Review
Aaron Elster's haunting memoir is so compelling that it becomes difficult not to place oneself in his shoes. For young readers, Aaron's emotionally-gripping narrative can be a powerful tool for conveying the atrocities of the Holocaust in a most personal way. Aaron's experiences during his childhood provide a glimpse of what one innocent young boy endured duringWorldWar II. We read of Aaron's choices and sacrifices, and how he worked tirelessly to survive the evil of the Nazis war against the Jews. It is stories such as Aaron s that will be conveyed in the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, now under construction in Skokie. It is because of courageous people like Aaron Elster that the organizers of the new Center are so anxious to bring this project to fruition.Aaron s commitment and devotion to the new museum, and to telling his story of survival, is inspiring to us all. --Richard S.Hirschhaut Project and Executive Director Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Skokie, Illinois
Aaron Elster's story is told with power and integrity. The memory is fresh, the experience searing. His work retains the tone of the child who lived this story, untainted by adult cynicism and uncensored by a desire to protect those of us who were not there or the reputations of those who were there. I found this to be a rare work of survival told with a truthful immediacy that leaves the reader stunned but not numbed. It is not easy reading, but urgent reading, recommended reading. --Michael Berenbaum Director, Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust Professor of Theology The University of Judaism Los Angeles, California
An unforgettable, moving meditation of a hidden child during the Holocaust and his reckoning with unbearable memories through sheer determination, the goodness of others, and the drive to bear witness.Through his eloquent speaking and writing, Aaron Elster has completed the voyage from the solitary hidden child in the attic to successful executive to inspiring educator. --Leon Stein Professor, Roosevelt University, Illinois
Aaron Elster's haunting memoir is so compelling that it becomes difficult not to place oneself in his shoes. For young readers, Aaron's emotionally-gripping narrative can be a powerful tool for conveying the atrocities of the Holocaust in a most personal way. Aaron's experiences during his childhood provide a glimpse of what one innocent young boy endured duringWorldWar II. We read of Aaron's choices and sacrifices, and how he worked tirelessly to survive the evil of the Nazis war against the Jews. It is stories such as Aaron s that will be conveyed in the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, now under construction in Skokie. It is because of courageous people like Aaron Elster that the organizers of the new Center are so anxious to bring this project to fruition.Aaron s commitment and devotion to the new museum, and to telling his story of survival, is inspiring to us all. --Richard S.Hirschhaut Project and Executive Director Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Skokie, Illinois
An unforgettable, moving meditation of a hidden child during the Holocaust and his reckoning with unbearable memories through sheer determination, the goodness of others, and the drive to bear witness.Through his eloquent speaking and writing, Aaron Elster has completed the voyage from the solitary hidden child in the attic to successful executive to inspiring educator. --Leon Stein Professor, Roosevelt University, Illinois
About the Author
PURCHASE FROM AARON ELSTER (through Amazon) AND HAVE YOUR BOOK AUTOGRAPHED by Aaron. Aaron Elster is a child survivor of the Holocaust. He was born in 1933 in the small northeastern village of Sokolow, Podlaski in Poland. Aaron lived in the Sokolow Ghetto with his two sisters, mother and father until the liquidation of the ghetto in September, 1942. He escaped the liquidation and hid in the surrounding forests and farms. Eventually, Aaron found refuge in the attic of a Polish family, where he hid for two years until the war s end. After the war, he lived in several orphanages throughout Poland, and eventually was smuggled out of Poland to various DP camps in West Germany. Aaron Elster and his sister Irene came to the United States in June 1947. He was educated in Chicago and served in the armed forces in Korea. Aaron has been married to his wife Jackie for more than 50 years. They have two sons, Steven and Robert, and two grandchildren, Sarah and Allison. After retiring from MetLife, he became an active member of the community, serving as co-chairman of the Speakers Bureau and Vice President of the Executive Board at the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois. His presentations touch adults and children alike, and his open and loving style creates extensive discussions and interactive exploration of the Holocaust and its issues. Within his presentation, Aaron challenges young people to explore their strengths and encourages them to be the master of their destiny, realizing that they have the power to change their world.
