64735

by Alter Wiener

Unknown Binding

About the author

Alter Wiener (1926–2018) was a Polish Holocaust survivor who detailed his experiences in a 2007 memoir, titled “From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography.”
His father was killed when he was 13, according to his autobiography. He spent three years in concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz camp. When he was liberated in 1945, he weighed only 80 pounds.
Born in Chrzanów, southern Poland, Wiener was one of the last remaining survivors in the Portland, Oregon area, where he had lived since 2000. He shared his life story with nearly 1,000 groups at schools, churches, synagogues and more.
He was working to persuade Oregon state legislators to create and pass a bill that would mandate educators teach students about the Holocaust and genocide. It was dubbed the Genocide Curriculum bill.

Reviews

[Shauna Croak-Falen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Holocaust books, but the thing that stood out in this one was the continued struggle after liberation. Lack of resources, deaths due to bodies unable to handle food after extreme starvation, and the challenge of how to make a living with no education or skills. Yet through all that, the ability to not seek vengeance.