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Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World
Not yet published
Expected 20 Jan 26A powerful exploration of the books created by Jewish Holocaust survivors to honor their lost world
By the close of World War II, six million Jews had been erased from the face of the earth. Those who eluded death had lost their homes, families, and entire way of life. Their response was quintessentially Jewish. From a people with a long-history of self-narration, survivors gathered in groups and wrote books, yizkor books, remembering all that had been destroyed. Jane Ziegelman’s Once There Was a Town takes readers on a journey through this largely uncharted body of writing and the vanished world it depicts.
Once There Was a Town resounds with the voices of rich and poor, shopkeepers and tradespeople, scholars and peddlers, Zionists and Communists, men and women telling stories of the towns that were their homes. Stops are made in the bustling market squares where Jewish merchants catered to local farmers; study houses where men recited Torah; kitchens where homemakers baked 20-pound loaves of bread; cemeteries where mourners conversed with departed loved ones and wooded groves where young couples met for the occasional moonlit tryst. Of the many towns on Ziegelman’s itinerary, she always circles back to Luboml, her family’s ancestral shtetl and the point of departure for her own journey of discovery.
In conversation with classics by IB Singer and Roman Vishniac, Once There Was a Town is a landmark of rediscovery, and a love song to a vanished world.
By the close of World War II, six million Jews had been erased from the face of the earth. Those who eluded death had lost their homes, families, and entire way of life. Their response was quintessentially Jewish. From a people with a long-history of self-narration, survivors gathered in groups and wrote books, yizkor books, remembering all that had been destroyed. Jane Ziegelman’s Once There Was a Town takes readers on a journey through this largely uncharted body of writing and the vanished world it depicts.
Once There Was a Town resounds with the voices of rich and poor, shopkeepers and tradespeople, scholars and peddlers, Zionists and Communists, men and women telling stories of the towns that were their homes. Stops are made in the bustling market squares where Jewish merchants catered to local farmers; study houses where men recited Torah; kitchens where homemakers baked 20-pound loaves of bread; cemeteries where mourners conversed with departed loved ones and wooded groves where young couples met for the occasional moonlit tryst. Of the many towns on Ziegelman’s itinerary, she always circles back to Luboml, her family’s ancestral shtetl and the point of departure for her own journey of discovery.
In conversation with classics by IB Singer and Roman Vishniac, Once There Was a Town is a landmark of rediscovery, and a love song to a vanished world.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 20, 2026
6 people are currently reading
5382 people want to read
About the author
Jane Ziegelman
5 books62 followersJane Ziegelman is the director of the Tenement Museum's culinary center and the founder and director of Kids Cook!, a multiethnic cooking program for children.
Her writing on food has appeared in numerous publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Her writing on food has appeared in numerous publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 9, 2025
The title intrigued me, and I wasn’t disappointed. The author gives the history of the Jewish Memory Books. Then she tells the story of the destruction of a town in Poland by the Nazis during World War II. Laced in the book is her on personal family stories.
In this time of world uncertainty, this book is a must-read to cement in the facts of the Nazi atrocities which we should never forget.
In this time of world uncertainty, this book is a must-read to cement in the facts of the Nazi atrocities which we should never forget.
December 11, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 20, 2026
“Yizor” books are collections of memories, anecdotes and family histories of Jewish communities, long forgotten or torn apart by war and antisemitism. In “Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World”, author Jane Ziegelman used the stories collected in her family’s “yizor” (and others) from a small, now non-existent town in Poland as the basis for her new book.
Most people are familiar with the tragedies of the Holocaust and the indignities that the Jewish community suffered at the hands of the Nazi’s, but there were everyday atrocities that plagued Jewish communities that we are likely less familiar with, and these are the stories told in “Town”. Ziegelman is proud of her heritage and her family, and she shares their stories as well as others, to ensure readers get as much information as possible.
“Town” is a deep dive into the Jewish faith and its different facets, from the extreme to the less devout, and it speaks of the foods, stories and traditions that make up the Jewish faith. I found these details interesting and educational, as my understanding of the faith and traditions of the Jewish people are by no means expansive. Obviously, the traumas suffered by the community, especially during the Holocaust, were devastating, and Ziegelman helps readers understand on a more personal level, by connecting them with individuals and families who experienced it.
“Town” does not have one protagonist telling their story but is, instead, a collection of experiences from a former Jewish community in Poland. It is more of an examination of storytelling in the Jewish culture and how it has aided to preserve parts of history that would otherwise be lost.
Ziegelman is known for her cultural cookbooks and “Town” is her first non-culinary book and, although both genres are extremely different, “Town” is well-written, well-researched and emotional. It is more than just “another World War Two” story of the Holocaust and those afflicted, but instead it examines the Jewish culture and traditions, with the war as a backdrop, as an influence on these traditions and culture and not as the starring role.
Unique and educational, “Town” won’t be for everyone, but it provides a lot of information on parts of Judaism that are not known, beyond the Holocaust and its tragedies. “Town” is a story of a community and its people and the stories that connect them.
Expected publication date: Jan. 20, 2026
“Yizor” books are collections of memories, anecdotes and family histories of Jewish communities, long forgotten or torn apart by war and antisemitism. In “Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World”, author Jane Ziegelman used the stories collected in her family’s “yizor” (and others) from a small, now non-existent town in Poland as the basis for her new book.
Most people are familiar with the tragedies of the Holocaust and the indignities that the Jewish community suffered at the hands of the Nazi’s, but there were everyday atrocities that plagued Jewish communities that we are likely less familiar with, and these are the stories told in “Town”. Ziegelman is proud of her heritage and her family, and she shares their stories as well as others, to ensure readers get as much information as possible.
“Town” is a deep dive into the Jewish faith and its different facets, from the extreme to the less devout, and it speaks of the foods, stories and traditions that make up the Jewish faith. I found these details interesting and educational, as my understanding of the faith and traditions of the Jewish people are by no means expansive. Obviously, the traumas suffered by the community, especially during the Holocaust, were devastating, and Ziegelman helps readers understand on a more personal level, by connecting them with individuals and families who experienced it.
“Town” does not have one protagonist telling their story but is, instead, a collection of experiences from a former Jewish community in Poland. It is more of an examination of storytelling in the Jewish culture and how it has aided to preserve parts of history that would otherwise be lost.
Ziegelman is known for her cultural cookbooks and “Town” is her first non-culinary book and, although both genres are extremely different, “Town” is well-written, well-researched and emotional. It is more than just “another World War Two” story of the Holocaust and those afflicted, but instead it examines the Jewish culture and traditions, with the war as a backdrop, as an influence on these traditions and culture and not as the starring role.
Unique and educational, “Town” won’t be for everyone, but it provides a lot of information on parts of Judaism that are not known, beyond the Holocaust and its tragedies. “Town” is a story of a community and its people and the stories that connect them.
December 11, 2025
After the Holocaust, since entire shtetls had been reduced to just a handful of survivors, people across continents came together to put together yizkor books to record their collective memories of these vanished places.
I have never heard of yizkor books, nor knew much about life in the shtetls before or during World War 2. As such this book provides a comprehensive overview with a strong personal touch, as the author interweaves the words of the people who lived there with her own family stories as a typical example of the place. I liked how the author arranged the themes by chapter, giving us glimpses in the work they did, the food they ate, the stories they told, how they prayed, and more.
I did think the book was a bit more limited in scope than I first assumed - though the author does briefly discuss other towns and other yizkor books, the focus remains on Luboml, from where her grandparents came. While the author does use these family histories cleverly to illustrate the theme being discussed in each chapter, I wished we'd gotten other stories too - yizkor books seem to have been full of anecdotes, but we only hear a few. I also thought the writer's style was a bit dry for my taste.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I have never heard of yizkor books, nor knew much about life in the shtetls before or during World War 2. As such this book provides a comprehensive overview with a strong personal touch, as the author interweaves the words of the people who lived there with her own family stories as a typical example of the place. I liked how the author arranged the themes by chapter, giving us glimpses in the work they did, the food they ate, the stories they told, how they prayed, and more.
I did think the book was a bit more limited in scope than I first assumed - though the author does briefly discuss other towns and other yizkor books, the focus remains on Luboml, from where her grandparents came. While the author does use these family histories cleverly to illustrate the theme being discussed in each chapter, I wished we'd gotten other stories too - yizkor books seem to have been full of anecdotes, but we only hear a few. I also thought the writer's style was a bit dry for my taste.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 21, 2025
World War II took an immense toll on the Jewish people of the market town of Luboml. The author provides insight into these atrocities by recounting portions of the Yizkor book. Prior to reading this work, I was unfamiliar with Yizkor books. As I read, I conducted research alongside the text to better understand the events discussed. One of the first things I explored was the meaning of a Yizkor book. These memorial books were created by former Jewish residents whose communities were destroyed during the war.
The Yizkor book offers insight into religious observances, traditional foods, patterns of migration, and the survivors’ efforts to rebuild their lives in America. This material was deeply impactful and fostered empathy and understanding as I read. I also learned several Yiddish words and their meanings, as well as a great deal about the author’s family experiences across multiple generations.
I recommend this book because it is essential that we learn about the atrocities that have affected so many people throughout history. Whether those atrocities stem from racism, antisemitism, or other forms of hatred, we must acknowledge them, reflect on their impact, and allow that knowledge to guide us toward empathy, understanding, and meaningful humanistic work. Only then can we move forward in a way that is better than the past.
The Yizkor book offers insight into religious observances, traditional foods, patterns of migration, and the survivors’ efforts to rebuild their lives in America. This material was deeply impactful and fostered empathy and understanding as I read. I also learned several Yiddish words and their meanings, as well as a great deal about the author’s family experiences across multiple generations.
I recommend this book because it is essential that we learn about the atrocities that have affected so many people throughout history. Whether those atrocities stem from racism, antisemitism, or other forms of hatred, we must acknowledge them, reflect on their impact, and allow that knowledge to guide us toward empathy, understanding, and meaningful humanistic work. Only then can we move forward in a way that is better than the past.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is an exceptional book! It is a memoir of sorts- it includes many of the author's memories but also facts about yizkor books. I was fascinated with the variety of yizkor books! They often included quotes from the old testament, maps and visual images.
There are many heart wrenching parts of the book. From the German occupation to the Soviet occupation, many Jewish and Polish lives were lost. These events are in the past but sadly antisemitism seems to be on the rise again. This book serves as a reminder that history should never be forgotten.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There are many heart wrenching parts of the book. From the German occupation to the Soviet occupation, many Jewish and Polish lives were lost. These events are in the past but sadly antisemitism seems to be on the rise again. This book serves as a reminder that history should never be forgotten.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Memory and remembrance are important for Jews. And yizkor books allow us to remember the ones we have lost and even the ones we never knew through the written voice of the yizkor books.
This book in particular not only explains the tradition but also what we can find within multiple examples. We take trips to various shtetls (shtetlen?) that no longer exist. But Yizkor books allow us also to remember places that have 'died' or are no longer what they once were. For instance, the town we follow through the decades used to be called Luboml in what was Poland with the highest percentage of Jewish population in all of Poland. Now it is Liuboml in Ukraine (Libevne in Yiddish). The city changed and grew over the decades and in the decades since the end of the Holocaust, growing to over three times what it was when we first meet the city. I know this thanks to a feeling that compelled me to know the fate of this specific town. And though it absolutely isn't the same as it was in the 19th Century, at least it survived in some way where so many towns simply just disappeared off the map entirely. Both from the Holodomor and the Holocaust.
Interspersed through the tracing of the fate of Luboml (Liuboml), we gain stories of the author's family both through word of mouth and excerpts from letters the author has though said letters are scant in the present day.
The trail starts from the later years of the shtetl to the Holocaust, recounted through yizkor books the whole way.
This book can, of course, also be considered extremely useful from a cultural anthropological standpoint. It recounts not just the Yizkor book tradition but the culture of Hasidic Jews from the 19th century onward. As a Reform Jew, I know little about the traditions of my Hasidic cousins.
There are some parts that feel slightly disjointed, could probably flow a bit better. But you can feel the love the author has for her family and the love that the Yizkor book authors had for their homes.
We all need a place to call home. We all feel sometimes in some small way that the towns and cities love us in return. And towns with large populations of Jews before the Holocaust only to lose them almost entirely after, deserve to be remembered, if not by its residents then by us. The same way we, at least in the Jewish tradition, remember our blessed dead, we should remember dead towns, as well.
I would suggest anyone interested in Jewish history, the Holocaust, Soviet history, or just history in general to read this book. Yizkor books were a labor of love, and this book was also a labor of love and remembrance.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free copy of this book. I was unpaid and am unaffiliated with the publisher.
This book in particular not only explains the tradition but also what we can find within multiple examples. We take trips to various shtetls (shtetlen?) that no longer exist. But Yizkor books allow us also to remember places that have 'died' or are no longer what they once were. For instance, the town we follow through the decades used to be called Luboml in what was Poland with the highest percentage of Jewish population in all of Poland. Now it is Liuboml in Ukraine (Libevne in Yiddish). The city changed and grew over the decades and in the decades since the end of the Holocaust, growing to over three times what it was when we first meet the city. I know this thanks to a feeling that compelled me to know the fate of this specific town. And though it absolutely isn't the same as it was in the 19th Century, at least it survived in some way where so many towns simply just disappeared off the map entirely. Both from the Holodomor and the Holocaust.
Interspersed through the tracing of the fate of Luboml (Liuboml), we gain stories of the author's family both through word of mouth and excerpts from letters the author has though said letters are scant in the present day.
The trail starts from the later years of the shtetl to the Holocaust, recounted through yizkor books the whole way.
This book can, of course, also be considered extremely useful from a cultural anthropological standpoint. It recounts not just the Yizkor book tradition but the culture of Hasidic Jews from the 19th century onward. As a Reform Jew, I know little about the traditions of my Hasidic cousins.
There are some parts that feel slightly disjointed, could probably flow a bit better. But you can feel the love the author has for her family and the love that the Yizkor book authors had for their homes.
We all need a place to call home. We all feel sometimes in some small way that the towns and cities love us in return. And towns with large populations of Jews before the Holocaust only to lose them almost entirely after, deserve to be remembered, if not by its residents then by us. The same way we, at least in the Jewish tradition, remember our blessed dead, we should remember dead towns, as well.
I would suggest anyone interested in Jewish history, the Holocaust, Soviet history, or just history in general to read this book. Yizkor books were a labor of love, and this book was also a labor of love and remembrance.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free copy of this book. I was unpaid and am unaffiliated with the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Once There Was a Town is a moving and deeply reflective work that reminds us why the act of remembering—and the discipline of recording those memories—matters not only to individuals, but to entire cultures. Through its intimate portraits of a community that no longer exists, the book becomes far more than a historical narrative; it becomes a testament to the power of collective memory.
At its core, Once There Was a Town is about reclamation. It gathers stories, fragments, testimonies, and recollections of a place lost to time and, in doing so, reassembles a world that would otherwise vanish from human consciousness. The author treats memory not as a static archive, but as a living thread connecting past to present. Every detail: daily routines, traditions, relationships, celebrations, serves as a reminder that history is built from ordinary lives, and that each life is worthy of being remembered.
One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in how it models historiography; the study of how we write history and why it matters. The author doesn’t simply recount events; they examine the process of preserving those events, calling attention to the fragility and responsibility inherent in historical record-keeping. By showing how memories are gathered, contested, and ultimately shaped into narrative, the book highlights that history is not inevitable or self-sustaining. It must be consciously preserved.
This theme resonates especially powerfully today. In an age when information can be lost as quickly as it is produced, Once There Was a Town argues for intentional remembrance. It urges us to document our family stories, safeguard community histories, and preserve the experiences that define who we are. The book demonstrates that memory is not merely personal—it is cultural, intergenerational, and foundational to identity.
For future generations, these records become guideposts. They offer insight into how people lived, loved, endured, and adapted. They provide warnings and wisdom, continuity and context. They ensure that those who came before us are not erased, and that their lives continue to speak into our own.
Ultimately, Once There Was a Town is more than a recollection of a vanished place; it is a quiet call to action. It asks readers to become stewards of memory, to value the histories woven into their own families and communities, and to take seriously the task of passing those stories forward. It reminds us that the past survives only when we choose to carry it—and that in doing so, we build a richer, more connected world for those who follow.
At its core, Once There Was a Town is about reclamation. It gathers stories, fragments, testimonies, and recollections of a place lost to time and, in doing so, reassembles a world that would otherwise vanish from human consciousness. The author treats memory not as a static archive, but as a living thread connecting past to present. Every detail: daily routines, traditions, relationships, celebrations, serves as a reminder that history is built from ordinary lives, and that each life is worthy of being remembered.
One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in how it models historiography; the study of how we write history and why it matters. The author doesn’t simply recount events; they examine the process of preserving those events, calling attention to the fragility and responsibility inherent in historical record-keeping. By showing how memories are gathered, contested, and ultimately shaped into narrative, the book highlights that history is not inevitable or self-sustaining. It must be consciously preserved.
This theme resonates especially powerfully today. In an age when information can be lost as quickly as it is produced, Once There Was a Town argues for intentional remembrance. It urges us to document our family stories, safeguard community histories, and preserve the experiences that define who we are. The book demonstrates that memory is not merely personal—it is cultural, intergenerational, and foundational to identity.
For future generations, these records become guideposts. They offer insight into how people lived, loved, endured, and adapted. They provide warnings and wisdom, continuity and context. They ensure that those who came before us are not erased, and that their lives continue to speak into our own.
Ultimately, Once There Was a Town is more than a recollection of a vanished place; it is a quiet call to action. It asks readers to become stewards of memory, to value the histories woven into their own families and communities, and to take seriously the task of passing those stories forward. It reminds us that the past survives only when we choose to carry it—and that in doing so, we build a richer, more connected world for those who follow.
December 20, 2025
Book review: Jane Ziegelman Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World.
St. Martin’s Press, with heartfelt thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.
This is one of those books that asks you to slow down and listen. Not skim, not rush, not read with one eye on the clock. Jane Ziegelman invites the reader into a quiet, deliberate act of remembrance, and once you step inside, it feels almost disrespectful to hurry. I expected a history lesson. What I got instead was a deeply human meditation on memory, loss, and the stubborn will to record a life even after that life has been violently interrupted.
At the center of this book are yizkor books, memorial volumes created by Jewish Holocaust survivors to honor the towns and communities that were destroyed. Ziegelman explains their origins, structure, and purpose, but what makes this work so compelling is how personal it feels. By circling back again and again to Luboml, her family’s ancestral shtetl, she gives the reader something solid to hold onto. This isn’t abstract history. It’s names, kitchens, schools, marketplaces, arguments, prayers, and recipes. It’s people being people right up until history refuses to let them continue.
What struck me most was how much life is here. There is grief, of course, but before that comes texture. Muddy roads and crowded markets. Massive loaves of bread baked for hours. Study houses humming with debate. Young couples stealing moments of privacy. These details matter, and Ziegelman treats them with reverence. She understands that genocide doesn’t just erase bodies, it erases routines, jokes, rivalries, and the thousand small habits that make a place feel like home.
The writing is thoughtful and restrained, which makes its emotional weight even stronger. Ziegelman never needs to overstate the horror. She trusts the reader to feel it on their own, especially once the inevitable destruction arrives. One line in particular stopped me completely: “To remember a town is to insist that it once mattered, even if the world tried to erase it.” That sentence feels like the spine of the entire book.
I also appreciated how this book examines the act of recording history itself. Yizkor books were not neutral documents. They were created by grieving people, often across continents, arguing over details, tone, and meaning. Ziegelman doesn’t smooth over those tensions. She lets us see memory as messy, emotional, and imperfect, which only makes it more honest. This is history shaped by love and loss, not distance.
Once There Was a Town is not a traditional Holocaust narrative focused solely on camps and death marches. Those realities are present, but they are not the whole story. This book insists that Jewish life before destruction deserves just as much attention as Jewish death during it. That insistence feels especially urgent now.
This is not a book I sped through. I read it slowly, sometimes putting it down just to sit with what I’d absorbed. By the end, I felt changed in a quiet way. More aware of how fragile memory is, and how powerful it can be when someone takes the time to preserve it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
#OnceThereWasaTown #JaneZiegelman #BookReview #NonfictionReview #HolocaustHistory #JewishHistory #YizkorBooks #HistoryBooks #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMartinsPress
St. Martin’s Press, with heartfelt thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.
This is one of those books that asks you to slow down and listen. Not skim, not rush, not read with one eye on the clock. Jane Ziegelman invites the reader into a quiet, deliberate act of remembrance, and once you step inside, it feels almost disrespectful to hurry. I expected a history lesson. What I got instead was a deeply human meditation on memory, loss, and the stubborn will to record a life even after that life has been violently interrupted.
At the center of this book are yizkor books, memorial volumes created by Jewish Holocaust survivors to honor the towns and communities that were destroyed. Ziegelman explains their origins, structure, and purpose, but what makes this work so compelling is how personal it feels. By circling back again and again to Luboml, her family’s ancestral shtetl, she gives the reader something solid to hold onto. This isn’t abstract history. It’s names, kitchens, schools, marketplaces, arguments, prayers, and recipes. It’s people being people right up until history refuses to let them continue.
What struck me most was how much life is here. There is grief, of course, but before that comes texture. Muddy roads and crowded markets. Massive loaves of bread baked for hours. Study houses humming with debate. Young couples stealing moments of privacy. These details matter, and Ziegelman treats them with reverence. She understands that genocide doesn’t just erase bodies, it erases routines, jokes, rivalries, and the thousand small habits that make a place feel like home.
The writing is thoughtful and restrained, which makes its emotional weight even stronger. Ziegelman never needs to overstate the horror. She trusts the reader to feel it on their own, especially once the inevitable destruction arrives. One line in particular stopped me completely: “To remember a town is to insist that it once mattered, even if the world tried to erase it.” That sentence feels like the spine of the entire book.
I also appreciated how this book examines the act of recording history itself. Yizkor books were not neutral documents. They were created by grieving people, often across continents, arguing over details, tone, and meaning. Ziegelman doesn’t smooth over those tensions. She lets us see memory as messy, emotional, and imperfect, which only makes it more honest. This is history shaped by love and loss, not distance.
Once There Was a Town is not a traditional Holocaust narrative focused solely on camps and death marches. Those realities are present, but they are not the whole story. This book insists that Jewish life before destruction deserves just as much attention as Jewish death during it. That insistence feels especially urgent now.
This is not a book I sped through. I read it slowly, sometimes putting it down just to sit with what I’d absorbed. By the end, I felt changed in a quiet way. More aware of how fragile memory is, and how powerful it can be when someone takes the time to preserve it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
#OnceThereWasaTown #JaneZiegelman #BookReview #NonfictionReview #HolocaustHistory #JewishHistory #YizkorBooks #HistoryBooks #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMartinsPress
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’m not sure what I was expecting out of Once There Was a Town. I think it was more survivor stories from those who lived through the Holocaust.
It is kind of that, but it is more about the culture and traditions of the European Jews who lived in shtetls, many of which ceased to exist at the end of World War II, leaving those that survived and hadn’t already emigrated to America or Israel in search of a new place they could call home, where they might be welcomed.
Grieving their home, community, and dead, survivors around the world tried to work together to create yizkor books that told the history of their shtetl through the vibrant stories of its people and the tragedies and mistreatment they were often the victims of.
I have never read a yizkor book, nor am I Jewish, but I see Ziegelman incorporating elements that are probably similar to one, telling stories of her grandmother and great uncles coming to America, the challenges they faced in getting here, the working conditions once they did, and the things they’ve done to keep their religion and traditions alive and passed along in a new world.
Ziegelman also recounts other stories held in yizkor books and historical events that occurred between the two world wars, reminding readers that discrimination against Jews didn’t begin with Hitler coming to power in Germany.
It’s also a great introduction to many Jewish traditions for those not familiar with Judaism, especially its more devout practitioners. Not unlike many other religions, women were regarded as lesser and a temptation for men. Not being a practitioner of any of these religions it is always hard for me to read about women being treated as lesser, or being expected to censor or hide themselves to avoid “tempting” men, instead of men being expected to have the willpower and strength to live equally beside women, and being found lacking and punished if they cannot. No wonder I root for the modernizations that provide more balance and freedom.
At times the book feels a bit repetitive, and some of the chapters seem to start on one topic only to meander into something different by chapters end. But overall it was interesting introduction to shtetls and Jewish culture and history during the twentieth century.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It is kind of that, but it is more about the culture and traditions of the European Jews who lived in shtetls, many of which ceased to exist at the end of World War II, leaving those that survived and hadn’t already emigrated to America or Israel in search of a new place they could call home, where they might be welcomed.
Grieving their home, community, and dead, survivors around the world tried to work together to create yizkor books that told the history of their shtetl through the vibrant stories of its people and the tragedies and mistreatment they were often the victims of.
I have never read a yizkor book, nor am I Jewish, but I see Ziegelman incorporating elements that are probably similar to one, telling stories of her grandmother and great uncles coming to America, the challenges they faced in getting here, the working conditions once they did, and the things they’ve done to keep their religion and traditions alive and passed along in a new world.
Ziegelman also recounts other stories held in yizkor books and historical events that occurred between the two world wars, reminding readers that discrimination against Jews didn’t begin with Hitler coming to power in Germany.
It’s also a great introduction to many Jewish traditions for those not familiar with Judaism, especially its more devout practitioners. Not unlike many other religions, women were regarded as lesser and a temptation for men. Not being a practitioner of any of these religions it is always hard for me to read about women being treated as lesser, or being expected to censor or hide themselves to avoid “tempting” men, instead of men being expected to have the willpower and strength to live equally beside women, and being found lacking and punished if they cannot. No wonder I root for the modernizations that provide more balance and freedom.
At times the book feels a bit repetitive, and some of the chapters seem to start on one topic only to meander into something different by chapters end. But overall it was interesting introduction to shtetls and Jewish culture and history during the twentieth century.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 22, 2025
Although I had heard of the Yizkor books, I had no real knowledge of their history. As the author explains early on, it's long. Even the Biblical book of Lamentation, I believe credited to Jeremiah, might be considered the first example of what might be called "Jewish disaster literature". It tells of the destruction of the Temple and an era of Jewish exile. To be simplistic, these books attempt to capture the history and times as well as the individual names of those caught up in disaster. They tend to run from 400-800 pages when complete and provide the link that connects past to present and, yes, future. The objective, as directed by scripture, is remembrance. While names of those killed or passed are certainly given, they also capture a snapshot of the life these people and/or village lived.
Ironically, I started this book just before the Bondi Beach attack, so one has to imagine that event will eventually make its way into a vizkor book. The author's focus, however, is largely on the now long-gone town of Lubomi, Poland, where many of her ancestors came from. She knew little of that story growing up but not just Lubomi but many other villages disappeared during WWII. Totally. They are remembered, however, by the presence of Vizkor memories captured in writing. While the author detours away to other places at times, her focus remains on her family's past hometown. Besides names, it includes memories of personal life, one of my favorites being the time-consuming baking of a huge amount of bread. Their ordinary lives remind us not to forget. As you read, a community seemingly erased by history comes to life. The people are no long mere statistics but living, breathing people. People who were part of the author's family.
I'm not going to detail the stories, that would be unfair to not just the reader but the subjects, but it's very human and obviously heartfelt. While I did feel the pace slowed here and there, perhaps that was actually a good thing as it gave my mind time to process all I was reading. The author's occasional detours to other sites is also a reminder that Lubomi wasn't an isolated, one time instance. It is part of history and deserves to be remembered. Thanks #StMartin'sPress for this early look at such a meaningful book.
Ironically, I started this book just before the Bondi Beach attack, so one has to imagine that event will eventually make its way into a vizkor book. The author's focus, however, is largely on the now long-gone town of Lubomi, Poland, where many of her ancestors came from. She knew little of that story growing up but not just Lubomi but many other villages disappeared during WWII. Totally. They are remembered, however, by the presence of Vizkor memories captured in writing. While the author detours away to other places at times, her focus remains on her family's past hometown. Besides names, it includes memories of personal life, one of my favorites being the time-consuming baking of a huge amount of bread. Their ordinary lives remind us not to forget. As you read, a community seemingly erased by history comes to life. The people are no long mere statistics but living, breathing people. People who were part of the author's family.
I'm not going to detail the stories, that would be unfair to not just the reader but the subjects, but it's very human and obviously heartfelt. While I did feel the pace slowed here and there, perhaps that was actually a good thing as it gave my mind time to process all I was reading. The author's occasional detours to other sites is also a reminder that Lubomi wasn't an isolated, one time instance. It is part of history and deserves to be remembered. Thanks #StMartin'sPress for this early look at such a meaningful book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jane Ziegelman begins Once There Was a Town by explaining that “While some cultures honor the dead with pyramids or triumphal arches, Jews have traditionally built monuments of paper and ink.” Thus, the existence of yizkor books, volumes of stories, pictures, art and poems written to remember people and places. Although the first known yizkor book was written in Nuremberg, Germany in the 13th century, most of the 1800 existing books were written the the second half of the 20th century, as a means to ensure that Jews and the shtetl life that disappeared during World War II would never be forgotten.
Ziegelman has centered the book on her own family, and their hometown of Luboml, Poland (now part of Ukraine), but she includes voices from several books that originated in Eastern Europe. She starts by quoting narratives from various books (an extensive bibliography and citations are included at the end of the book) about daily life; customs, markets, school, traditions. As the book progresses she moves forward in time to describe yizkor book stories of life during the Holocaust. All of the stories were educational and very moving, but the Holocaust stories hit hard. We seldom hear first person accounts of what happened in these small towns from the point of view of the Jews who lived there or whose relatives survived to tell the story. No Jews currently live in Luboml.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of this information, and it’s hard to describe the effect of this book. It is very readable, if sometimes difficult, and brings people and places to modern readers in a way that illuminates but doesn’t preach. I learned so much, and it will stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Ziegelman has centered the book on her own family, and their hometown of Luboml, Poland (now part of Ukraine), but she includes voices from several books that originated in Eastern Europe. She starts by quoting narratives from various books (an extensive bibliography and citations are included at the end of the book) about daily life; customs, markets, school, traditions. As the book progresses she moves forward in time to describe yizkor book stories of life during the Holocaust. All of the stories were educational and very moving, but the Holocaust stories hit hard. We seldom hear first person accounts of what happened in these small towns from the point of view of the Jews who lived there or whose relatives survived to tell the story. No Jews currently live in Luboml.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of this information, and it’s hard to describe the effect of this book. It is very readable, if sometimes difficult, and brings people and places to modern readers in a way that illuminates but doesn’t preach. I learned so much, and it will stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 stars for for an illuminating book about the Memory books of Jewish communities in pre WWII Eastern Europe. This book is the result of the author asking questions about family members not present and receiving evasive answers. Her grandmother and 3 brothers emigrated from a town in Poland called Luboml They would say "I got out," instead of "i left Poland in such and such a year."
These memory books were called "yizkor," which comes from the Hebrew word lizkor, "to remember."
A quote: "While some cultures honor the dead with pyramids or triumphal arches, Jews have traditionally built monuments of paper and ink. In the face of violent and persistent upheaval, yizkor books were a source of continuity, links in the 'golden chain' that connected one generation to the next."
A second quote: "The oldest surviving yizkor book was written in Nuremberg in 1296 to coincide with the dedication of the town's new synagogue."
While many of these books were destroyed by the N**is in WWII, the surviving ones have been collected by scholars and are stored in Israel. They are available digitally, based on the extensive source footnotes cited in this informative book. I recommend it to readers interested in history, Jewish culture and Eastern European history.
Thank You Michelle Cashman at St.Martins Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#OnceThereWasATown
#JaneZiegelman
#StMartinsPress
Pub Date 20 Jan 2026
These memory books were called "yizkor," which comes from the Hebrew word lizkor, "to remember."
A quote: "While some cultures honor the dead with pyramids or triumphal arches, Jews have traditionally built monuments of paper and ink. In the face of violent and persistent upheaval, yizkor books were a source of continuity, links in the 'golden chain' that connected one generation to the next."
A second quote: "The oldest surviving yizkor book was written in Nuremberg in 1296 to coincide with the dedication of the town's new synagogue."
While many of these books were destroyed by the N**is in WWII, the surviving ones have been collected by scholars and are stored in Israel. They are available digitally, based on the extensive source footnotes cited in this informative book. I recommend it to readers interested in history, Jewish culture and Eastern European history.
Thank You Michelle Cashman at St.Martins Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#OnceThereWasATown
#JaneZiegelman
#StMartinsPress
Pub Date 20 Jan 2026
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
After the Holocaust and the destruction of entire shtetls the survivors across continents got together and put together yizkor books to record the memories of the places that vanished after the destruction.
This was not something I had ever heard of before. I knew about the wider aspect of the Holocaust and the horrific tragedies that entailed within it but I never really read anything that focused on the after effects and how people in communities gather together to remember and leave a record of what they had lost.
Book was such a comprehensive collection filled with personal touches and beauty and heartbreak. I really love how the author intertwines the stories from her own family so it really hits home how important these books are.
Whereas I did thoroughly enjoy this book it was a very educational interesting and at times heartbreaking I kind of wished we gotten more of a wider scope and overview of more than just one town. I mean I understand why she focuses on that town as that's the place of her grandparents where her ancestry comes from so it makes sense but I wish it would have been a little bit more complete with even just more mentions of other stories.
With that being said this is still a very very good book that I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in World War II. This takes a perspective on such a massive historical event that you don't often get, the aftermath.
Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book!
This was not something I had ever heard of before. I knew about the wider aspect of the Holocaust and the horrific tragedies that entailed within it but I never really read anything that focused on the after effects and how people in communities gather together to remember and leave a record of what they had lost.
Book was such a comprehensive collection filled with personal touches and beauty and heartbreak. I really love how the author intertwines the stories from her own family so it really hits home how important these books are.
Whereas I did thoroughly enjoy this book it was a very educational interesting and at times heartbreaking I kind of wished we gotten more of a wider scope and overview of more than just one town. I mean I understand why she focuses on that town as that's the place of her grandparents where her ancestry comes from so it makes sense but I wish it would have been a little bit more complete with even just more mentions of other stories.
With that being said this is still a very very good book that I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in World War II. This takes a perspective on such a massive historical event that you don't often get, the aftermath.
Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book!
January 15, 2026
From the late 18th century to the 1930s the Russian Empire confined Jewish people to a region of Eastern Europe known as the Pale of Settlement. While restricted from owning land or farming, small villages (known as Shtetls) were established were people made their lives, until the genocidal Nazis arrived and killed all those they could find. Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World re-creates snapshots and surveys of life in the region, with much of the focus on Luboml where Jane Ziegelman 's family originated.
Ziegelman begins with her own memories, recalled large family meals and the constant litany of family stories recalling what life was like in Luboml, but all of it tinged with nostalgia and the unspoken knowledge of its destruction. When older, Ziegelman discover a yizkor book for Luboml owned by her parents. The Yizkor books were published after World War II typically to at least list the dead, but also to recall stories of shtetl daily life, notable visitors or layout.
The book is not a straightforward narrative, instead unfolded by section through themed essays. Readers will learn of the religious life, dietary practices, gendered structure, economics, the constant tensions between Jews and non-Jews and changes over time.
It is a world that exists only in memory, as preserved by the Yizkor books.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Ziegelman begins with her own memories, recalled large family meals and the constant litany of family stories recalling what life was like in Luboml, but all of it tinged with nostalgia and the unspoken knowledge of its destruction. When older, Ziegelman discover a yizkor book for Luboml owned by her parents. The Yizkor books were published after World War II typically to at least list the dead, but also to recall stories of shtetl daily life, notable visitors or layout.
The book is not a straightforward narrative, instead unfolded by section through themed essays. Readers will learn of the religious life, dietary practices, gendered structure, economics, the constant tensions between Jews and non-Jews and changes over time.
It is a world that exists only in memory, as preserved by the Yizkor books.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Yizkor books, or memory books, connect generations or the “golden chain” of Jewish experiences, culture, and stories. Nearly 1,500 exist today, thankfully, and include illustrations and art as well as traditions and folklore. Fascinatingly, many entries contain apologies for lack of editing, very personal and insightful. They were created to ensure that Jews killed in the Holocaust would not be forgotten as most were denied burial. Significantly, author Jane Ziegelman‘s family members “got out” of rather than “left” Luboml, Poland, and horrors of persecution, humiliation, punishment (and worse), and ostracization are detailed.
This book describes meals, especially those on the Sabbath; the tradition of sour food; education of boys versus girls; the number of seeds in a pomegranate and number of commandments in the Torah; “hooliganism”, malinas (bunkers); the meaning of words such as “Nebahk”; and the seizure of people from Luboml in 1941. Understandably, survivors felt it was critical to bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, especially the martyrdom of their loved ones. What powerful, important, and precious treasures!
Though I have read many, many books about the Holocaust, I have read very few with mentions of Yizkor books. The history and personality these contain are priceless. My heart was very moved while reading these evocative and poignant stories and I am grateful for newly-acquired knowledge about Yizkor books.
This book describes meals, especially those on the Sabbath; the tradition of sour food; education of boys versus girls; the number of seeds in a pomegranate and number of commandments in the Torah; “hooliganism”, malinas (bunkers); the meaning of words such as “Nebahk”; and the seizure of people from Luboml in 1941. Understandably, survivors felt it was critical to bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, especially the martyrdom of their loved ones. What powerful, important, and precious treasures!
Though I have read many, many books about the Holocaust, I have read very few with mentions of Yizkor books. The history and personality these contain are priceless. My heart was very moved while reading these evocative and poignant stories and I am grateful for newly-acquired knowledge about Yizkor books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a wonderful addition to my knowledge of WWII was this little gem of a book! It answered a lot of questions that I’ve had for years. One thing I’ve always wondered about was how precise accounts of life that happened several hundred years ago were preserved. This book is based on the yizkor books that were housed in the synagogue of the shtetl in Luboml, Poland. This was a common practice among the Jewish population in Eastern Europe. The oldest yizkor books that have been found date back to 1296 in a synagogue in Nuremburg, validating the lives of the Jewish population there.
Some of this book had actual translations from the yizkor books that survived the war in Poland and some of this book was either explanation or oral memories of those times that the Jews were being targeted as undesirables in Poland.
The knowledge in this short book was well laid out and easily read as a family saga. For anyone interested in the history of the era, I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely hope that the photos are present in the commercial offerings as my copy was lacking photos.
Some of this book had actual translations from the yizkor books that survived the war in Poland and some of this book was either explanation or oral memories of those times that the Jews were being targeted as undesirables in Poland.
The knowledge in this short book was well laid out and easily read as a family saga. For anyone interested in the history of the era, I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely hope that the photos are present in the commercial offerings as my copy was lacking photos.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow. Once There Was a Town tells a story about Luboml, the Jewish families and Jewish life around WWI and WWII through the Yizkor books, also known as memory books. Jane's grandmother and three brothers had emigrated to the US from Luboml a town in Poland. They did not all arrive at once but instead arrived one by one and they never used the words "left" but instead phrased it similarly to "got out" of Luboml. Which speaks to the tragic backstory there in itself. Jane mentions that whenever a family member talked about Luboml it was in the past tense and she never understood why until she discovered the Yizkor.
This story is really centered around Jane's family and the Luboml Yizkor but there are mentions of other Yizkors as it tells of the way of life, the extreme devote and those not so extreme, schooling, observations, celebrations and migration from other point of views. The resilience of those having to run, hide and really take a chance in trusting who you are talking to comes through in the story that is told.
In reality this book is a 4.5 stars, but rounding down as there were times I got a bit lost in what was being explained, but it could be 'cause I have an advanced copy.
This story is really centered around Jane's family and the Luboml Yizkor but there are mentions of other Yizkors as it tells of the way of life, the extreme devote and those not so extreme, schooling, observations, celebrations and migration from other point of views. The resilience of those having to run, hide and really take a chance in trusting who you are talking to comes through in the story that is told.
In reality this book is a 4.5 stars, but rounding down as there were times I got a bit lost in what was being explained, but it could be 'cause I have an advanced copy.
October 30, 2025
First, 3.5 stars and I received this book as an ARC, so many thanks!
Once There Was A Town is a book written by Jane Ziegelman about her family and Jewish history to include Yizkor, or memory books. Although the book contained a lot of interesting information and insight into Jewish history it was honestly hard to follow. I personally believe the book would benefit from having a family tree at the start of the book that you can reference. At the end of the book, it was highlighted that there were two Nathan’s in the family (hence my confusion throughout the book since the last names weren’t frequently used). The family tree with little tidbits would help the reader a lot.
I would also love captions with the photos (perhaps this is intended to come later)
The excerpts from the Yizkor books was wonderful and helped to capture the feelings that were being experienced at the time
Lastly, the flow of the book was hard. Personally it felt like there was no real flow. It hopped around a lot which is where having the family tree would be most helpful.
All of this being said, I learned a lot and I am very grateful for the pleasure of reading and enjoying this book.
Once There Was A Town is a book written by Jane Ziegelman about her family and Jewish history to include Yizkor, or memory books. Although the book contained a lot of interesting information and insight into Jewish history it was honestly hard to follow. I personally believe the book would benefit from having a family tree at the start of the book that you can reference. At the end of the book, it was highlighted that there were two Nathan’s in the family (hence my confusion throughout the book since the last names weren’t frequently used). The family tree with little tidbits would help the reader a lot.
I would also love captions with the photos (perhaps this is intended to come later)
The excerpts from the Yizkor books was wonderful and helped to capture the feelings that were being experienced at the time
Lastly, the flow of the book was hard. Personally it felt like there was no real flow. It hopped around a lot which is where having the family tree would be most helpful.
All of this being said, I learned a lot and I am very grateful for the pleasure of reading and enjoying this book.
November 11, 2025
If there's one historical era I've read more about than any other, it's the Holocaust and WWII, so it's always a pleasant surprise to learn something about the history of that time period that is new to me. Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World introduced me to the documents known as yizkor books, volumes created as memorial records of the towns and shtetls essentially erased by the Nazis. They describe what life was like in these places and what sort of people inhabited them in addition to containing lists of the names of those killed. While the book addresses this topic generally, there's also a focus on the town where the author's relatives came from, making this a memoir of sorts, too, as her study of the yizkor book for their shtetl was able to tell her things about the family left behind that her grandmother and great uncles could not and would not discuss. I found it to be a fascinating read. My only disappointment in the book is that the ARC I received did not contain the photos that are referenced in the back of the book -- I would have loved to see those family photos! But that just gives me an excuse to pick up a physical copy of the book when it's published.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book will be published January 20, 2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book will be published January 20, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World is a non-fiction book by Jane Ziegelman that explores the history of Jewish life in Eastern European towns (shtetls) before and during the Holocaust, using rare "yizkor" (memory) books written by survivors as its primary sources. The author specifically shares the story of Luboml, her own family's ancestral shtetl, which beautifully adds a personal aspect.
After the Holocaust, since entire shtetls had been reduced to just a handful of survivors, people across continents came together to put together yizkor books in order to record their collective memories of these vanished places. The books were written by the rich and the poor, men and women. They all came together so that the stories of the towns that had been theirs would never be forgotten.
I was unfamiliar with yizkor books, and I am walking away feeling amazed that they were written. May they continue to be shared.
Thank you, #StMartinsPress, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Once There Was a Town has an expected publication date of January 20, 2026.
After the Holocaust, since entire shtetls had been reduced to just a handful of survivors, people across continents came together to put together yizkor books in order to record their collective memories of these vanished places. The books were written by the rich and the poor, men and women. They all came together so that the stories of the towns that had been theirs would never be forgotten.
I was unfamiliar with yizkor books, and I am walking away feeling amazed that they were written. May they continue to be shared.
Thank you, #StMartinsPress, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Once There Was a Town has an expected publication date of January 20, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Once There Was a Town: The Memory Books of a Lost Jewish World
by Jane Ziegelman
Before I read this book I didn't know about yizkor books, books written by the Jewish survivors of the attempt to eradicate them forever. Millions of Jewish (and other) people were murdered and as I read books about those times I've always felt something more for the many who had to be forgotten because there was no one left to remember them as their deaths were just one among millions anyway. How can such a thing be recorded in most of these instances?
But Jewish people did gather to write yizkor books, some groups were more formal than others, some had more arguing and dissention than others, so each of these books came into existence by various means. What the books are meant to do is attempt to remember the times, the places, the people, and the past. This book features two Nathans, one related to the author and through him we learn some of what her family did to escape the death and destruction and how some didn't make it out in time.
There is another Nathan and he's a little boy during the time that the town of Luboml is being drained of its people, a boy who had to save himself while he watched his family die over a few years. This boy went on to tell what he saw and he was magnificent at telling things as he saw them. What a mature boy and he had to be to survive all he survived. I want to learn more about this boy and all that he did throughout his life to make sure those who died were not forgotten.
I've read so much about this time yet this book was able to add more to what I know. Think goodness stories can be passed on from person to person so all is not lost. It hurts to get to know the town of Luboml and then to watch destruction approaching, arrive, and then leave the dust and ashes of all that were lost to life.
Expected pub January 20, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC
by Jane Ziegelman
Before I read this book I didn't know about yizkor books, books written by the Jewish survivors of the attempt to eradicate them forever. Millions of Jewish (and other) people were murdered and as I read books about those times I've always felt something more for the many who had to be forgotten because there was no one left to remember them as their deaths were just one among millions anyway. How can such a thing be recorded in most of these instances?
But Jewish people did gather to write yizkor books, some groups were more formal than others, some had more arguing and dissention than others, so each of these books came into existence by various means. What the books are meant to do is attempt to remember the times, the places, the people, and the past. This book features two Nathans, one related to the author and through him we learn some of what her family did to escape the death and destruction and how some didn't make it out in time.
There is another Nathan and he's a little boy during the time that the town of Luboml is being drained of its people, a boy who had to save himself while he watched his family die over a few years. This boy went on to tell what he saw and he was magnificent at telling things as he saw them. What a mature boy and he had to be to survive all he survived. I want to learn more about this boy and all that he did throughout his life to make sure those who died were not forgotten.
I've read so much about this time yet this book was able to add more to what I know. Think goodness stories can be passed on from person to person so all is not lost. It hurts to get to know the town of Luboml and then to watch destruction approaching, arrive, and then leave the dust and ashes of all that were lost to life.
Expected pub January 20, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Once there was a town. Sadly, the town is no more. That is not to say that the town is forgotten. It is not. Surviving relatives have recorded the names of those who did not survive torture, bullets, whatever awful thing took them from this life. The survivors assemble a book for their town called a yizkor. The word means “to remember” or “may he remember.”
“Once There Was a Town” tells what the Jews have done to preserve the memory of their loved ones in the town of Luboml, Poland. Those who did not flee in time were murdered by the Nazis. The fate of each resident is included if it is known. The difficult stories are not glossed over.
I am not Jewish. I hope I have conveyed some of the strong feelings Jane Ziegelman has evoked in me. This is a powerful book, an informative book. It is so well-written, and yet so hard to read because of the subject matter.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.
“Once There Was a Town” tells what the Jews have done to preserve the memory of their loved ones in the town of Luboml, Poland. Those who did not flee in time were murdered by the Nazis. The fate of each resident is included if it is known. The difficult stories are not glossed over.
I am not Jewish. I hope I have conveyed some of the strong feelings Jane Ziegelman has evoked in me. This is a powerful book, an informative book. It is so well-written, and yet so hard to read because of the subject matter.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Yizkor books were created to ensure that Jews killed in the Holocaust would never suffer the loneliness of silence. from Once There Was a Town by Jane Ziegelman
Jane Ziegelman’s family came from Luboml, once one of the largest Jewish shtetls in Volhynia. As a girl, she was curious about her grandparents and parents’ unspoken past. Then, she found answers in a yizkor book in her family library. After WWII, thousands of people channeled their grief into documenting the history of lost towns, communities, and families.
Ziegelman’s book vividly recreates Luboml through history, its food and fashions, its religion and culture. Understanding this vital community, it is devastating to read of the Nazi mass murder of its citizens. As she notes, the Jews were killed by known German neighbors, a chilling realization of true horror.
Both an informative history and a personal discovery of family history, an affecting read.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
Jane Ziegelman’s family came from Luboml, once one of the largest Jewish shtetls in Volhynia. As a girl, she was curious about her grandparents and parents’ unspoken past. Then, she found answers in a yizkor book in her family library. After WWII, thousands of people channeled their grief into documenting the history of lost towns, communities, and families.
Ziegelman’s book vividly recreates Luboml through history, its food and fashions, its religion and culture. Understanding this vital community, it is devastating to read of the Nazi mass murder of its citizens. As she notes, the Jews were killed by known German neighbors, a chilling realization of true horror.
Both an informative history and a personal discovery of family history, an affecting read.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
December 10, 2025
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts and review:
After World War II, the Jewish population had to rebuild not only their lives, but their history, as much of it had been destroyed, with homes and towns being burned to the ground. As is typical in Jewish culture, they started writing, putting the stories they knew onto paper. This new collection of those stories was a way to preserve what they still could for the next generations.
Once There Was A Town is the story of these stories. We meet some of the voices that make up this new collection of history. They talk of the old days and the old ways.
This is a valuable and vital story that needs to be shared, especially at a time in the US when people in power are trying to erase so many of the historical stories that need to be told. This book is a reminder that, despite hardship and the ugliness of others, we can preserve our history for future generations to remember and learn from.
I hope that stories like this continue to be put out into the world, because the more there are, the harder it will be for them to be taken away.
After World War II, the Jewish population had to rebuild not only their lives, but their history, as much of it had been destroyed, with homes and towns being burned to the ground. As is typical in Jewish culture, they started writing, putting the stories they knew onto paper. This new collection of those stories was a way to preserve what they still could for the next generations.
Once There Was A Town is the story of these stories. We meet some of the voices that make up this new collection of history. They talk of the old days and the old ways.
This is a valuable and vital story that needs to be shared, especially at a time in the US when people in power are trying to erase so many of the historical stories that need to be told. This book is a reminder that, despite hardship and the ugliness of others, we can preserve our history for future generations to remember and learn from.
I hope that stories like this continue to be put out into the world, because the more there are, the harder it will be for them to be taken away.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The author gives us such an amazing read, so many facts that I never knew, and found disturbing.
I am not Jewish, and found this read page turning, and so sad. Breaks my heart what happened here, and it seemed that no one was really trust worthy.
The focus was on a small town in Poland, and memory books, Yizkor Books, I never knew about, but what a gift, hearing the words of your ancestors.
I personally enjoy books about WWII and the monsters that took over Europe, most are fictional, but this one is really personal to the author, and full of written down facts. I never knew of the antisemitism that went on prior to the War, at least in Poland.
I highly recommend this book, and it should be a mandatory read! Thank you to Jane Ziegelman!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
I am not Jewish, and found this read page turning, and so sad. Breaks my heart what happened here, and it seemed that no one was really trust worthy.
The focus was on a small town in Poland, and memory books, Yizkor Books, I never knew about, but what a gift, hearing the words of your ancestors.
I personally enjoy books about WWII and the monsters that took over Europe, most are fictional, but this one is really personal to the author, and full of written down facts. I never knew of the antisemitism that went on prior to the War, at least in Poland.
I highly recommend this book, and it should be a mandatory read! Thank you to Jane Ziegelman!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Life for me has existed in two forms.
Before reading Once There Was a Town, and after.
Needless to say, I don't envy Daniel from way back when.
Two halves, two versions of myself.
The former is pale, weak. He may seem ready at attention, but shrinks at the slightest acknowledgement, knowing he could never be worthy of a million and one possible requests by the poor unfortunate who call themselves his friends and family.
The latter is tall and radiant. He is lean, built, and tan. Women (and men) reach orgasm at the sight of him. The sight!! Be they rolling in the deep, bursting at the seams, not a penny to their name; he welcomes all with love and kindness. They are equal in his fair gaze. He sets THE example of moral conduct in a secular, irreligious age.
Ziegelman stands a voice of reason in an age seemingly devoid of level-headed thinkers.
Before reading Once There Was a Town, and after.
Needless to say, I don't envy Daniel from way back when.
Two halves, two versions of myself.
The former is pale, weak. He may seem ready at attention, but shrinks at the slightest acknowledgement, knowing he could never be worthy of a million and one possible requests by the poor unfortunate who call themselves his friends and family.
The latter is tall and radiant. He is lean, built, and tan. Women (and men) reach orgasm at the sight of him. The sight!! Be they rolling in the deep, bursting at the seams, not a penny to their name; he welcomes all with love and kindness. They are equal in his fair gaze. He sets THE example of moral conduct in a secular, irreligious age.
Ziegelman stands a voice of reason in an age seemingly devoid of level-headed thinkers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thought this book would be about a town , instead it seemed like a deep dive into the Jewish faith and Yizkor books. A Yizkor book is written for Jews to remember people, communities and history, especially those lost in the Holocaust.
Ziegelman is proud of her Jewish ancestry. That came across clear in the book. She told of her families immigration to the US. I was not excepting to read about traditions and marriages, but about Luboml, a Jewish town in Poland that was destroyed during WWII . The last two chapters told of the destruction, the rest of the book was about Yizkor books.
Tentative Publication Date:
January 20, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jane Ziegelman for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😊 Happy Reading 😊
#Netgalley #stmartinspress #janeziegelman #OnceThereWasATown
Ziegelman is proud of her Jewish ancestry. That came across clear in the book. She told of her families immigration to the US. I was not excepting to read about traditions and marriages, but about Luboml, a Jewish town in Poland that was destroyed during WWII . The last two chapters told of the destruction, the rest of the book was about Yizkor books.
Tentative Publication Date:
January 20, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jane Ziegelman for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😊 Happy Reading 😊
#Netgalley #stmartinspress #janeziegelman #OnceThereWasATown
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Using the author's own family history based in a shtetl called Luboml, this book is an exploration of life in Eastern European and Russian shtetls in the late 19th century and up through WWII. The author describes religious life, education, food, and acts of antisemitic violence and oppression.
I found the book interesting and learned a lot about life in the shtetls. Some of the descriptive chapters were a bit dry, but the strongest parts of the book were the author's discussions of her family history, the lead up to WWII and the destruction of the shtetls and the Jewish population by the Nazis.
The book is well documented and includes a number of photographs, which unfortunately weren't included in the version I read.
All in all, a book worth reading.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
I found the book interesting and learned a lot about life in the shtetls. Some of the descriptive chapters were a bit dry, but the strongest parts of the book were the author's discussions of her family history, the lead up to WWII and the destruction of the shtetls and the Jewish population by the Nazis.
The book is well documented and includes a number of photographs, which unfortunately weren't included in the version I read.
All in all, a book worth reading.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
October 22, 2025
"Once There Was a Town" by Jane Ziegleman. writes of her ancestors who came from Poland. Their town was Luboml. her relatives came from Poland when their small town was was taken over by the Holocaust. She describes the memory books that Jewish people wrote in called a "Yizkor" these books have the memories and histories of what happened during this horrific time in history. Many may have died in the Holocaust and these written down memories can show they existed words their relatives can read.
The author shares chapters of traditions and ways of life such as food they eat. like making a 15-20 pound bread that took five hours to bake. She writes of her relatives slowly coming to America to start a new life. i had not heard of the books called "Yizkors" quite an interesting read.
The author shares chapters of traditions and ways of life such as food they eat. like making a 15-20 pound bread that took five hours to bake. She writes of her relatives slowly coming to America to start a new life. i had not heard of the books called "Yizkors" quite an interesting read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I requested an Advanced Readers Copy of Once There Was A Town, I was under the erroneous assumption that this was a historical fiction book. The author, Jane Ziegelman, had actually written about her own family history, as well as the history of the town of Luboml in Poland. The historical content goes way back in time and is very informative about Jewish customs and religious practices.
This family, along with the citizens of Luboml, suffered horribly in the hands of the Natzi regime. I learned great deal about the Jewish faith and I especially found the personal accounts of her family’s survival and immigration to the United States inspiring and also so sad to thing that antisemitism is still going on today.
This family, along with the citizens of Luboml, suffered horribly in the hands of the Natzi regime. I learned great deal about the Jewish faith and I especially found the personal accounts of her family’s survival and immigration to the United States inspiring and also so sad to thing that antisemitism is still going on today.
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