The Juderia: A Holocaust Survivor's Tribute to the Jewish Community of Rhodes

(Hardback)

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Description

Life in la Juderia, the Jewish quarter of Rhodes, had its basis in the strong cultural traditions of the Sephardic Jews who settled there after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Nazi occupation of the island late in World War II shattered the community and forced its inhabitants into concentration camps far from home. Driven by her promise to look after a younger sister, young Laura Varon learned to cope in a world where human kindness was so rare that it could neither be trusted nor believed. One of the few survivors of Rhodes, she struggled to deal with the loss of the dead and the ghosts that haunted the living. Upon her liberation, Laura lay among corpses, ready to give up her fight. A long convalescence in Sweden would only be the beginning of her journey back toward normalcy. Gradually reunited with family, Laura must come to terms with the loss of her community and her past. Rhodes, no longer an Italian territory, cannot be the home she seeks. A fierce determination drives Laura to build a new life and to carry on the legacy of the lost Juderia of Rhodes.

Reviews

.,."an important and eloquent book that belongs on the bookshelves of Jewish homes, and all libraries."-H-Net Reviews
...an important and eloquent book that belongs on the bookshelves of Jewish homes, and all libraries.-H-Net Reviews
Each day the number od Holocaust survivors dwindles. Those still alive but who for decades had remained silent comprehend their moral responsibility to speak. Laura Varon's worl must be viewed in that context. Her memoir, however, does not immediately strike this reviewer as being a clone of the many others. Hers traces the tragedy the Holocaust imposed on her, then enjoins the reader to follow her through her excruciating rehabilitation and consequent resurrection. And, having read this survivor's sentimental journey, we discern that the relevance of life, joy and God's countless blessings Laura Varon had absorbed in the Juderia have now become our living inheritance. Though she may never locate the courage required to return to her home on Rhodes, she undeniably instills in each reader the determination to engage the future wisely and to combat the evils of racism.-European Studies Journal
..."an important and eloquent book that belongs on the bookshelves of Jewish homes, and all libraries."-H-Net Reviews
"Each day the number od Holocaust survivors dwindles. Those still alive but who for decades had remained silent comprehend their moral responsibility to speak. Laura Varon's worl must be viewed in that context. Her memoir, however, does not immediately strike this reviewer as being a clone of the many others. Hers traces the tragedy the Holocaust imposed on her, then enjoins the reader to follow her through her excruciating rehabilitation and consequent resurrection. And, having read this survivor's sentimental journey, we discern that the relevance of life, joy and God's countless blessings Laura Varon had absorbed in the Juderia have now become our living inheritance. Though she may never locate the courage required to return to her home on Rhodes, she undeniably instills in each reader the determination to engage the future wisely and to combat the evils of racism."-European Studies Journal

Author Bio

LAURA VARON, a native of Rhodes, survived the horrors of the concentration camps and vowed to keep alive the history and the memory of the Jews of la Juderia, a scant hundred of whom lived through the war. After recuperating in Sweden, Laura eventually settled in the Congo. Years later she immigrated to the United States. She is a frequent lecturer on the Holocaust at schools in the Seattle Tacoma area. This is her first book.