Gutta: Memories of a Vanished World (paperback)

Although much has been written about the war years, Gutta Sternuch's exceptional account stands out in its vibrancy and honesty. Through her memoir we learn about Chasidic life in pre-war Poland; the poverty and fear together with the spiritual heroism in the Warsaw ghetto; the ray of light that was the Bais Yaakov movement; the successful rescue of Warsaw Jews by Jews in Switzerland; the internment camp in Vittel; and the rebuilding of lives after the war. Includes two scholarly essays by Dr. David Kranzler: A Historical Overview of Poland Between the Wars, and Secular Jewish Ideologies.