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Sissel's Story: The Saga of a Jewish Family's Survival as Seen Through the Eyes of a Perceptive and Sensitive Nine Year Old Child

by Sissel Green

279 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-2220; ISBN 1-4120-1843-9; US$24.50, C$28.00, EUR20.00, £14.00

The saga of a Jewish family's survival. As seen through the eyes of a perceptive, sensitive and intelligent nine-year-old child.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Sissel's Story speaks of family love, struggle, deprivation and loss based on the hardship placed on the Jewish people from as far back as 1880. Sissel's testimony to her family's indomitable spirit is also a valuable record of life as a refugee as seen through the eyes of a nine-year-old child. Sissel's Story covers her own life experience and begins with the story of her mother Lola Raich, and how fate kept her apart from her own mother for 59 years.

It is a tale so loaded with powerful and surprising twists and has an intense emotional impact. You will be moved and challenged by the journey that her story takes you on. The extraordinary adventures that were endured were astounding. The book is well written, easy to follow and very heart-warming. One cannot believe so much tragedy and joy could befall one family and live to tell the story.

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About the Author

Sissel was born in Poland in 1930 and ever since arriving in Australia has wanted passionately to tell her family's extraordinary story of survival. She has spent many years in fulfilling this dream, so it can be shared with others.

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Excerpts

SISSEL'S STORY

This is a true story. It began in 1880 in a small Polish village with narrow earthen streets lined with thatched cottages, nestling into mountainous folds and surrounded by dense, dark forests of spruce, larch and tall majestic trees.

In the early morning greyness, smoke from the brick chimneys rose lazily. At times, glowing red sparks like fireworks would erupt as a fire was stoked in a cottage kitchen. In the crisp spring air, the wafting smoke formed a mist which drifted horizontally giving the scene a muted softness that belied the harsh realities of everyday village life.

Crowing roosters and barking dogs announced the new day. All around, the glow of lamplight appeared in windows one after another, as families stirred from rest to face the challenges of another day. As the dawn gave way to the golden light of morning,a young village girl walked along the road absent-mindedly kicking a stone, quite oblivious to her surroundings. Goldy had much on her mind, for this was to be a very special day. Today, she was to be married to Leon!

Startled out of her reverie, she looked up at the sound of approaching voices. Each morning as she made her way home from working at the hospital, Goldy passed the villagers on their way to tend the nearby fields. She smiled, feeling gladdened by their carefree mood, and stopped for a moment to watch them singing and dancing arm in arm along the road.

Without warning, Goldy found herself drawn into the fun, dancing and sharing the mood of the moment. Realising she was being taken in the wrong direction, she laughingly broke away, standing on the side of the road waving to them as they moved on.

Someone shouted, "Goldy, we wish you a long and happy married life with lots of fine children. We will see you at your wedding!"

She wanted to call out something joyful in return, but the suddenness of all the early morning frivolity had caught her by surprise. "Yes, I will see you all at my wedding" she replied, but the villagers' boisterous singing completely drowned out her response.

Goldy continued walking and hearing a familiar sound, looked back to see the milkman with his horsedrawn cart approaching Pani Levi's cottage to sell his wares of fresh milk, cream and cheese. Most days they exchanged smiles and a brief "Hello" but today was special and the conversation was more prolonged.

"Good morning Goldy dear, today is your wedding day and yet you still can find the time to help the people of your village?"

"Yes, Pan Riszek, and please don't be late for my wedding, I'm looking forward to seeing you and your family."

"Oh yes I assure you, I would not miss your wedding for anything!"

The village supported a small hospital where Sister Genia was in charge. A doctor visited the hospital once a week to attend the most serious of patients. Goldy's help was both needed and appreciated.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The year was late 1939. Warsaw was being bombed. The German invasion had come without warning. People fled in terror, and utter confusion reigned. In no time at all, the entire area where we lived was a picture of complete devastation. Huge fires were burning fiercely, massive columns of black smoke spiralled skywards, blanketing the city. Day turned into night, everything was in chaos. It is beyond comprehension how we ever survived that initial bombing. We were not prepared for war. Who ever is? The invasion and the ones that followed changed our lives forever. During the early days of the siege, I became parted from the rest of my family. Confused, I sought shelter inside a Church along with a large group of other terrified people. Then it happened - literally out of the blue. A bomb fell on the church, killing everyone except me. The whole Church building disintegrated like a matchbox. When the debris had settled, I managed to regain my senses and realised that I had not been badly hurt although I had become totally deaf. I felt calm, as if I was surrounded by some unseen protection, secure in a glass box and thought of Zisha keeping me safe from harm in his strong arms.That day, fate was kind to me. Some time later Father found me, a bit bruised and battered, but intact. After pulling me out from under the rubble, he could not believe how I had ever survived the blast when everyone else had perished.

With pandemonium going on all around us, he carried me to safety. A lull in the bombing allowed us to scramble to a more secure shelter.

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Catalogue Information

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