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A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon
“ In a chance meeting in the 1980’s, I had a discussion with Elie Wiesel, the famous Holocaust author, historian, and teacher. I told him that I had not been able to tell my story. He said that it was my obligation to speak out and to tell the world about the Holocaust. He told me that I had survived for a reason-to tell the world what had happened to my family and to me.
Suddenly I remembered that my mother had once told me the same thing-that it was beshert, or meant to be, that I survive to tell the story of my family.”
-Eliezer Ayalon
For ten-year-old Lazorek Hershenfis in Radom, Poland, life with his family is joyful. Lazorek’s father, Israel (known as “Srul”) operates a leather-cutting business from the front of the family’s sparsely furnished, one0romm apartment, and the family spends idyllic summers harvesting fruit from orchards in the nearby countryside. His brothers Mayer and Abush work as tailors to supplement the family’s income, slipping Lazorek occasional pocket money for the movies with friends. Lazorek’s sister Chaya is a kindergarten teacher and a playmate especially cherished, whether the game is catch the homemade balls of the challenging “strulkies” with stones. A deeply respected healer in the community, Lazorek’s beautiful mother Rivka shows him the meaning of caring unselfishly for others, from the breastfeeding the child of an ill friend as if it were her own and preparing special food for Lazorek himself to making middle-of-the-night visits to help sick neighbor. But what is given does not always appear to be returned in kind, as Lazorek discovers on his journey into the ghetto and the concentration camps.
Although Lazorek’s father and mother sell much of their jewelry and silver for cash to pay for a visa to Palestine the British mandatory government denies the application. It is then that they lose hope of a better life, and according to Lazorek, events begin to happen so quickly that he runs out of time to be afraid.
Lazorek survives and journeys to Palestine, taking the name Eliezer Ayalon. A new life begins.. . but can memories be forgotten? With “A Cup of Hone,” Neile Sue Friedman and Eliezer Ayalon impart the richness and endurance of the family love that inspires the Holocaust survivor to perpetuate the lives of those he lost by telling their story.
“Neile played an essential role in bringing my part of this history to lights,” notes Mr. Ayalon. “I hope that by reading my story, as well as others like it, the next generation will learn the lessons of the Holocaust—that hate and intolerance were defeated by hope and courage.”
Suddenly I remembered that my mother had once told me the same thing-that it was beshert, or meant to be, that I survive to tell the story of my family.”
-Eliezer Ayalon
For ten-year-old Lazorek Hershenfis in Radom, Poland, life with his family is joyful. Lazorek’s father, Israel (known as “Srul”) operates a leather-cutting business from the front of the family’s sparsely furnished, one0romm apartment, and the family spends idyllic summers harvesting fruit from orchards in the nearby countryside. His brothers Mayer and Abush work as tailors to supplement the family’s income, slipping Lazorek occasional pocket money for the movies with friends. Lazorek’s sister Chaya is a kindergarten teacher and a playmate especially cherished, whether the game is catch the homemade balls of the challenging “strulkies” with stones. A deeply respected healer in the community, Lazorek’s beautiful mother Rivka shows him the meaning of caring unselfishly for others, from the breastfeeding the child of an ill friend as if it were her own and preparing special food for Lazorek himself to making middle-of-the-night visits to help sick neighbor. But what is given does not always appear to be returned in kind, as Lazorek discovers on his journey into the ghetto and the concentration camps.
Although Lazorek’s father and mother sell much of their jewelry and silver for cash to pay for a visa to Palestine the British mandatory government denies the application. It is then that they lose hope of a better life, and according to Lazorek, events begin to happen so quickly that he runs out of time to be afraid.
Lazorek survives and journeys to Palestine, taking the name Eliezer Ayalon. A new life begins.. . but can memories be forgotten? With “A Cup of Hone,” Neile Sue Friedman and Eliezer Ayalon impart the richness and endurance of the family love that inspires the Holocaust survivor to perpetuate the lives of those he lost by telling their story.
“Neile played an essential role in bringing my part of this history to lights,” notes Mr. Ayalon. “I hope that by reading my story, as well as others like it, the next generation will learn the lessons of the Holocaust—that hate and intolerance were defeated by hope and courage.”
- GenresHolocaustNonfiction
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2015
6 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 16, 2020
Many Holocaust survivors prefer not to talk about their experiences, ordeals, hardships and day to day life of how they survived the Holocaust. There exists a feeling of guilt for surviving when so many did not. This was true of Eliezer Ayalon. He had difficulty talking about the Holocaust to anyone, even his own family. He believed that no one would believe his story "because it was so horrific." One day in December 1991, Neile Sue Friedman met Eli, as he liked to be called, while she was on a mission to Israel. Eli was the tour guide for her group. Neile's group was visiting the Atlit Museum near Haifa. She sensed that Eli "harbored secrets". Eli did not accompany the group into the museum. There were too many memories within the walls of that museum for Eli. Neile approached Eli after the tour to find out why he went off on his own when the group arrived at Atlit. This was just the prodding Eli needed to reveal his story. Once he began telling Neile his story he could not stop. He admitted to Neile that he could not go into the Atlit Museum because "I was a prisoner there," he whispered, "and it hurts to see the place reconstructed. I cannot do it." Eli's story poured out slowly and fiercely, leaving no details out.
Neile was determined to write and finally share Eli's story. The first draft was completed in 1993. It took many revisions but A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon was finally published in 1999. Eli was transformed after the book was published. He began to speak out and tell his story to the participants on the tours he led through Israel, as a lecturer at Yad Vashem, conferences, schools, universities and community centers. Eli also began to bring groups to concentration camps and former Jewish communities in Poland. He was no longer silent. Eli explained why he started telling his story to all that would listen during a lecture he gave in 2011. "In 10-15 years, there will be no survivors that can utter the simple words: "I was there and I experienced this." The world must remember the extermination camps, not because we seek to arouse pity and compassion for ourselves--it is too late for that--the world needs to know about hunger and starvation today and about those who perished, to denounce the insanity of genocide and the ugliness of war and the banality of evil. You must speak out against prejudice, bigotry, racism, baseless hatred, because silence can kill--through the Holocaust we have seen how silence can kill millions."
Before Eli was Eli he was Lazer Hershenfis but his parents called him Lyzerke or Lazorek. He was born in 1928 and lived in a small city named Radom in Poland. His family was very poor but they were happy. Lyzerke had two brothers and a sister. He was the youngest child in his family. His father had a small leather business and his mother stayed at home and took care of the home but she was also a healer. The family lived together in a one room house. Lyzerke had a good childhood until the Nazi's invaded Poland. The Jews of Radom were forced to live in a ghetto. Conditions were terrible. Lyzerke's father and brothers were able to secure jobs as skilled laborers. This prolonged their safety for a while. They were passed over for selection to be transported to camps for a while. Lyzerke lied about his age and found work at The German Army clothing supply base or AFL (Armee Fursorge Lager). The last time Lyzerke saw his mother was when he was reluctantly headed back to the AFL. His mother walked him as far as she could and said to him, "If there is anyone in the family with a chance to survive, it is you." "Have a sweet life, my tirenke." She handed him a little cup full of honey that he clung to and cherished until an SS officer took it, threw on the ground and broke it into a million little pieces. Those were the last words Lyzerke heard his mother say. They stayed with him and he remembered them always.
Lyzerke lived through and somehow survived not just one camp but several different concentration camps. He eventually made a new life in Palestine where he took the name Eliezer Ayalon. He married, had children and eventually grandchildren. Through the years he tried to suppress his memories. His guilt for surviving was so great. His whole family perished in the Holocaust. Over the years, those last words his mother said kept coming back to him. He was finally ready to tell his story when he met Neile Sue Friedman and he never stopped telling it after that.
A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon by Neile Sue Friedman was a difficult but warranted book to read. Eli recounted his days in the concentration camps describing in detail the cruelty, unfathomable conditions, starvation and uncertainties that he experienced. He left no details out. It was so important to listen to his story and know that this happened but that the human race can never let this happen again. Neile Sue Friedman captured Eli's emotions, experiences and memories and wrote them in this compelling book. It allowed the reader into Eli's world, to witness his torments, nightmares, and memories both good and horrific. I highly recommend this book.
Neile was determined to write and finally share Eli's story. The first draft was completed in 1993. It took many revisions but A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon was finally published in 1999. Eli was transformed after the book was published. He began to speak out and tell his story to the participants on the tours he led through Israel, as a lecturer at Yad Vashem, conferences, schools, universities and community centers. Eli also began to bring groups to concentration camps and former Jewish communities in Poland. He was no longer silent. Eli explained why he started telling his story to all that would listen during a lecture he gave in 2011. "In 10-15 years, there will be no survivors that can utter the simple words: "I was there and I experienced this." The world must remember the extermination camps, not because we seek to arouse pity and compassion for ourselves--it is too late for that--the world needs to know about hunger and starvation today and about those who perished, to denounce the insanity of genocide and the ugliness of war and the banality of evil. You must speak out against prejudice, bigotry, racism, baseless hatred, because silence can kill--through the Holocaust we have seen how silence can kill millions."
Before Eli was Eli he was Lazer Hershenfis but his parents called him Lyzerke or Lazorek. He was born in 1928 and lived in a small city named Radom in Poland. His family was very poor but they were happy. Lyzerke had two brothers and a sister. He was the youngest child in his family. His father had a small leather business and his mother stayed at home and took care of the home but she was also a healer. The family lived together in a one room house. Lyzerke had a good childhood until the Nazi's invaded Poland. The Jews of Radom were forced to live in a ghetto. Conditions were terrible. Lyzerke's father and brothers were able to secure jobs as skilled laborers. This prolonged their safety for a while. They were passed over for selection to be transported to camps for a while. Lyzerke lied about his age and found work at The German Army clothing supply base or AFL (Armee Fursorge Lager). The last time Lyzerke saw his mother was when he was reluctantly headed back to the AFL. His mother walked him as far as she could and said to him, "If there is anyone in the family with a chance to survive, it is you." "Have a sweet life, my tirenke." She handed him a little cup full of honey that he clung to and cherished until an SS officer took it, threw on the ground and broke it into a million little pieces. Those were the last words Lyzerke heard his mother say. They stayed with him and he remembered them always.
Lyzerke lived through and somehow survived not just one camp but several different concentration camps. He eventually made a new life in Palestine where he took the name Eliezer Ayalon. He married, had children and eventually grandchildren. Through the years he tried to suppress his memories. His guilt for surviving was so great. His whole family perished in the Holocaust. Over the years, those last words his mother said kept coming back to him. He was finally ready to tell his story when he met Neile Sue Friedman and he never stopped telling it after that.
A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon by Neile Sue Friedman was a difficult but warranted book to read. Eli recounted his days in the concentration camps describing in detail the cruelty, unfathomable conditions, starvation and uncertainties that he experienced. He left no details out. It was so important to listen to his story and know that this happened but that the human race can never let this happen again. Neile Sue Friedman captured Eli's emotions, experiences and memories and wrote them in this compelling book. It allowed the reader into Eli's world, to witness his torments, nightmares, and memories both good and horrific. I highly recommend this book.
June 17, 2022
I finished reading this book from a young Holocaust survivor, Eliezer Ayalon, called “A Cup of Honey”, written by a judge Lawyer, Neile Sue Friedman. She wrote the book was very extraordinary and touching which is dedicated to Eli’s family. Sadly, he passed away in 2000, at the age of 80. Eli’s story has stayed with me because the story he was describing the voice of young Eli as a ten year old boy. He also describes his childhood memories before the war, during and after the war. There were few photographs in the book. Coming from a loving and a poor family, he grew up in Radom, Poland. He has two older brothers and one older sister. Eli loves life and always enjoys doing a lot of activities such as soccer so on. As a result, did his family survived the Holocaust? You can decide.
April 6, 2020
I finished this biography of Holocaust survivor, Eliezer Ayalon, beautifully written by Neile Sue Friedman in two days. I have read many memoirs, biographies and historical novels on WWII, primarily The Holocaust, and it never ceases to amaze me how victims have this inner strength to survive after loved ones literally fell to their deaths right in front of their eyes. I was taken aback by Eli's account when he finally made it to The Holy Land (at the vulnerable age of 16, and orphaned) and was somewhat criticized by Palestinian Jews for not fighting the Nazis. As I read more accounts of his being the subject of curiosity, I wanted to jump right into the book and pulverize these beings who did not experience the Holocaust and shout, "European Jews weren't equipped with machine guns like the Nazis were!" Hence, in my opinion, this explains how Israel came to be and mandates the citizens to serve in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) unless you're Hasidic. I cried happy tears when Eli was transferred to an agricultural school in Jerusalem and was in charge of the beehives because the last thing his mother gave him before he left their ghetto in Poland for a job in one of the work camps, was a teacup filled with honey and these words, "If there is anyone in the family with a chance to survive, it is you. Please do not miss this opportunity. I think it is beshert, (meant to be). Have a sweet life." I admired how Eli returned to Poland three times to search for relatives, answers and come to a closure. I loved how he lectured at Yad Vashem (Israel's memorial to the Jewish Holocaust victims), schools, universities and conferences in Israel and the United States because It Is Beshert he lived to tell us his endearing and heroic story. I will read this again with my eighth-grade students and highly recommend it for everyone to read, just once in their lifetime.
October 9, 2019
4.5 A very powerful story of a young Holocaust survivor and his horrific journey from the time he had to leave his parents at a very young age and the cruelties of the Nazis. Coming from a loving poor family in Poland ten year old Lazorek Hershenfis is brought up by his parents to be loving and kind to his neighbors and friends and to share what little the family has. Lazorek's family sell what they have to try and obtain visas to leave Poland for Palestine but they lose all and as the Nazis invade and put Jewish people in ghettos and send off to camps Lazorek is sent away by his mother with a cup oif honey tied to a string around his wrist - she wants for him a sweet life. As a young boy he lies about his age and manages to do many jobs in the camps he is put in but falls ill and along with the others is starving. This boy;s fight to survive is I am sure the plight of many others. Lazorak manages to avoid the gas chambers but carries guilt all through his life that he is the lone survivor in his family. A reminder to all who read this book that Hitler's regime and his philosophy was a horror to mankind. Hitler thought himself as God but thankfully he did not win.
August 5, 2009
Eliezer tells us the story of how he miraculously survived WWII and life in several Concentration Camps. His is the story of millions of survivors, but Eliezer takes care in giving us a great deal of detail... so we can learn about the "operations", "the transports", the long and desperate walks through the woods at the end of the war, the violence of the kapos and Jewish police inside the camps; but also he tells us the aftermath: the refugee camps and his preparation to go to Palestine. His is a story that teach us lots about history and how a country was built up!
March 20, 2024
Lazorek Hershenfis tells his story of life before and his harrowing journey through the Holocaust and beyond to his life in Palestine. Although his family attempted to escape Poland, their visas did not come through. He tells of the kindness of others during the horrors of the ghetto and the concentration camps, and also of unspeakable cruelties. By telling the life beyond the war, he gives us a picture of the difficulties of settling into a “normal” life and the challenges of moving beyond your past. The words of his mother to live a sweet life from the tiny cup of honey that she gave him, permeate his existence and will to survive and live.
May 5, 2020
A "Cup of Honey" written by Neile Sue Friedman is the true story of Holocaust survivor Eliezer Ayalon. A glimpse into his childhood memories may seem primitive by today's standards but they are what kept him strong after being separated from his family in his native Poland. The story relives the horror and inhumanity of losing your family and freedom. The one thing that I'll remember about this story is his strong faith in God even after all that he lost. I believe his mothers last words to him to live a sweet life also kept him going. Overall, I highly recommend this memoir.
March 15, 2019
This was a very good book. I had to set it aside due to other commitments, so the time spent reading it is really not a very realistic account. It is the first book that truly connects with the awful commandant Amon Goethe from the movie Schindler's List. It is a different type of account from Poland, and I have read dozens of Holocaust books for my unit. Well worth the read!
August 30, 2022
This book takes the reader along with Eliezer . From a young boy with his family and friends, to the ghetto, concentration camps and through his adult life. There are less and less survivors of the Holocaust today .all we have left is their stories. Stories that need to be told, and read as so the generations to come will not ever forgot or repeat.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews