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My March Through Hell: A Young Girl’s Terrifying Journey to Survival
A young girl is suddenly all alone and on the run from the Nazis in her hometown in Poland. Having survived an aktion that was intended to completely rid Czestochowa of all the Jews, she and her father try to make their way back to their home during the late hours of the night.
Confronted by a policeman, Halina Goldberg unexplainably runs away from her father and begins her long journey of survival. When tired of fleeing, she volunteers to go into a work camp. That decision buys her some time because the Germans need labor for the war effort. Halina works in three different camps from the Fall of 1943 to January 1945. At first, the camps are bearable, even though the prioners are worked hard and fed very little. But as the Germans begin to lose the war, the conditions turn deathly. The Jews become overrun with disease and their captors grow crueler and crueler.
As it becomes clear that the war is lost, the SS empty the camps and set over 2,000 women on a four-month long march that would cover over 800 kilometers during one of Europe’s coldest winters on record. Halina was one of the only 300 who survived the Volary Death March and finally felt the need to record her hellish story of survival.
Confronted by a policeman, Halina Goldberg unexplainably runs away from her father and begins her long journey of survival. When tired of fleeing, she volunteers to go into a work camp. That decision buys her some time because the Germans need labor for the war effort. Halina works in three different camps from the Fall of 1943 to January 1945. At first, the camps are bearable, even though the prioners are worked hard and fed very little. But as the Germans begin to lose the war, the conditions turn deathly. The Jews become overrun with disease and their captors grow crueler and crueler.
As it becomes clear that the war is lost, the SS empty the camps and set over 2,000 women on a four-month long march that would cover over 800 kilometers during one of Europe’s coldest winters on record. Halina was one of the only 300 who survived the Volary Death March and finally felt the need to record her hellish story of survival.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2022
294 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 8, 2022
My March Through Hell: A Young Girl’s Terrifying Journey to Survival: Holocaust Survivor Memories World War II is by Halina Kleiner with Edwin Stepp. This is an amazing story of a twelve-year-old girl who is left alone in a world gone mad and who manages to survive and go on to live a very fulfilling life full of love and happiness. However, she never forgets her past and doesn’t want others to forget it either.
To Halina, telling her story is a way of remembering her past as well as the pasts of the millions of innocent people who lost their lives and their pasts during these horrific years. To her, future generations will only have survivor memories to create their own memories of this time period and to truly understand what “Never Again” means. She feels obligated to tell her story and to understand that she survived on pure luck. She was just in the right places at the right time and took advantage of those situations. She was lucky to have met two amazing young girls and struck up a lifelong friendship with them and the three of them helped each other survive their ordeals.
Halina was also lucky to have been one of the first survivors to come to the United States and was lucky to have been reunited with Gerda Weissmann Klein with whom she had known prior to the Death March they both survived. Gerda gave her the opportunity to be able to freely and sincerely talk about her ordeal long before it was “fashionable” to do so. She recorded her story at Kean University in New Jersey in 1987. It was a four-hour interview; but it didn’t tell her entire story. At the age of 91, she wrote her book to tell the entire story.
Her husband was also a survivor whose story is available in his book, Save My Children. Unfortunately, Halina passed away on April 9, 2022, prior to the publication of her book.
It is a perfect accompaniment to Gerda Weissmann Klein's All But My Life.
To Halina, telling her story is a way of remembering her past as well as the pasts of the millions of innocent people who lost their lives and their pasts during these horrific years. To her, future generations will only have survivor memories to create their own memories of this time period and to truly understand what “Never Again” means. She feels obligated to tell her story and to understand that she survived on pure luck. She was just in the right places at the right time and took advantage of those situations. She was lucky to have met two amazing young girls and struck up a lifelong friendship with them and the three of them helped each other survive their ordeals.
Halina was also lucky to have been one of the first survivors to come to the United States and was lucky to have been reunited with Gerda Weissmann Klein with whom she had known prior to the Death March they both survived. Gerda gave her the opportunity to be able to freely and sincerely talk about her ordeal long before it was “fashionable” to do so. She recorded her story at Kean University in New Jersey in 1987. It was a four-hour interview; but it didn’t tell her entire story. At the age of 91, she wrote her book to tell the entire story.
Her husband was also a survivor whose story is available in his book, Save My Children. Unfortunately, Halina passed away on April 9, 2022, prior to the publication of her book.
It is a perfect accompaniment to Gerda Weissmann Klein's All But My Life.
July 14, 2023
After reading her husband's book, I was delighted to see that Halina had written her survival journey down. This is the first time I have read a husband and wife story from this time. Halina survived the Volary death march. Over 2000 women were marched out, and only 300 survived. Halinas story is amazing. Starting out the war so young with little knowledge but gut instinct. All of these survivor stories are miraculous with what little help they could garner, they survived the odds where many didn't. More often than not instances of luck turned the tide for them allowing survival. I highly recommend this book. RIP halina !
January 28, 2025
I've read many stories about survivors and this one surprised me because of how different it is from all the others. One thing that caught my attention was when she mentioned that the military ship that she took to go to America wasn't luxurious, which is a strange thing to say, one because it was a military ship, not a cruise, and two, because she was going to the States with a "scholarship". The other thing that I noticed was when she said that one of the installations she stayed after the liberation was not comfortable and overcrowded, it surprised me that she would focus on that after her ordeal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
great first person perspective
The author retells her first-hand experience with great detail. Quite remarkable and important to review the terrible events in order to learn from history so it may never be repeated.
The author retells her first-hand experience with great detail. Quite remarkable and important to review the terrible events in order to learn from history so it may never be repeated.
April 16, 2023
This book is beyond excellent! The authors made me feel !ike I was there! Hungry, scared but hopeful with desire deep to live!I
As !ong as I live I will read and learn and tell what i know through books!I
Highly recommend and bring tissues, youll need them!
Thanks Yall and well done!!👍💙👍
As !ong as I live I will read and learn and tell what i know through books!I
Highly recommend and bring tissues, youll need them!
Thanks Yall and well done!!👍💙👍
November 1, 2023
Worth reading
Told in a clear, personal way, this biography broke my heart. Her amazing survival of the worst of the worst of the holocaust created an emotional connection to history.
Told in a clear, personal way, this biography broke my heart. Her amazing survival of the worst of the worst of the holocaust created an emotional connection to history.
July 25, 2024
Very interesting book of how a little girl survived the Holocaust.
After reading this and other books on the Holocaust, I pray that no one should ever forget the horrific things that the Nazis did during WW2. And to never let this happen again.
After reading this and other books on the Holocaust, I pray that no one should ever forget the horrific things that the Nazis did during WW2. And to never let this happen again.
April 17, 2023
Inspirational story.
Thank you for sharing your story. It was very inspirational. These stories need to live on in our current troubles for Fascism trying to take root.
Thank you for sharing your story. It was very inspirational. These stories need to live on in our current troubles for Fascism trying to take root.
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April 18, 2023""
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2024
Very moving story of a 12 year old Jewish girl and how she survived WWII
May 19, 2024
Wow
Everytime I read a new holocaust story I'm in shock by the fact that they get more horrifying the inhumane way they were treated my mind couldn't even imagine it smh and the fact that they survived it all blows me away. I'm happy Halina got a beautiful happy ending.
Everytime I read a new holocaust story I'm in shock by the fact that they get more horrifying the inhumane way they were treated my mind couldn't even imagine it smh and the fact that they survived it all blows me away. I'm happy Halina got a beautiful happy ending.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews