Let Me Whisper You My Story (18 page)

O
NCE
,
IN A
country called Germany in the 1930s, an evil man gained control of the government. His name was Adolf Hitler and, together with his followers, he told Germans that there were enemies amongst them: Jews, Communists, Gypsies, everyone who was different or opposed his laws of racial intolerance. He was particularly cruel to the German Jews, taking away their employment, their homes and eventually their lives.

The Second World War of 1939–1945 in Europe came about as Hitler ruthlessly invaded country after country.

In each country he systematically rounded up Jewish populations and sent them to labour or extermination camps. In all, some six million Jews were murdered, many just children.

This time is known as the Holocaust.

My story is about Rachel, a child of the Holocaust, who survived those years in hiding.

W
HERE DO STORIES
come from? This story came from many sources. I have personal friends who were child survivors of the Holocaust. I have spoken to many about their experiences in hiding.

It is important to know that not all Germans agreed with Hitler’s racial policies. It’s also important to know that those who risked their lives throughout Europe to save others set us an example in standing up for human rights that we may never be able to match. We should honour such people in our thoughts and, by their actions, learn to show compassion to others.

This story is a mixture of fiction and fact. Hartfield House is fiction but such places did exist in England after the war for Jewish orphans. The historical events really did happen.

S
OME SIX YEARS
ago I became involved with a group called Courage to Care, an offshoot of a worldwide benevolent organisation called B’nai B’rith. In this group we go out to various locations throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and talk to children about the Holocaust, show exhibits and tell remarkable stories of survival.

We take along survivors who tell their stories and above all, pay tribute to those wonderful people who saved their lives. The aim of such a group is to bring awareness to young people of the need to use peripheral emotional vision in their journey through life.

We encourage them to avoid being bystanders, to fight wrongdoing at a grassroots level, which for them is
often taking a stand against bullying in the playground. Later on in life it may become a defining moment of speaking out against social injustice.

A
BOOK IS
not just written by the author. It is a journey and many people need to be thanked for their guidance along the way.

Special thanks go to the amazing Dr Michael Abrahams-Sprod of the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies at the University of Sydney, Historian, Linguist and Author, Specialist in German–Jewish History, Holocaust Studies and Jewish History. He gave up so much of his time to check the historical accuracy of events and time placement and I will forever be grateful.

I’d also like to thank Lisa Berryman, Children’s Publisher at HarperCollins, Lydia Papandrea, Senior Editor, and Liz Kemp, Assistant Editor. All that ‘gentle’ pushing to get the very most out of the story was invaluable.

Every author deserves a good literary agent, and I have the best—Jacinta di Mase, a wonderful agent and encouraging in a million different ways.

The following people helped me at various times—by giving interviews about their own experiences or offering advice. So many thanks to Lexie Keston, Litzi Lemberg, Vicki Israel and Eve Thassim and also to so many child survivors of the Holocaust who, by sharing their memories, helped enrich this story. Thanks also to Susanne Gervay. Vicki, a big hug to you for knitting the
‘world’s longest scarf’ for the launch of this book. Again, thank you to the librarian at Lingfield, England, for providing stories and information about the Lingfield children, refugees from the Holocaust, who stayed in a donated home for Jewish orphans after the war.