I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason—even if we don’t always see it right away. Some connections are too powerful, too precise, to be chalked up to coincidence. In January, a man walked into the Woodbury Public Library and stopped at the small display about my family’s Holocaust-era history. He paused. Looked at […]
Read MoreNote: I’m sharing this on both my genealogy blog and the site for Nothing Really Bad Will Happen, since it ties into the true family history that inspired the novel. May 8, 1945—Victory in Europe Day. For millions around the world, it was a moment of celebration: Nazi Germany had surrendered, the war in Europe […]
Read MorePosted by Deborah Samuel Holman, Author of Nothing Really Bad Will Happen and the upcoming children’s version inspired by it NOTE: This post also appears on my author and book blogs—because it touches all three worlds. When I began adapting my adult novel Nothing Really Bad Will Happen into a version for my 6-year-old grandson, […]
Read MoreToday, January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day—the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Last year, at this time, my novel Nothing Really Bad Will Happen had yet to be released. This year, I marked the day (a few days early) by bringing my 9-year-old granddaughter, Paisley, to the Woodbury Public […]
Read MoreThank you for following my adventure at the 44th IAJGS conference this week. I almost thought about skipping some of my planned sessions today as my brain is on overload. But, I stuck it out and I’m so glad I did. Here’s a summary of my last day in Philly European Holocaust Research Infrastructure Project […]
Read MoreThe United Nations has designated January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day—a time to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution. In 2024, the commemoration coincides with a surge in antisemitism worldwide. Website of the United States […]
Read MoreMemories of the Holocaust evoke great sadness. So many people disappeared. So many families never had the chance to grow. So much horror and sorrow. Imagine being a six-year-old child and your mother says you must leave the only home you ever knew to go to a new country. As adults, most of us would […]
Read MoreNOTE: I intended to post this on the 15th, but… um… life. According to Thomas MacEntee’s Facebook post, today is National Hat Day. Thank goodness he made us aware of this very important observance! There have been some exciting happenings recently related to my great-grandparents’ hat business, LITAL (Vienna, Austria – 1899-1938). Many years ago, […]
Read MoreYears ago, among my family’s treasures, I found a small crocheted pouch. The ivory cotton thread was very soft. The top was a bit frayed. I pulled out the item contained inside—a small copper token, about the size of a quarter. The only thing I understood on the coin was the greeting: Prosit Neujahr 1938. […]
Read MoreIMPOSTER SYNDROME: “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.” Social Psychologist, Dr. Amy Cuddy When people refer to me as an author, I generally respond with something like, ” Well… Gee.. thanks, but I’m not a real writer.” Or maybe, “No. I’m not really. I just have a lot of stories […]
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Who We Are and How We Got This Way 