for many reasons. Stories involving children are hard for me - they force me as a mother to look at my own sons and wonder what I would have done to protect my children. They make me examine myself and wonder if I would have the fortitude to stand up to what these families went through, and what these mothers endured for their children. I finally decided to set the book for a book club that I was doing, and sat down to start reading. There were tears, there was laughter, and some anger in a few parts. But I didn't stop. I read through to the end, and then I read the authors notes.
When it comes to a book, sometimes you have to start with the authors note. It can give you an idea of what you will expect inside. Let me tell you - I was in for a surprise. I thought when I read through it, I was going to see some finger pointing, maybe some blame cast, and perhaps a "should have could have" segment. There was none of that. What I found was hope. A hope for a better future, hope for the remembrance of the past, and a hope for the newfound country that the author found himself living in. He loves America. Why? Because, in his own words "I have seen the rest of the world. And the more I have seen and experienced the rest of the world and its history, the more I have come to venerate America and the great nation it has become. (page 196) ..The idea here in America is that you don't have to live or die how you were born. You can move, you can advance, you can change your attitude, and, by doing so, you can change your circumstances." (page 204).
I sat back and thought about all that he had been through, all that he had seen, suffered, and lost. That he can sit here, and not point fingers at the ones that were responsible (not that he has forgotten - or ever will forget), but his willingness to not let the past hold him back. He pushed forward. He survived. He wrote this book so that others will know what happened, and learn from the past.
Read this book! You will not regret it!
As they journeyed through the Siberian landscape, their father left the train one day to look for food, and never returned. Milton's mother did the best she could, caring for three little boys, doing her best to keep food in their mouths through the meager rationing they were able to get. Since his father had all the ration cards with him, there were times they were turned away, but there were times the guards gave them their rations anyway. Through his mother's tenacity, and the hard fought lesson of survival, Milton grew up to enjoy a different life. While one brother died as an infant, and the other was lost after becoming sick in one of the schools they were in, Milton refused to give up. He continued to fight, forging alliances with other boys on the playground, and pushing the limits on being able to steal enough food to keep hunger at bay. While the school fed them, for growing children, it was never enough to completely make the hunger go away. His mother did her best through bribes and gifts to the school officials and guards to make his life better, the war made it hard for all. Having only a few articles of clothing, shoes that were worn out, and one pair of socks, they made do. When the war ended, he was reunited with his mother, and surprisingly of all, with his father. His father had remarried, and had two little girls with his second wife. When his mother found out, she was livid, and went through the proceedings with the Rabbi to get a divorce from her unfaithful husband. On a chance encounter on a bench, she met Milton's stepfather, who never treated him as if he was anything other than his son. After their relocation to America, the family settled down to rebuild and reforge the bonds that had been tried and strengthened through the war.
I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact I read it in one sitting. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that it sat on my shelf for about two years before I got around to reading it, simply because I did not know what to expect when I opened the cover. I was hesitant to read it, for many reasons. Stories involving children are hard for me - they force me as a mother to look at my own sons and wonder what I would have done to protect my children. They make me examine myself and wonder if I would have the fortitude to stand up to what these families went through, and what these mothers endured for their children. I finally decided to set the book for a book club that I was doing, and sat down to start reading. There were tears, there was laughter, and some anger in a few parts. But I didn't stop. I read through to the end, and then I read the authors notes.
When it comes to a book, sometimes you have to start with the authors note. It can give you an idea of what you will expect inside. Let me tell you - I was in for a surprise. I thought when I read through it, I was going to see some finger pointing, maybe some blame cast, and perhaps a "should have could have" segment. There was none of that. What I found was hope. A hope for a better future, hope for the remembrance of the past, and a hope for the newfound country that the author found himself living in. He loves America. Why? Because, in his own words "I have seen the rest of the world. And the more I have seen and experienced the rest of the world and its history, the more I have come to venerate America and the great nation it has become. (page 196) ..The idea here in America is that you don't have to live or die how you were born. You can move, you can advance, you can change your attitude, and, by doing so, you can change your circumstances." (page 204).
I sat back and thought about all that he had been through, all that he had seen, suffered, and lost. That he can sit here, and not point fingers at the ones that were responsible (not that he has forgotten - or ever will forget), but his willingness to not let the past hold him back. He pushed forward. He survived. He wrote this book so that others will know what happened, and learn from the past.
Read this book! You will not regret it!
September 16, 2021
Highly recommend this book to read as a personal account of living through the Holocaust.
It was heart wrenching to read, educational, and an example of great strength of spirit.
I know Mr. Kleinberg and am amazed at his positive attitude about life, after having been through such a horrific experience. His mother's courage and preservation of her family is heroic.
Thank you for sharing and writing your story.
It was heart wrenching to read, educational, and an example of great strength of spirit.
I know Mr. Kleinberg and am amazed at his positive attitude about life, after having been through such a horrific experience. His mother's courage and preservation of her family is heroic.
Thank you for sharing and writing your story.
September 9, 2017
Sad
Great book with lots of lessons learned. Quite different in the early days. I really liked to see a happy ending.
Great book with lots of lessons learned. Quite different in the early days. I really liked to see a happy ending.
October 27, 2017
Not a difficult read grammatically. Emotionally, a different story.
February 13, 2018
It is hard to give a "star" rating to a holocaust memoir. Someone's experiences can't be rated against other people's experiences. The story was compelling.
September 3, 2023
If you liked the hiding place this is for you
July 11, 2017
I always have trouble rating and reviewing such books. How can I decide how good someone's personal experience and thoughts are about such a tragic part in history? Thumbs up for anyone who can share their experience and keep history alive, I say.
April 24, 2015
I love memoirs and this was truly sad at many times, yet so inspirational, but that's how life can be & the author was a survivor that wanted to tell his story for his grandchildren
It's not your typical story of Nazi Germany, but it's HIS story as a young Polish-Jewish boy at the time of WW II with his family heading to Russia & Russian labor camps
The family started on the journey from their home in Poland, when woken up in the night to start lining up for where they would be going. This family wasn't in Germany & never went to German death camps. This family went to Russia on a very long train ride where they were hungry, cold, plagued with diseases & personal losses of family members. The author ( Mendel) lost his little brother to illness. He felt great loss since he was the older brother who helped fight for his brother when other kids bullied him or tried stealing his one piece of bread per day. His little brother was his shadow as he described him & he took the loss hard. His mother had another boy during the travels in Russia who also succumbed due to inadequate nutrition, young age & disease. His father was somewhat irresponsible & during a train stop during the journey, he neglected to make it back to the train on time. He had the family's important documents such as passports & their ration cards, which now left him & his mother as the only "survivors" in his family to make the trip
His mother finally got him enrolled in an orphanage where she hoped life would be better for him but he had to learn to survive, along with other children, in this orphanage while his mother was elsewhere working in the tobacco industry. She tried visiting as often as she could but the orphanage was on the Black Road where bandits made it very difficult & scary to travel esp a single woman
The story moves on & now the war is over so now his mother & him are DPs ( displaced persons) again. They wanted to immigrate to Israel where many of the Polish Jewish people went but they closed the borders and they immigrated to America His mother never had an education & couldn't read or write but she was smart with haggling, bribing & survival instincts for which helped both her & her son during the war & now as they were on a boat to America
The finally arrived in America & were taken to Milwaukee WI where American Jewish family services found them a house. His mother had since obtained a divorce from Mendel's father when they happened to find him after the war & he already had another wife & 2 daughters, so his mother also found a very nice man with whom she later married & had more children He wound up having many half brothers & sisters on both sides which he found out more recently in time when researching his family background & while attending his grandson's wedding in Israel, he met with his "other family". All the questions his grandchildren had during Sabbat dinners, got him started on his memoir----this book
He always had such a positive spirit, during bad times & good & his philosophy was to NOT be a victim & to not dwell on the past. The past is in the past, & to move forward you must not live & dwell on that but instead on what you CAN do!! I LOVED his spirit & his philosophy!! This is why I enjoyed this story do much. He didn't dwell on what happened to him, he didn't forget it but he didn't become a victim because of it. When he reached America he decided to start over fresh & start a new life & he did quite well for himself even though he had very little education by the time he attended school here in America. He was 14 & enrolled as a freshman in high school. He needed to take lessons during the summer prior to starting school do he could make it through. He loved different sports & did well in football & math. By graduation he was earning B's & B+. Then was enlisted to Korea during the Korean War
If you love memoirs, stories of inspiration & survival during adverse times, you'll love this book too!!
It's not your typical story of Nazi Germany, but it's HIS story as a young Polish-Jewish boy at the time of WW II with his family heading to Russia & Russian labor camps
The family started on the journey from their home in Poland, when woken up in the night to start lining up for where they would be going. This family wasn't in Germany & never went to German death camps. This family went to Russia on a very long train ride where they were hungry, cold, plagued with diseases & personal losses of family members. The author ( Mendel) lost his little brother to illness. He felt great loss since he was the older brother who helped fight for his brother when other kids bullied him or tried stealing his one piece of bread per day. His little brother was his shadow as he described him & he took the loss hard. His mother had another boy during the travels in Russia who also succumbed due to inadequate nutrition, young age & disease. His father was somewhat irresponsible & during a train stop during the journey, he neglected to make it back to the train on time. He had the family's important documents such as passports & their ration cards, which now left him & his mother as the only "survivors" in his family to make the trip
His mother finally got him enrolled in an orphanage where she hoped life would be better for him but he had to learn to survive, along with other children, in this orphanage while his mother was elsewhere working in the tobacco industry. She tried visiting as often as she could but the orphanage was on the Black Road where bandits made it very difficult & scary to travel esp a single woman
The story moves on & now the war is over so now his mother & him are DPs ( displaced persons) again. They wanted to immigrate to Israel where many of the Polish Jewish people went but they closed the borders and they immigrated to America His mother never had an education & couldn't read or write but she was smart with haggling, bribing & survival instincts for which helped both her & her son during the war & now as they were on a boat to America
The finally arrived in America & were taken to Milwaukee WI where American Jewish family services found them a house. His mother had since obtained a divorce from Mendel's father when they happened to find him after the war & he already had another wife & 2 daughters, so his mother also found a very nice man with whom she later married & had more children He wound up having many half brothers & sisters on both sides which he found out more recently in time when researching his family background & while attending his grandson's wedding in Israel, he met with his "other family". All the questions his grandchildren had during Sabbat dinners, got him started on his memoir----this book
He always had such a positive spirit, during bad times & good & his philosophy was to NOT be a victim & to not dwell on the past. The past is in the past, & to move forward you must not live & dwell on that but instead on what you CAN do!! I LOVED his spirit & his philosophy!! This is why I enjoyed this story do much. He didn't dwell on what happened to him, he didn't forget it but he didn't become a victim because of it. When he reached America he decided to start over fresh & start a new life & he did quite well for himself even though he had very little education by the time he attended school here in America. He was 14 & enrolled as a freshman in high school. He needed to take lessons during the summer prior to starting school do he could make it through. He loved different sports & did well in football & math. By graduation he was earning B's & B+. Then was enlisted to Korea during the Korean War
If you love memoirs, stories of inspiration & survival during adverse times, you'll love this book too!!
March 12, 2017
This was such a gripping book! I could not put it down- so powerful. Thank you Milton for your story.
January 4, 2017
I won Bread or Death from Goodreads giveaways and Concierge Marketing Book Publishing, so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
First off my thoughts go out to anyone who was in the Holocaust, those whom have survived and those that did not. I am always fascinated by all the different stories of WWII, most people think of just the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Germans, I knew little of the other aspects to this war. The Soviet Union's part they played is one such thing I have never explore. That being said, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this wonderful book. The author wrote this story from a child's perspective so it is a somewhat simple read but in that simplicity is a whole world on a little childs back! To have to kill a grown man just simply to survive as a 6 or 7 yo is unfathomable to me. To be torn out of an environment that you have know and then put into another and along the way lose a dad, and then siblings, then put into a home for children at such an early age just made my heart ache.
One of my favorite people other than Mendel was his mother. Oh what a mother she was!!! She is a perfect example of how a mothers love never quits. Fajga is one strong woman to be put through what she was and then still be the parent that provides and is strong for her children. Many times, as I was reading, I kept thinking and asking what I would have done? How brave would I have been?
I really enjoyed this book and all the memories the author shared. I can imagine it was not an easy task. I also appreciated how Mendel explained certain aspects of the war and even some the the jewish terms.
Thank you again Milton and to Goodreads and Concierge for the opportunity of reading this book.
"Anti-Semitism is a heavy burden. Living with anti-Semitism continuously is like having lice. It sticks to you all the time; it itches all the time, but if you can find a way to free yourself, you find a great freedom" -Milton Mendel Kleinberg
First off my thoughts go out to anyone who was in the Holocaust, those whom have survived and those that did not. I am always fascinated by all the different stories of WWII, most people think of just the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Germans, I knew little of the other aspects to this war. The Soviet Union's part they played is one such thing I have never explore. That being said, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this wonderful book. The author wrote this story from a child's perspective so it is a somewhat simple read but in that simplicity is a whole world on a little childs back! To have to kill a grown man just simply to survive as a 6 or 7 yo is unfathomable to me. To be torn out of an environment that you have know and then put into another and along the way lose a dad, and then siblings, then put into a home for children at such an early age just made my heart ache.
One of my favorite people other than Mendel was his mother. Oh what a mother she was!!! She is a perfect example of how a mothers love never quits. Fajga is one strong woman to be put through what she was and then still be the parent that provides and is strong for her children. Many times, as I was reading, I kept thinking and asking what I would have done? How brave would I have been?
I really enjoyed this book and all the memories the author shared. I can imagine it was not an easy task. I also appreciated how Mendel explained certain aspects of the war and even some the the jewish terms.
Thank you again Milton and to Goodreads and Concierge for the opportunity of reading this book.
"Anti-Semitism is a heavy burden. Living with anti-Semitism continuously is like having lice. It sticks to you all the time; it itches all the time, but if you can find a way to free yourself, you find a great freedom" -Milton Mendel Kleinberg
August 31, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Bread or Death is Milton Mendel Kleinberg’s memoir of his experiences as a Polish Jew during and in the aftermath of World War II. I have read a lot of stories about Polish Jews being rounded up by the Germans into ghettos and then deported to concentration camps. However, prior to reading this book, I did not realize that some Polish Jews ended up as prisoners of war in Russia. Mendel’s story shed a light on the plight of these people who were sent to the northern territories of Russia and to Uzbekistan. I have also not seen many stories continue on to cover the years after the war spent in displaced person camps until a new home could be found, and I enjoyed reading about that also. Interspersed throughout Mendel’s story are pages explaining what was happening with the war at large or providing more detail about what Mendel was experiencing. I found that very helpful, as I did not have to interrupt my reading to learn more details about things that intrigued me. There are also pictures scattered through the book showing either Mendel and his family or other people in the same situations his family faced. At the end of the story, there is a discussion guide, broken down in chapters; a glossary, and a timeline at the end of the book; a description of the Institute for the Holocaust Education, who helped provide the historical context for Mendel’s story; and an index to look up a specific topic quickly.
As Mr. Kleinberg mentions in his epilogue, many survivors never talked about what they lived through and took the secret to the grave with them; it is such a treasure that he has given us his experience in writing to remember even after he is gone. I believe anyone who enjoys World War II history will like this book.
Bread or Death is Milton Mendel Kleinberg’s memoir of his experiences as a Polish Jew during and in the aftermath of World War II. I have read a lot of stories about Polish Jews being rounded up by the Germans into ghettos and then deported to concentration camps. However, prior to reading this book, I did not realize that some Polish Jews ended up as prisoners of war in Russia. Mendel’s story shed a light on the plight of these people who were sent to the northern territories of Russia and to Uzbekistan. I have also not seen many stories continue on to cover the years after the war spent in displaced person camps until a new home could be found, and I enjoyed reading about that also. Interspersed throughout Mendel’s story are pages explaining what was happening with the war at large or providing more detail about what Mendel was experiencing. I found that very helpful, as I did not have to interrupt my reading to learn more details about things that intrigued me. There are also pictures scattered through the book showing either Mendel and his family or other people in the same situations his family faced. At the end of the story, there is a discussion guide, broken down in chapters; a glossary, and a timeline at the end of the book; a description of the Institute for the Holocaust Education, who helped provide the historical context for Mendel’s story; and an index to look up a specific topic quickly.
As Mr. Kleinberg mentions in his epilogue, many survivors never talked about what they lived through and took the secret to the grave with them; it is such a treasure that he has given us his experience in writing to remember even after he is gone. I believe anyone who enjoys World War II history will like this book.
November 6, 2016
I received a free copy of Bread or Death Memories of my Childhood During and After the Holocaust by Milton Mendel Kleinberg in exchange for an honest review. This book is a memoir that Milton Mendel Kleinberg, who began his life with the name Mendel Dawedowicz, wrote so that his grandchildren and future generations would know his story and never forget that the Holocaust happened. I am so glad he decided to share his story with others beside his family. His experience during the Holocaust was different than the stories I have read about. Mendel grew up in Pabianice, Poland. The Germans forced his family into cattle cars that led them on a journey across the Trans-Siberian Railway. Although Mendel and his family were not placed in concentration camps like the ones in Poland and Germany,
it does not mean that their life was any easier during this time. In Russia, Mendel experienced death, constant hunger and fear. His father abandoned him, his mother and two little brothers. Mendel witnessed the deaths of both his brothers. He was constantly hungry and cold. His life was always in danger. He had to live away from his mother in an orphanage.
I did not know a lot about the lives of Poland Jews who had to endure the Holocaust in Russia. It warms my heart to know that Mendel, now Milton, finally made it the United States. His memoir will ensure that his story is told. I recommend this book to all.
it does not mean that their life was any easier during this time. In Russia, Mendel experienced death, constant hunger and fear. His father abandoned him, his mother and two little brothers. Mendel witnessed the deaths of both his brothers. He was constantly hungry and cold. His life was always in danger. He had to live away from his mother in an orphanage.
I did not know a lot about the lives of Poland Jews who had to endure the Holocaust in Russia. It warms my heart to know that Mendel, now Milton, finally made it the United States. His memoir will ensure that his story is told. I recommend this book to all.
August 31, 2021
“From the time I was first vividly exposed to the Jewish Holocaust in 8th grade Literature class, a deep interest and insatiable drive to learn more of the courage and heartache faced by God’s chosen people, the Jew, was born. I had read many accounts of Jews surviving in Eastern Europe but very few survival stories of Jews from Russia and Ukraine under Stalin. I stumbled upon ‘Bread or Death’ in my search and it has been perhaps the best memoir I have ever read.
Mr. Kleinberg has a remarkable gift of describing in chronological detail the events taking place on the world stage (thus, creating a timetable) through the lens and perspective of a child. I cannot adequately describe what depth and perspective this gave me as the reader to know what was taking place both in the BIG world and inside the heart of a child simultaneously. I was blown away at his ability to transport me to a rail car passing through Russia as his dear mama lost her babies and most of the life she had known. I think this memoir is an absolute treasure. How much more, his voice resonates because there are so few Russian (Ukrainian) survival stories. Your mother was the heroine in this book; her will, her wit, her determination and her love; I could feel every emotion deep within my own heart. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank God He helped you to survive!”
Mr. Kleinberg has a remarkable gift of describing in chronological detail the events taking place on the world stage (thus, creating a timetable) through the lens and perspective of a child. I cannot adequately describe what depth and perspective this gave me as the reader to know what was taking place both in the BIG world and inside the heart of a child simultaneously. I was blown away at his ability to transport me to a rail car passing through Russia as his dear mama lost her babies and most of the life she had known. I think this memoir is an absolute treasure. How much more, his voice resonates because there are so few Russian (Ukrainian) survival stories. Your mother was the heroine in this book; her will, her wit, her determination and her love; I could feel every emotion deep within my own heart. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank God He helped you to survive!”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2016
I received this book for free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I felt that this book did an excellent job of portraying the barbarity of war and of the Holocaust through vivid imagery and narrative. It became very clear throughout the course of the book the depths to which people could fall in times of desperation, so that an eight-year-old boy could end up in a situation where he could stab an adult man with a knife in order to save his friend. While at times the language was choppy or simplistic, the relationships and the characters came through very clearly, and when plot points were confusing it was obviously a reflection of the confusion of war and of uncertain times. It was also very unusual for me to read a Holocaust memoir that did not take place primarily in concentration camps, but instead showed the experience that many other people went through during WWII as they were relocated from place to place, suffering disease and malnutrition and being constantly surrounded by death. As a necessary result, the occasional reflections on religion and ultimate purpose were very weighty.
I felt that this book did an excellent job of portraying the barbarity of war and of the Holocaust through vivid imagery and narrative. It became very clear throughout the course of the book the depths to which people could fall in times of desperation, so that an eight-year-old boy could end up in a situation where he could stab an adult man with a knife in order to save his friend. While at times the language was choppy or simplistic, the relationships and the characters came through very clearly, and when plot points were confusing it was obviously a reflection of the confusion of war and of uncertain times. It was also very unusual for me to read a Holocaust memoir that did not take place primarily in concentration camps, but instead showed the experience that many other people went through during WWII as they were relocated from place to place, suffering disease and malnutrition and being constantly surrounded by death. As a necessary result, the occasional reflections on religion and ultimate purpose were very weighty.
March 23, 2022
I enjoyed this Memoir of Milton Kleinberg's life during WWII. This was a different aspect of the war from any I've read in the past as Mendel and his Jewish Polish family travel for months by train to Russia. While they endured many tragedies and near starvation, the outcome of their decision to go to Russia certainly ended up a better choice than being shipped to a concentration camp. Mendel was able to continue some schooling where he learned to fight and survive at a very young age. His mother's determination and courage is beyond admirable, made even more so through the death of two of her children. The book continues on into Milton's adult life, marriage and his work choices. I believe this was the first book I've read that told of this side of the war.
February 3, 2015
We often think As German Concentration Camp during WWII, yet many Jews were re-located to Russia at the start of the conflict. This is the story of a family taken from Poland and moved to a camp in Uzbekistan. It is the story of MILTON MENDEL KLEINBERG at the young age of three: removed from his family dwelling and sent on a three month train trip to Russia by Nazi soldiers. Escaping a more horrible existence then the Death Camps, but none the less losing much of his family, none the less.
Making the best as a young child forced to survive, the story gripos the reader as Kienberg remembers the struggles he was forced to use to survive.
Making the best as a young child forced to survive, the story gripos the reader as Kienberg remembers the struggles he was forced to use to survive.
May 3, 2015
Such a beautifully written book! I was lucky enough to receive this as a free First Read. I have always been interested in the Holocaust as we were Jewish descendants. Most of my relatives were killed and the few who survived were unwilling to talk about it.
Thank You for not letting anybody forget!
Truly gives a vivid picture of what true horrors that occurred under Hitlers regime.
I would suggest this book as a class room history and this did happen.
I can say I cried as the author described the horrible atrocities inflicted upon them and his family. I think every one should read.
Thank You,Mr.Kleinberg for your accounts of the truth.
Thank You for not letting anybody forget!
Truly gives a vivid picture of what true horrors that occurred under Hitlers regime.
I would suggest this book as a class room history and this did happen.
I can say I cried as the author described the horrible atrocities inflicted upon them and his family. I think every one should read.
Thank You,Mr.Kleinberg for your accounts of the truth.
September 11, 2016
This memoir is very readable, told in a conversational voice and from the viewpoint of a child - not an adult looking back. While not a whitewash of events, the various events are related in a gentle manner. Mr Kleinberg, after all, initially wrote it for his grandchildren. It can be shared with older children. I certainly plan to share it with my friends and their children.
Mr Kleinberg’s childhood was upturned by the Nazis (may their names be blotted out). However, instead of spending the war years in the camps or in hiding, Mr Kleinberg was among those “fortunate enough” to spend the time in Soviet Russia.
I received a review copy from the publisher for review purposes.
Mr Kleinberg’s childhood was upturned by the Nazis (may their names be blotted out). However, instead of spending the war years in the camps or in hiding, Mr Kleinberg was among those “fortunate enough” to spend the time in Soviet Russia.
I received a review copy from the publisher for review purposes.
May 28, 2015
this is the second book that i won in a goodreads giveaway. i have read many books on the holocaust. i have friends whose parents were tattoed. my father was a witness. while this wasn't the best book i read about the holocaust. but i am happy to have another person write their story down, for the naysayers....my father always told me, don't believe when people say it didn't happen....it did....he saw it with his own eyes....
February 5, 2015
I received this book through Giveaways, and I am grateful.
I learned more about the holocaust than I previously knew. I was unaware of the Russian side of this terrible event. I am happy that Mr. Kleinberg wrote this book as it is a record of events that I have not before heard of. I could not put the book down and enjoyed reading it. It is very educating and moving.
I learned more about the holocaust than I previously knew. I was unaware of the Russian side of this terrible event. I am happy that Mr. Kleinberg wrote this book as it is a record of events that I have not before heard of. I could not put the book down and enjoyed reading it. It is very educating and moving.
April 4, 2015
Mr. Kleinberg, a fellow Omahan, wanted his grandchildren to understand his childhood, so he wrote this book. He is Jewish, was born in Poland, and lived through the Holocaust. I don't want to give any more of the story away, but would encourage others to read it ... especially our privileged American children who can't conceive of this childhood.
February 8, 2015
The gripping story of a young boy who survived the holocaust after being sent to Russia and his travels through Uzbekistan and other camps. It was interesting because we do not think of other camps like these in the reads about the holocaust. The bravery and intelligence of this young man as he manages to live in spite of horrors inflicted on him and his family is a testament to his will to live.
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