Say the Name: A Survivor's Tale in Prose and Poetry

by Judith H. Sherman

Say the Name vividly describes in the voice of a fourteen-year-old the experiences of a Jewish girl who was imprisoned in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp during World War II. Miraculously, Judita Sternova of Kurima, Czechoslovakia, survives persecutions, hiding, flight, capture, deportation, and the Camp. Like the few other surviving Jews, she could not bear to remain in her village emptied of family and other Jews and emigrates to England and, eventually, the United States. After more than fifty years Sherman gets up from her years of memories, private resistance, and public silence to write this book. She is triggered to do so upon hearing a lecture by Professor Carrasco at Princeton on "Religion and the Terror of History." The narrative is interspersed with Sherman's powerful poems that grab the reader's attention. Poignant original drawings made secretly by imprisoned women of Ravensbruck, at risk of their lives, illuminate the text. Sherman courageously bears witness to the terror of man and simultaneously challenges God for answers. This book should "jolt us into remembrance, warning, and action."

Genres: Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Anita R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, by Judith H. Sherman , is a first person account of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Judith survived Auschwitz and Ravensbruck concentration camps. She details the nightmare of trying to survive such inhumane conditions and sadistic treatment. Through prose , poetry and graphic sketches the reader understands the cruelty of the Nazi regime in trying to erase an entire race of innocent people. It’s a difficult read, but, very necessary to insure “Never Again “ really means NEVER AGAIN .

[Katherine Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tough book to summarize, and it is not a cheerful, happy-go-lucky holiday tome. Judith Sherman is a survivor of the Ravensbruck concentration camp, and this book is a collection of poetry and prose about her life, both then and now. I was fortunate to hear Sherman speak and it was an unforgettable experience – amongst the most important points she asks us to ponder is the role of silence, and what purpose words serve in situations when there really are no words that do justice to their subject.

[Jasonlylescampbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Say the Name

Say the name
Announce pronounce
Recite the name
Six Million times the name, the name

You master race
Who smashed and gassed
--erased the name
Script, engrave
Imprint the name
And say and say and say the name,
When every name is said and heard
Repeat the name again again

May you outlive eternity
And say the name eternally
God, please attend
God, please assure
That every name
Is accounted for

[Amy Cahillane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will stay with me for a long time. It conveys the horror of the holocaust at a very personal level like no other book I've ever read. Impossible to review; if there were more stars available, I'd give it all the stars. To echo another reviewer, everyone should read this book.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this. I have no words.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, haunting, horrifying.