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The Keeper of Miracles
The memoir of a Holocaust survivor keeping alive the stories of his generation.
For more than 30 years, Phillip Maisel has worked selflessly to record the harrowing stories of Holocaust survivors.
Volunteering at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Phillip has listened tirelessly to their memories, preserved their voices and proven, time and time again, just how healing storytelling can be. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself - earning Phillip the nickname 'the Keeper of Miracles'.
But, for Phillip, confronting and overcoming trauma is also personal. A Holocaust survivor himself, he, too, has unthinkable stories of triumph and tragedy, cruelty and hope.
Published as Phillip turns 99, this deeply moving, healing and inspiring memoir shows us the cathartic power of storytelling and reminds us never to underestimate the impact of human kindness.
'This is my responsibility and my to be custodian of their memories, to be able to pass their stories on to the next generation - for me, this will be the greatest miracle of all.'
For more than 30 years, Phillip Maisel has worked selflessly to record the harrowing stories of Holocaust survivors.
Volunteering at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Phillip has listened tirelessly to their memories, preserved their voices and proven, time and time again, just how healing storytelling can be. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself - earning Phillip the nickname 'the Keeper of Miracles'.
But, for Phillip, confronting and overcoming trauma is also personal. A Holocaust survivor himself, he, too, has unthinkable stories of triumph and tragedy, cruelty and hope.
Published as Phillip turns 99, this deeply moving, healing and inspiring memoir shows us the cathartic power of storytelling and reminds us never to underestimate the impact of human kindness.
'This is my responsibility and my to be custodian of their memories, to be able to pass their stories on to the next generation - for me, this will be the greatest miracle of all.'
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2021
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113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 22, 2025
Phillip’s passionate account is one of true bravery which had turned into his life’s mission to recount his nightmarish experiences as a Holocaust survivor.
As a reader I was taken aback by the horrific atrocities not only Phillip endured but the millions of innocent people who were subjected to the unfathomable horrors inflicted upon them. Phillip’s positivity and strong will to survive were immensely inspiring against the cruel, dark backdrop of the war.
While reading, I could sense Phillip’s genuine need and duty to retell his story along with other survivors. His intent was to make sure we as future generations do not forget history, and possibly as a means for healing and purpose for he and the survivor’s lives. This was to become his life’s work once living in Australia.
It is hard to even imagine or grasp what it would have been like around that time of the Holocaust, however Phillip really helps his audience develop empathy and understanding to such wickedness to which a whole civilization was sadly subjected to.
When asked what his ‘miracles’ boiled down to, Phillip simply answered - humanity… “a human being, making a decision to reject hatred and fear, reaching out to help another, to save a life”. This idea of humanity and empathy, I feel, is still highly relevant in today’s world.
As a reader I was taken aback by the horrific atrocities not only Phillip endured but the millions of innocent people who were subjected to the unfathomable horrors inflicted upon them. Phillip’s positivity and strong will to survive were immensely inspiring against the cruel, dark backdrop of the war.
While reading, I could sense Phillip’s genuine need and duty to retell his story along with other survivors. His intent was to make sure we as future generations do not forget history, and possibly as a means for healing and purpose for he and the survivor’s lives. This was to become his life’s work once living in Australia.
It is hard to even imagine or grasp what it would have been like around that time of the Holocaust, however Phillip really helps his audience develop empathy and understanding to such wickedness to which a whole civilization was sadly subjected to.
When asked what his ‘miracles’ boiled down to, Phillip simply answered - humanity… “a human being, making a decision to reject hatred and fear, reaching out to help another, to save a life”. This idea of humanity and empathy, I feel, is still highly relevant in today’s world.
September 23, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed and has 100% convinced me that I must become an archivist and Historian. Very beautiful story with strong, well illustrated and thought out storytelling. Will be sending this off to my Mum and Nan to read :)
August 18, 2021
This is a special Holocaust memoir, that is thoughtfully written, that allows the reader to walk in Phillip’s shoes. The way it is written, helps us to understand the humanity of all.
Phillip has a unique lens to the horrors of the Holocaust. Through the acts of kindness or ‘miracles’ that enabled his survival & those of the other survivors whose testimonies he’s methodically recorded for over 30 years.
The Miracle Keeper is an inspirational memoir, that I highly recommend.
Phillip has a unique lens to the horrors of the Holocaust. Through the acts of kindness or ‘miracles’ that enabled his survival & those of the other survivors whose testimonies he’s methodically recorded for over 30 years.
The Miracle Keeper is an inspirational memoir, that I highly recommend.
September 26, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘Decades of this work has led to me being called ‘the Keeper of Miracles’ as I continue my mission to honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. To be custodian of their memories and to pass on their stories to the next generation continues to be my responsibility, my privilege, and the greatest miracle of all.’
An honest, moving and selfless account of a man who is a survivor in so many ways, The Keeper of Miracles is an inspiring memoir. Phillip Maisel delivers an unflinching, clear and powerful story that details his harrowing Holocaust experience, along with his tireless volunteer efforts at the Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre. A committed, passionate and dedicated storyteller, Phillip Maisel is a true hero, sharing his experiences with pure candor.
For over three decades Phillip Maisel has dedicated his life to the process of collating stories from the Holocaust. Phillip volunteers at Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre where he attends to these heartbreaking stories. In an effort to ensure that these vital voices from one of history’s darkest chapters are never forgotten, Phillip has the strong belief that sharing these stories will help to highlight the miracles of life. Despite the harrowing and grave nature of these experiences, Phillip directs the audience to the miraculous events of this atrocious period. From unexpected acts of kindness, to moments of grace and simple gestures, Phillip outlines these stories with a candid approach. The strength and purity of Phillips’s spirit is evident at so many points of this memoir. In detailing his own tragic experiences, it is hard to believe that Phillip is able to continue to document the cruel experiences of other survivors. The Keeper of Miracles is a book that delivers a mighty and essential message, that humanity has the ability to show kindness in the dark times.
It is amazing that we blessed to have dedicated storytellers and remarkable survivors such as Phillip Maisel, the author of The Keeper of Miracles. A very personal, touching and eloquent memoir, this 2021 Pan Macmillan Australia publication is an essential read for those who wish to learn more about the Holocaust.
Told via eight moving chapters, with a prologue, epilogue, acknowledgements and an eight page photo spread, The Keeper of Miracles details the incredible life of ninety-nine-year-old Phillip Maisel. Phillip was born in Lithuania and this survivor found his life was altered beyond recognition when the Germans infiltrated his hometown of Vilna. After suffering terrible and trying conditions in a Jewish Ghetto, Phillip was packed off to a number of different labour camps. During this time Phillip was tested to his very core, but he still managed to find essential moments of gratitude, or miracles in his eyes. Phillip lived to see the end of the Second World War and he made the move to Australia. In Australia Philip began a very important mission, to relay the stories of thousands of Holocaust survivors, in an effort to preserve history. For me, the most striking aspect of this incredible set piece is the sense of humility that Phillip is able to apply to every key event in his life. For a man who experienced such atrocities, the ability to view these incredibly trying experiences as miracles is simply amazing. We could all take a leaf out of Phillip’s life guidebook. Phillip’s devotion to collating so many difficult experiences of the Holocaust is also an incredibly noble act and his dedication is inspiring to all.
Arresting, noteworthy, stirring and poignant, The Keeper of Miracles is a memoir to pass on to future generations.
*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
‘Decades of this work has led to me being called ‘the Keeper of Miracles’ as I continue my mission to honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. To be custodian of their memories and to pass on their stories to the next generation continues to be my responsibility, my privilege, and the greatest miracle of all.’
An honest, moving and selfless account of a man who is a survivor in so many ways, The Keeper of Miracles is an inspiring memoir. Phillip Maisel delivers an unflinching, clear and powerful story that details his harrowing Holocaust experience, along with his tireless volunteer efforts at the Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre. A committed, passionate and dedicated storyteller, Phillip Maisel is a true hero, sharing his experiences with pure candor.
For over three decades Phillip Maisel has dedicated his life to the process of collating stories from the Holocaust. Phillip volunteers at Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre where he attends to these heartbreaking stories. In an effort to ensure that these vital voices from one of history’s darkest chapters are never forgotten, Phillip has the strong belief that sharing these stories will help to highlight the miracles of life. Despite the harrowing and grave nature of these experiences, Phillip directs the audience to the miraculous events of this atrocious period. From unexpected acts of kindness, to moments of grace and simple gestures, Phillip outlines these stories with a candid approach. The strength and purity of Phillips’s spirit is evident at so many points of this memoir. In detailing his own tragic experiences, it is hard to believe that Phillip is able to continue to document the cruel experiences of other survivors. The Keeper of Miracles is a book that delivers a mighty and essential message, that humanity has the ability to show kindness in the dark times.
It is amazing that we blessed to have dedicated storytellers and remarkable survivors such as Phillip Maisel, the author of The Keeper of Miracles. A very personal, touching and eloquent memoir, this 2021 Pan Macmillan Australia publication is an essential read for those who wish to learn more about the Holocaust.
Told via eight moving chapters, with a prologue, epilogue, acknowledgements and an eight page photo spread, The Keeper of Miracles details the incredible life of ninety-nine-year-old Phillip Maisel. Phillip was born in Lithuania and this survivor found his life was altered beyond recognition when the Germans infiltrated his hometown of Vilna. After suffering terrible and trying conditions in a Jewish Ghetto, Phillip was packed off to a number of different labour camps. During this time Phillip was tested to his very core, but he still managed to find essential moments of gratitude, or miracles in his eyes. Phillip lived to see the end of the Second World War and he made the move to Australia. In Australia Philip began a very important mission, to relay the stories of thousands of Holocaust survivors, in an effort to preserve history. For me, the most striking aspect of this incredible set piece is the sense of humility that Phillip is able to apply to every key event in his life. For a man who experienced such atrocities, the ability to view these incredibly trying experiences as miracles is simply amazing. We could all take a leaf out of Phillip’s life guidebook. Phillip’s devotion to collating so many difficult experiences of the Holocaust is also an incredibly noble act and his dedication is inspiring to all.
Arresting, noteworthy, stirring and poignant, The Keeper of Miracles is a memoir to pass on to future generations.
*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
October 13, 2021
Humanity is at times as mystifying as it is beautiful and cruel.
An account from a Holocaust survivor is always going to be a harrowing read, confronting and often very black and white.
An account that doesn’t glorify, seek revenge or reek bias but does reveal simple facts and events that did happen and how humanity both saved and thwarted processes ensuring people lived to tell.
Phillip Maisel survived.
In his own testimony he believes he is a good man who has not done nothing to intentionally harm others and has an attitude that offers inner beauty and acute observation.
He is inclusive of all groups that suffered and his passion to ensure as many stories are captured and recorded speak volumes of his character.
For the most part, his life and story of survival are presented to the reader offering anecdotes and experiences that we will never experience.
Including his involvement later in life with the JHC and helping others get their stories heard and recorded.
He raised a brilliant point on how language can have a different meaning or connotation for instance the word hunger means something totally different to a survivor than to the average person.
The word selection to a survivor is blatantly life or death.
At 99 he has lived a full and rich life and hopefully he will in this inspire humanity and empathy.
A quick read that is rewarding and hopeful.
As these survivors get older we have a fewer and fewer and these stories become priceless and must never be forgotten.
An account from a Holocaust survivor is always going to be a harrowing read, confronting and often very black and white.
An account that doesn’t glorify, seek revenge or reek bias but does reveal simple facts and events that did happen and how humanity both saved and thwarted processes ensuring people lived to tell.
Phillip Maisel survived.
In his own testimony he believes he is a good man who has not done nothing to intentionally harm others and has an attitude that offers inner beauty and acute observation.
He is inclusive of all groups that suffered and his passion to ensure as many stories are captured and recorded speak volumes of his character.
For the most part, his life and story of survival are presented to the reader offering anecdotes and experiences that we will never experience.
Including his involvement later in life with the JHC and helping others get their stories heard and recorded.
He raised a brilliant point on how language can have a different meaning or connotation for instance the word hunger means something totally different to a survivor than to the average person.
The word selection to a survivor is blatantly life or death.
At 99 he has lived a full and rich life and hopefully he will in this inspire humanity and empathy.
A quick read that is rewarding and hopeful.
As these survivors get older we have a fewer and fewer and these stories become priceless and must never be forgotten.
Read
February 8, 2022The Keeper of Miracles is such a profound book and a book that must be read and thought about. The atrocities that he and every person (man, woman, child) went through during the holocaust and whether they survived or not, they were human beings and we only live once. No one has the right to harm another person. Sadly, during that time, millions of innocent people lost their lives, families, homes, friends and never to experience life and what the future was to hold for them.
Yes, there are bad people out there, but if you have the courage to do good in the world, the world may be a better place for you and everyone else.
This is such a remarkable story of hope, not lowering yourself to others, survival, courage and being a good human being. This book has definitely moved me. What an amazing man, human being and he deserves so much more than an AOM. His reward in life has been living to 100 years old after everything he has lived through.
There are sections in the book which are beautiful and especially the epilogue.
An absolutely beautifully written story.
- Ian
Yes, there are bad people out there, but if you have the courage to do good in the world, the world may be a better place for you and everyone else.
This is such a remarkable story of hope, not lowering yourself to others, survival, courage and being a good human being. This book has definitely moved me. What an amazing man, human being and he deserves so much more than an AOM. His reward in life has been living to 100 years old after everything he has lived through.
There are sections in the book which are beautiful and especially the epilogue.
An absolutely beautifully written story.
- Ian
August 21, 2021
Mr Maisel, thank you for allowing us to bear witness to your story and the stories of others. They will never be forgotten.
Read
August 21, 2021(I choose not to rate the literary value of a Holocaust memoir)
Taking on the “responsibility and privilege” of preserving the memories and stories of the Holocaust survivors he interviewed over 30 years with the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, Phillip Maisel kept the promise he had made with his friends during their imprisonment in a Nazi labour camp: “If any of us make it, we will tell the world what the Germans did. We will hold them responsible for all of this.” His intimate video interviews with survivors ensured that they “would not be forgotten”. He upheld his promise to record their stories for history and “for all that we lost – our humanity”, hopeful that future generations would “walk away from hatred”.
Maisel’s memoir recounts the details of his Holocaust years – of his loss of family and of his vibrant Jewish culture and home in Vilna, then part of Poland. His journey through the years of Nazi barbarity included his witnessing of the antisemitism that led to the torture, starvation, and murder of his fellow Jews. Moved to labour camps initially as a self-taught auto-electrician and through the kindness of several guards and civilians throughout his years of incarceration, Maisel survived and held the belief that “the only effective weapon we had against the Holocaust was to retain our decency.” In this regard, he valued himself as a “good man”, determined to survive and to do no harm to others. This quality defined him for the rest of his life.
Maisel detailed his reunion with his siblings, particularly with his twin sister, and then his immigration to Australia and the difficulty of those initial years as a refugee with a past that no one at the time wished to hear or talk about. I found this section of the memoir most intriguing as he wrote about the rebuilding of his life and family. There was humour as well, as he finally came to understand the “she’ll be right” motto of the Australians he met. Maisel’s dedication to his volunteer work at JHC touched me especially.
Taking on the “responsibility and privilege” of preserving the memories and stories of the Holocaust survivors he interviewed over 30 years with the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, Phillip Maisel kept the promise he had made with his friends during their imprisonment in a Nazi labour camp: “If any of us make it, we will tell the world what the Germans did. We will hold them responsible for all of this.” His intimate video interviews with survivors ensured that they “would not be forgotten”. He upheld his promise to record their stories for history and “for all that we lost – our humanity”, hopeful that future generations would “walk away from hatred”.
Maisel’s memoir recounts the details of his Holocaust years – of his loss of family and of his vibrant Jewish culture and home in Vilna, then part of Poland. His journey through the years of Nazi barbarity included his witnessing of the antisemitism that led to the torture, starvation, and murder of his fellow Jews. Moved to labour camps initially as a self-taught auto-electrician and through the kindness of several guards and civilians throughout his years of incarceration, Maisel survived and held the belief that “the only effective weapon we had against the Holocaust was to retain our decency.” In this regard, he valued himself as a “good man”, determined to survive and to do no harm to others. This quality defined him for the rest of his life.
Maisel detailed his reunion with his siblings, particularly with his twin sister, and then his immigration to Australia and the difficulty of those initial years as a refugee with a past that no one at the time wished to hear or talk about. I found this section of the memoir most intriguing as he wrote about the rebuilding of his life and family. There was humour as well, as he finally came to understand the “she’ll be right” motto of the Australians he met. Maisel’s dedication to his volunteer work at JHC touched me especially.
June 2, 2022
An incredible autobiography of a man who is indeed the keeper of miracles.
September 21, 2021
A brilliant, moving book. Could not recommend more highly.
December 29, 2021
This is testament to the horrific, harrowing and heinous crimes that were the Holocaust. Descriptions of the Nazi German state’s mass murder of Jewish people and others aren’t described. But Phillip Maisel, 99 when the book was published, doesn’t shy away from the magnitude of what happened.
His story – from his childhood in Vilna, Lithuania – to a fulfilling life in Melbourne, Australia – is one of hope. The Nazis murdered nine out of 10 Vilna residents. Maisel got away. His extraordinary will to live, luck and self-taught mechanical skill kept him alive.
As the Allies encroached further and further into Germany in Spring, 1945, concentration camp guards forced inmates to march. Maisel co-prisoners included Dutch, French and Belgian gentiles. His group’s guards didn’t have a destination. SS officers arrived on motorbikes and ordered the group into a line and for all Jews to take one step forward. It was clear the guards would murder them. No one stepped forward. The guards gave the order again; no one stepped forward. The guards yelled again. Then everyone took two steps forward. It happened another two times before the SS gave up and left.
“(The SS) had orders to murder only the Jews, and did not know what to do in the face of prisoner solidarity. It was incredibly brave of the non-Jews among us. They had risked their lives to save ours.” (109).
Good luck wasn’t the only thing that kept Maisel alive. Another was hunger.
“It would’ve been easy for me to give up and pass away in the night, but the possibility of getting a bowl of coffee and a piece of bread in the morning was so enticing that I could not stand to let myself die before I ate again.” (102). The ‘coffee’ was a bowl of warm brown liquid and the ‘bread’ was a scrap.
There is not a word of bitterness, hatred or anger in this wonderful memoir. It is full of hope and love.
“No matter how badly I was treated by the Germans, I never lost sight of the fact that they were people to, and that they were the ones who had given up their decency because of fear and greed. This gives me great solace. (202)
“What happened to me was terrible, but through it all, I managed to maintain my humanity … I truly believe that the human race will not survive unless we embrace our humanity. And that means doing what we can to leave the world a better a place that when it was when we arrived.” (203)
We should remember these words in these days of rising fascism, diminishing democracy, and political leaders whose tools of trade are division, harsh words that fuel the fires of hatred.
His story – from his childhood in Vilna, Lithuania – to a fulfilling life in Melbourne, Australia – is one of hope. The Nazis murdered nine out of 10 Vilna residents. Maisel got away. His extraordinary will to live, luck and self-taught mechanical skill kept him alive.
As the Allies encroached further and further into Germany in Spring, 1945, concentration camp guards forced inmates to march. Maisel co-prisoners included Dutch, French and Belgian gentiles. His group’s guards didn’t have a destination. SS officers arrived on motorbikes and ordered the group into a line and for all Jews to take one step forward. It was clear the guards would murder them. No one stepped forward. The guards gave the order again; no one stepped forward. The guards yelled again. Then everyone took two steps forward. It happened another two times before the SS gave up and left.
“(The SS) had orders to murder only the Jews, and did not know what to do in the face of prisoner solidarity. It was incredibly brave of the non-Jews among us. They had risked their lives to save ours.” (109).
Good luck wasn’t the only thing that kept Maisel alive. Another was hunger.
“It would’ve been easy for me to give up and pass away in the night, but the possibility of getting a bowl of coffee and a piece of bread in the morning was so enticing that I could not stand to let myself die before I ate again.” (102). The ‘coffee’ was a bowl of warm brown liquid and the ‘bread’ was a scrap.
There is not a word of bitterness, hatred or anger in this wonderful memoir. It is full of hope and love.
“No matter how badly I was treated by the Germans, I never lost sight of the fact that they were people to, and that they were the ones who had given up their decency because of fear and greed. This gives me great solace. (202)
“What happened to me was terrible, but through it all, I managed to maintain my humanity … I truly believe that the human race will not survive unless we embrace our humanity. And that means doing what we can to leave the world a better a place that when it was when we arrived.” (203)
We should remember these words in these days of rising fascism, diminishing democracy, and political leaders whose tools of trade are division, harsh words that fuel the fires of hatred.
March 20, 2022
A story of survival, love,courage,and the importance of humanity and decency.For more than 30 years, Phillip Maisel has worked selflessly to record the harrowing stories of Holocaust survivors.
Volunteering at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Phillip has listened tirelessly to their memories, preserved their voices and proven, time and time again, just how healing storytelling can be. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself - earning Phillip the nickname 'the Keeper of Miracles'.
But, for Phillip, confronting and overcoming trauma is also personal. A Holocaust survivor himself, he, too, has unthinkable stories of triumph and tragedy, cruelty and hope.
Published as Phillip turns 99, this deeply moving, healing and inspiring memoir shows us the cathartic power of storytelling and reminds us never to underestimate the impact of human kindness.
Phillip Maisel OAM was born in August 1922, in Vilna, Lithuania. When the Germans arrived in Vilna in 1941, Phillip's life changed dramatically. He survived two years in a squalid, overcrowded Jewish ghetto, before enduring multiple Nazi labour and concentration camps. Phillip was liberated in 1945 while on a Death March. He moved to Australia in 1949.
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.During the approximately 2 years of its existence starvation, disease, street executions, maltreatment, and deportations to concentration and extermination camps reduced the ghetto's population from an estimated 40,000 to 0.Only several hundred people managed to survive, mostly by hiding in the forests surrounding the city, joining Soviet partisans,or sheltering with sympathetic locals.
Many had to make a deal with the devil, and make themselves indispensable to the German war effort to avoid being killed.Before World War II, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centres in Europe. Its Jewish influence has led to its nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania".
Volunteering at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Phillip has listened tirelessly to their memories, preserved their voices and proven, time and time again, just how healing storytelling can be. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself - earning Phillip the nickname 'the Keeper of Miracles'.
But, for Phillip, confronting and overcoming trauma is also personal. A Holocaust survivor himself, he, too, has unthinkable stories of triumph and tragedy, cruelty and hope.
Published as Phillip turns 99, this deeply moving, healing and inspiring memoir shows us the cathartic power of storytelling and reminds us never to underestimate the impact of human kindness.
Phillip Maisel OAM was born in August 1922, in Vilna, Lithuania. When the Germans arrived in Vilna in 1941, Phillip's life changed dramatically. He survived two years in a squalid, overcrowded Jewish ghetto, before enduring multiple Nazi labour and concentration camps. Phillip was liberated in 1945 while on a Death March. He moved to Australia in 1949.
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.During the approximately 2 years of its existence starvation, disease, street executions, maltreatment, and deportations to concentration and extermination camps reduced the ghetto's population from an estimated 40,000 to 0.Only several hundred people managed to survive, mostly by hiding in the forests surrounding the city, joining Soviet partisans,or sheltering with sympathetic locals.
Many had to make a deal with the devil, and make themselves indispensable to the German war effort to avoid being killed.Before World War II, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centres in Europe. Its Jewish influence has led to its nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania".
July 17, 2022
Well done to Philip, recoding 1700 holocaust survival memory, survived himself and raising a family in a foreign country which now called home, are a miracle itself. He is selfless to keep and support those testimonials on JHC in Melbourne. The book was ordained in a good structure, it started with the pre-war world of Philip, the in-war world of Philip, and the Post-war world of Philip.
The keeper of Miracles is a nickname of Philip, which has been given by JHC of his colleagues. He is a cameraman and video recorder and perhaps an interviewer of many stories.
" Once you begin to look for the miracles In your life, you cannot stop finding them."
He sees the best revenge for the bad things of the past, is to chance to marry and see his children grow up safe and happy. His long life was a blessing. There are so many miracles mentioned in Philip's life, how survived a death March on the last days of the war to lied down on the snow and somehow survived days and days with no or little food. The author himself does not claim to be a religious person. However, he mentioned that he is open-minded. It seems Philip believes in Miracle or whatever you could call it: chance? Or luck? All it would not offend him, all he pursues to promise to himself when he survived ' He will tell the story to the whole world, humanity in His worst time'.
" The closest we can come is to listen to another person's story, to try to see the world the way they do for a while."
All the worst, inhuman, and terrible things, comes to no effect on right, honorable, and empathy of Philip. He is a good man with a good heart, who crucially been in a wrong time of human history or, well the history treat him and his kind terribly.
It is an eye-opening story. This book is recommended to read and know how bad and worst the human can be, it might help us to appreciate and be nice and love each other deeply.
The keeper of Miracles is a nickname of Philip, which has been given by JHC of his colleagues. He is a cameraman and video recorder and perhaps an interviewer of many stories.
" Once you begin to look for the miracles In your life, you cannot stop finding them."
He sees the best revenge for the bad things of the past, is to chance to marry and see his children grow up safe and happy. His long life was a blessing. There are so many miracles mentioned in Philip's life, how survived a death March on the last days of the war to lied down on the snow and somehow survived days and days with no or little food. The author himself does not claim to be a religious person. However, he mentioned that he is open-minded. It seems Philip believes in Miracle or whatever you could call it: chance? Or luck? All it would not offend him, all he pursues to promise to himself when he survived ' He will tell the story to the whole world, humanity in His worst time'.
" The closest we can come is to listen to another person's story, to try to see the world the way they do for a while."
All the worst, inhuman, and terrible things, comes to no effect on right, honorable, and empathy of Philip. He is a good man with a good heart, who crucially been in a wrong time of human history or, well the history treat him and his kind terribly.
It is an eye-opening story. This book is recommended to read and know how bad and worst the human can be, it might help us to appreciate and be nice and love each other deeply.
Read
April 15, 2023A very moving portrayal of the Holocaust from a different perspective.
These books and retelling of survivor experiences never cease to upset me that another human being could treat another human being in such a manner.
I have been to the Holocaust museum in Melbourne and it is a very moving display - I didn't realise it was one of the earliest centres for recording actual survivor experiences and to have dedicated over 30 years to its existence is a great testament to Phillip Maisel and all the other volunteers and survivors who shared their stories, to ensure we never forget this terrible time in our history.
These books and retelling of survivor experiences never cease to upset me that another human being could treat another human being in such a manner.
I have been to the Holocaust museum in Melbourne and it is a very moving display - I didn't realise it was one of the earliest centres for recording actual survivor experiences and to have dedicated over 30 years to its existence is a great testament to Phillip Maisel and all the other volunteers and survivors who shared their stories, to ensure we never forget this terrible time in our history.
March 14, 2022
I would give this book 4.7/5. As a young person, I didn’t study, & wasn’t particularly interested in history. My knowledge was rudimentary and there was no interest in further knowledge. I have surprised myself with how interested I have become. There are so many biography stories, memoirs, historical fiction out now which is presenting much of this history in a different way. Philip’s story of his life, from a school child, as a Jew in wartime and then his work with the recording of real stories is another important catalogue of this time in history.,
January 20, 2022
This book was beautifully written. I think all the documenting he did before set him up well to know just the right way to tell his story. Maisel's unique experience during the Holocaust shows humanity at its worst and its finest. I would absolutely agree that some miracles occurred to keep him alive and reading his story makes you believe in miracles. I would absolutely recommend this book. 10/10!
December 6, 2021
Another devastating testimony of the brutality of life under the Nazi regime for a young Jewish man. As the author himself points out, everyone's tale of survival is different, and a miracle in its own right. He should have died at several points in his journey, but didn't, thanks to happenstance and the humanity of strangers. Well worth a read!
September 12, 2021
An excellent book which I could not put down. I read it in one day over three sittings. Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel, who was born in Vilna in 1922 recounts his survival story. He survived largely due to his skills as a car mechanic.
November 28, 2021
Phillip a volunteer at Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre brings a deeply moving account of his experiences and those of others but reminds us to always look for human kindness in all our interactions.
January 26, 2022
Everyone should read this book
May 26, 2023
Beautifully written. A testimony of one person's experience of the Holocaust, and how he has worked since to help others tell their stories.
April 6, 2024
Phenomenal book. I've read a lot of Holocaust books, always eager to learn more. But this book hit me in a different way, opening my eyes more and leaving me with a lot to think about.
March 4, 2022
This memoir story of a Holocaust survivor and an author written by Phillip Maisel. He is keeping alive within the stories of his generation. His book is called “The Keeper of Miracles” is such an inspiring and uplifting with clean and elegant writing and the wording is very easy and interesting. The chapters detail his experience during the Holocaust, emigration to Australia, setting up a life here with his family, and also his role interviewing and recording more than 1000 testimonials from other survivors. They reveal the moving events of his life as well as the many lessons he’s learned. He was born in 1922 and is a twin sister to Bella and an older brother Joseph. They grew up in Vilna, Lithuania. The Nazis invaded their hometown in 1941, and were evicted from their home to the ghetto for two years. Phillip was in a multiple labor camp. The siblings survived the Holocaust. An absolute miracle story which I enjoyed reading within two hours.
July 12, 2021
A powerful yet uplifting account of an Australian-based holocaust survivor. I've read so many survivor stories and they never fail to stop me in my tracks to consider the inhumanity and incomprehensibility of the horror. This book is no different. However, Mr Maisel's account is filled with an ineffable optimism throughout. The final chapters and reflections show him to be an extremely kind and generous person with a regard for humanity that is exceptional; particularly given what he endured. I'm so pleased he recorded his account and has been instrumental in ensuring that the testimonies of so many survivors have been documented and preserved.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for the opportunity to read this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Australia for the opportunity to read this book.
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