On Night, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and a Wall Street Legend
Books that changed my thinking, my behaviors, and my life
Hello all!
Here is your weekly dose of goodness:
1. Memoir
Night
Summary
This is the first (and most memorable) book I read about the holocaust. It is unbelievably good. Night is a powerful and haunting memoir that recounts Wiesel’s experiences as a teenager in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The book describes the unimaginable horrors he witnessed, including the loss of his family, the dehumanization of prisoners, and the brutality of the Nazi regime. Typically I include quotes from the book at the end of this summary, but I’d like to share one which helps to understand why Wiesel had to write this book:
For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.
Night is a crucial literary work that serves as a stark reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, urging readers to bear witness to history and ensuring that such a tragedy is never forgotten. It is incredibly moving and an essential read that offers profound lessons about the capacity for both cruelty and compassion within humanity. While short in pages, it will live forever in your conscious.
On deniers: They are committing the greatest indignity human beings can inflict on one another: telling people who have suffered excruciating pain and loss that their pain and loss were illusions.
Quote: Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow.
Quote: Violence is not the answer. Terrorism is the most dangerous of answers.
Quote: It is obvious that the war which Hitler and his accomplices waged was a war not only against Jewish men, women, and children, but also against Jewish religion, Jewish culture, Jewish tradition, therefore Jewish memory.
Quote: I told him that I did not believe that they could burn people in our age, that humanity would never tolerate it…
Quote: We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Author: Elie Wiesel
Themes: Memoir, Holocaust, History
My personal notes from the book
2. Memoir
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Summary
This is one of the best recent books about the Holocaust. What a story. It will bring tears and smiles. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the life of Lale Sokolov, a Jew who becomes the tattooist at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. This book chronicles Lale's extraordinary journey, detailing his experiences in Auschwitz and his relationship with Gita Furman, a fellow prisoner. The book offers a unique perspective on the Holocaust, showcasing the power of love and human connection in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit, emphasizing the importance of love, courage, and kindness even in the darkest of times. Tears and smiles.
Quote: If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.
Insight: You will honor them by staying alive, surviving this place and telling the world what happened here.
Insight: The tattooing has taken only seconds, but Lale’s shock makes time stand still. He grasps his arm, staring at the number. How can someone do this to another human being? He wonders if for the rest of his life, be it short or long, he will be defined by this moment, this irregular number: 32407.
Quote: You know something, Tätowierer? I bet you’re the only Jew who ever walked into an oven and then walked back out of it.
Author: Heather Morris
Themes: Memoir, Holocaust, History
My personal notes from the book
Summary
This is the story of Siggi Wilzig. He and his family were forced to Auschwitz in 1943. His entire family was killed. He survived by pretending to be a master tool maker. After enduring two death marches he was liberated by American forces in May 1945. The next two years were spent assisting the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps in tracking down Nazi guards and Gestapo operatives in Austria and Bavaria. He then emigrated to America in 1947 at the age of twenty-one. He barely had an elementary school education, no contacts, and little money. He worked as a toilet cleaner in sweatshops. But he had a dream. He goes on to become the CEO of Wilshire Oil company and The Trust Company of New Jersey. Siggi was also the first Holocaust survivor to address West Point Cadets. In that speech he told the audience, “You’ll need to know what Jews went through in the Holocaust so that you will be vigilant that it never happens again…Why did the world stand by and do nothing? Was there some kind of conspiracy of silence?” This is a book about a human with self-respect, determination, a sense of humor, and believed in the dignity of human life. He was never intimidated by bullies or Anti-Semites, and never forgot his past.
Authors: Joshua Greene
Themes: Biography, Holocaust, History
That’s a wrap. Thanks for reading!
Please continue to share with me the books that changed your life!
Best,
Adam
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