I Kept My Promise
The words in this book are an eye witness account of a remarkable struggle for survival by a young polish Jew, during and shortly after the Holocaust. In the prime of life, on April 15th, 1942 -his twentieth birthday- Jacob Birnbaum was torn away from his family and put on one of the last trains sent to a labor camp from his hometown. In this biography, Jacob takes the reader with him, as he relives the incredible chain of events he encountered during his three years of captivity at six different labor camps and his subsequent struggle to regain a normal life amidst the post-war turmoil in Europe. Birnbaum's testimony represents the epitome of the phrase, "Truth is stranger than fiction."
Even though his epic began in 1942, Jacob's photographic memory has made it possible for him to recount his experiences as if they occurred only yesterday. As painful as it was to retrace his steps, the release of this narrative is helping fulfill a promise he made to his parents when they wrote: "Son, you may be the only survivor of our family. Never let the world forget what they did to us." He was the only survivor. And he will never let us forget.
Sadly, Jacob passed away suddenly on May 7th, 2007. He will be dearly missed.
"Jacob Birnbaum's autobiography is a survivor's important testimony. Read it. Make your friends read it. Written with pain and courage, it is his personal way of keeping his "promise" to the victims who perished in Hitler's nightmarish death-camps. To listen to a witness is to become a witness." Elie Wiesel, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1986, Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, author of more than 30 books and Professor of Humanities at Boston University.
"This incredible true story is about the mystery of survival during the Holocaust -a time when few survived to tell what happened to those closest to them. I KEPT MY PROMISE helps fill that black hole in history, without human faces. It also helps break part of the long dark silence that obscured a colossal failure of western civilization." Sylvia Rothchild, Author and Book Reviewer for the Jewish Advocate.
"Readers interested in the less familiar ordeal of Jews who were not deported to the well-publicized concentration and death camps will find much to appreciate in this volume." Lawrence L. Langer, Author and Professor of English Emeritus, Simmons College, Boston.
"I couldn't put this book down. It reads like a novel yet is a very honest painful testimony of a Holocaust survivor. A must for Holocaust collections and an important biography for school libraries. Grades 8 through adult, Highly Recommended." Diane C. Pozar, Library Media Specialist and Reviewer for The Journal for Junior and Senior High School Librarians.
"It is a remarkable and powerful book. Many of the events that Mr. Birnbaum experienced and witnessed are beyond human imagination. As difficult and challenging as it was to read parts of the book, it must have been ever more so for Mr. Birnbaum to write about them. The book has certainly enhanced my knowledge of The Holocaust." Mark Willner, Teacher of Holocaust Studies, Congregation Emanu-el Religious School, Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College, New York, NY.
"I won't go into too much detail about his actual experiences, because there is no way to do them justice. The story, being told from Jacob's point of view, tells itself impeccably. When I read it I saw through his eyes, felt what he felt and found myself stopping to catch my breath on several occasions. The power of the story is simply incredible! The primary goal of the book is to educate and inform people from junior high school through the college level. The first person perspective makes it as useful in understanding what happened to the persecuted Jews as 'The Diary of Anne Frank'." A twenty-year-old Bentley College freshman and Writer for the Vanguard student newspaper. Reprinted from the Lexington Minuteman.
"I Kept My Promise is a poignant account which recalls the horror of the Holocaust and the consequences of sanctioned prejudice and hate. In honoring those who have died, Mr. Birnbaum provides inspiration to the living." Massachusetts Governor, William F. Weld.
"I Kept My Promise is a riveting, thorough account of one particular prisoner's experiences in Hitler's Third Reich. It gives the reader stark insights into the workings of the Nazi regime and the terrible suffering it imposed on millions of human beings. Birnbaum and Taylor have created a highly readable narrative of life and death in Hitler's forced labor camps and of one extraordinary individual's story of survival." Jim & Baerbel Davis, Sandwich, Massachusetts
"I can unequivocally recommend this epic story of survival against almost impossible odds. Once you start this book it is difficult to put it down. A real life history of a Holocaust survivor that everyone should be exposed to." David Shnidman
1030627209
I Kept My Promise
The words in this book are an eye witness account of a remarkable struggle for survival by a young polish Jew, during and shortly after the Holocaust. In the prime of life, on April 15th, 1942 -his twentieth birthday- Jacob Birnbaum was torn away from his family and put on one of the last trains sent to a labor camp from his hometown. In this biography, Jacob takes the reader with him, as he relives the incredible chain of events he encountered during his three years of captivity at six different labor camps and his subsequent struggle to regain a normal life amidst the post-war turmoil in Europe. Birnbaum's testimony represents the epitome of the phrase, "Truth is stranger than fiction."
Even though his epic began in 1942, Jacob's photographic memory has made it possible for him to recount his experiences as if they occurred only yesterday. As painful as it was to retrace his steps, the release of this narrative is helping fulfill a promise he made to his parents when they wrote: "Son, you may be the only survivor of our family. Never let the world forget what they did to us." He was the only survivor. And he will never let us forget.
Sadly, Jacob passed away suddenly on May 7th, 2007. He will be dearly missed.
"Jacob Birnbaum's autobiography is a survivor's important testimony. Read it. Make your friends read it. Written with pain and courage, it is his personal way of keeping his "promise" to the victims who perished in Hitler's nightmarish death-camps. To listen to a witness is to become a witness." Elie Wiesel, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1986, Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, author of more than 30 books and Professor of Humanities at Boston University.
"This incredible true story is about the mystery of survival during the Holocaust -a time when few survived to tell what happened to those closest to them. I KEPT MY PROMISE helps fill that black hole in history, without human faces. It also helps break part of the long dark silence that obscured a colossal failure of western civilization." Sylvia Rothchild, Author and Book Reviewer for the Jewish Advocate.
"Readers interested in the less familiar ordeal of Jews who were not deported to the well-publicized concentration and death camps will find much to appreciate in this volume." Lawrence L. Langer, Author and Professor of English Emeritus, Simmons College, Boston.
"I couldn't put this book down. It reads like a novel yet is a very honest painful testimony of a Holocaust survivor. A must for Holocaust collections and an important biography for school libraries. Grades 8 through adult, Highly Recommended." Diane C. Pozar, Library Media Specialist and Reviewer for The Journal for Junior and Senior High School Librarians.
"It is a remarkable and powerful book. Many of the events that Mr. Birnbaum experienced and witnessed are beyond human imagination. As difficult and challenging as it was to read parts of the book, it must have been ever more so for Mr. Birnbaum to write about them. The book has certainly enhanced my knowledge of The Holocaust." Mark Willner, Teacher of Holocaust Studies, Congregation Emanu-el Religious School, Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College, New York, NY.
"I won't go into too much detail about his actual experiences, because there is no way to do them justice. The story, being told from Jacob's point of view, tells itself impeccably. When I read it I saw through his eyes, felt what he felt and found myself stopping to catch my breath on several occasions. The power of the story is simply incredible! The primary goal of the book is to educate and inform people from junior high school through the college level. The first person perspective makes it as useful in understanding what happened to the persecuted Jews as 'The Diary of Anne Frank'." A twenty-year-old Bentley College freshman and Writer for the Vanguard student newspaper. Reprinted from the Lexington Minuteman.
"I Kept My Promise is a poignant account which recalls the horror of the Holocaust and the consequences of sanctioned prejudice and hate. In honoring those who have died, Mr. Birnbaum provides inspiration to the living." Massachusetts Governor, William F. Weld.
"I Kept My Promise is a riveting, thorough account of one particular prisoner's experiences in Hitler's Third Reich. It gives the reader stark insights into the workings of the Nazi regime and the terrible suffering it imposed on millions of human beings. Birnbaum and Taylor have created a highly readable narrative of life and death in Hitler's forced labor camps and of one extraordinary individual's story of survival." Jim & Baerbel Davis, Sandwich, Massachusetts
"I can unequivocally recommend this epic story of survival against almost impossible odds. Once you start this book it is difficult to put it down. A real life history of a Holocaust survivor that everyone should be exposed to." David Shnidman
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I Kept My Promise

I Kept My Promise

I Kept My Promise

I Kept My Promise

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Overview

The words in this book are an eye witness account of a remarkable struggle for survival by a young polish Jew, during and shortly after the Holocaust. In the prime of life, on April 15th, 1942 -his twentieth birthday- Jacob Birnbaum was torn away from his family and put on one of the last trains sent to a labor camp from his hometown. In this biography, Jacob takes the reader with him, as he relives the incredible chain of events he encountered during his three years of captivity at six different labor camps and his subsequent struggle to regain a normal life amidst the post-war turmoil in Europe. Birnbaum's testimony represents the epitome of the phrase, "Truth is stranger than fiction."
Even though his epic began in 1942, Jacob's photographic memory has made it possible for him to recount his experiences as if they occurred only yesterday. As painful as it was to retrace his steps, the release of this narrative is helping fulfill a promise he made to his parents when they wrote: "Son, you may be the only survivor of our family. Never let the world forget what they did to us." He was the only survivor. And he will never let us forget.
Sadly, Jacob passed away suddenly on May 7th, 2007. He will be dearly missed.
"Jacob Birnbaum's autobiography is a survivor's important testimony. Read it. Make your friends read it. Written with pain and courage, it is his personal way of keeping his "promise" to the victims who perished in Hitler's nightmarish death-camps. To listen to a witness is to become a witness." Elie Wiesel, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1986, Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, author of more than 30 books and Professor of Humanities at Boston University.
"This incredible true story is about the mystery of survival during the Holocaust -a time when few survived to tell what happened to those closest to them. I KEPT MY PROMISE helps fill that black hole in history, without human faces. It also helps break part of the long dark silence that obscured a colossal failure of western civilization." Sylvia Rothchild, Author and Book Reviewer for the Jewish Advocate.
"Readers interested in the less familiar ordeal of Jews who were not deported to the well-publicized concentration and death camps will find much to appreciate in this volume." Lawrence L. Langer, Author and Professor of English Emeritus, Simmons College, Boston.
"I couldn't put this book down. It reads like a novel yet is a very honest painful testimony of a Holocaust survivor. A must for Holocaust collections and an important biography for school libraries. Grades 8 through adult, Highly Recommended." Diane C. Pozar, Library Media Specialist and Reviewer for The Journal for Junior and Senior High School Librarians.
"It is a remarkable and powerful book. Many of the events that Mr. Birnbaum experienced and witnessed are beyond human imagination. As difficult and challenging as it was to read parts of the book, it must have been ever more so for Mr. Birnbaum to write about them. The book has certainly enhanced my knowledge of The Holocaust." Mark Willner, Teacher of Holocaust Studies, Congregation Emanu-el Religious School, Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College, New York, NY.
"I won't go into too much detail about his actual experiences, because there is no way to do them justice. The story, being told from Jacob's point of view, tells itself impeccably. When I read it I saw through his eyes, felt what he felt and found myself stopping to catch my breath on several occasions. The power of the story is simply incredible! The primary goal of the book is to educate and inform people from junior high school through the college level. The first person perspective makes it as useful in understanding what happened to the persecuted Jews as 'The Diary of Anne Frank'." A twenty-year-old Bentley College freshman and Writer for the Vanguard student newspaper. Reprinted from the Lexington Minuteman.
"I Kept My Promise is a poignant account which recalls the horror of the Holocaust and the consequences of sanctioned prejudice and hate. In honoring those who have died, Mr. Birnbaum provides inspiration to the living." Massachusetts Governor, William F. Weld.
"I Kept My Promise is a riveting, thorough account of one particular prisoner's experiences in Hitler's Third Reich. It gives the reader stark insights into the workings of the Nazi regime and the terrible suffering it imposed on millions of human beings. Birnbaum and Taylor have created a highly readable narrative of life and death in Hitler's forced labor camps and of one extraordinary individual's story of survival." Jim & Baerbel Davis, Sandwich, Massachusetts
"I can unequivocally recommend this epic story of survival against almost impossible odds. Once you start this book it is difficult to put it down. A real life history of a Holocaust survivor that everyone should be exposed to." David Shnidman

Product Details

BN ID: 2940012317285
Publisher: Jason R. Taylor Associates
Publication date: 03/27/2011
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 210
File size: 11 MB
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About the Author

Jacob Birnbaum is an active participant in Holocaust education, regularly speaking to students in a variety of institutions, including Junior High Schools, High Schools, Jewish Day Schools and Universities. He has made presentations at Brandeis University, Harvard University and Tufts University, and has been a frequent lecturer in the Department of History at Bentley College.
Mr. Birnbaum serves on the Program Committee and is actively involved as a consultant to the nationwide program, Facing History and Ourselves--a project for educating students in junior high schools and high schools on the many implications of the Holocaust as it relates to the present and the future. He is frequently consulted by the media on issues relating to the Holocaust, notably for Metro Media's nationally broadcast production documentary, "Auschwitz and the Allies".
His writings include chapters in the highly acclaimed, "Ghetto Anthology" and in the textbook, "Facing History and Ourselves". Mr. Birnbaum has also been extremely active in developing support for the construction of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and is currently active on the committee arranging dedication ceremonies for the New England Holocaust Memorial. As this book was going to press, Jacob received word that he will be one of 26 recipients of a special recognition award at this year’s prestigious 11th Annual Elie Wiesel Holocaust Remembrance Award ceremony, in association with the State of Israel Bonds. Previous recipients include, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel, who was the first honoree in 1985, Benjamin Meed, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and last year’s recipient, Steven Spielberg.
Jason R. Taylor is President of Jason R. Taylor Associates. This Lexington, Massachusetts based firm was founded in 1977 for the purpose of specializing in writing services. Jason served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Physics Department at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was also an Adjunct member of the Department of Writing and Humanistic Studies at M.I.T., where he taught Scientific and Technical Writing to seniors and graduate students
As a result of his articles promoting innovative computerized assistance for the disabled, Mr. Taylor has been invited by the White House to participate in a meeting of the President's Committee on Employment for the Handicapped.
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