This June has been a wonderful month where we explored insights from our book with audiences on both sides of the coast. On June 9, authors Eszter Gombosi and Rita Benn presented at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City, California, and on June 28th, another author panel, Ava Adler, Rita Benn and Ruth Wade, zoomed with a second-generation support group from Teaneck, New Jersey. Participants at both venues were very engaged with our stories, asking question after question. In California, one individual was so moved that she wanted to buy a book for herself and one to donate to the local Jewish high school in town. In New Jersey, many in the group shared how how much they resonated with  aspects contained in all our stories. One person, in particular, exclaimed that our book transformed her life. She felt she was able to see her parents' pain differently and felt validated that she was not alone in what she experienced in her own family. We are enormously grateful that sharing our lived experience is proving to be so valuable to our readers. 

When we decided to take a deep dive into our memories of growing up as children with Holocaust parents, and write our stories, we knew we had a powerful book and message to share with others. We never imagined though that so many in the book industry world would also appreciate our work. In the mail today, we received a program catalog of winners and finalists from the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers which was established by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency).They recognized our book as a Finalist for memoirs in the category dealing with overcoming adversity/tragedy and sent us a medal, certificate and gold stickers. This is our sixth award conferred to us by a reputable association from the publishing and literary arenas.  We are beyond thrilled!

We are delighted to learn that we were selected as the gold winner for the 2022 best anthology by the 25th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards .This award competition recognizes the best books published in 2022 from small, independent, and university presses. Over 2,600 entries were submitted in 55 categories with Foreword’s editors choosing approximately 10 finalists per genre. Those finalist choices were subsequently sent to individual librarians and booksellers who made the final decisions. We feel very honored to be cast among this prestigious group of winning authors.   
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We were excited to see our book highlighted (pp. 46-47) in the University of Michigan Alum Summer 2023 Magazine, and recommended as a "Summer Read". In her review of our book, Katherine Fiorillo writes, "'The Ones Who Remember' is a stark reminder that these atrocities aren’t so distant and tragedy doesn’t stop radiating just because the violent acts have physically ceased.....This legacy is one that is sometimes joyful, as families celebrate the ways their Jewish culture has survived, but one often marred by inherited grief that creeps into daily life. One of the most recurring examples is self-gaslighting as the second generation perpetually belittles some of their most challenging personal experiences by comparing them to the Holocaust. Even in its brightest, most hopeful moments,
'The Ones Who Remember' is not a light read. But it’s one that helps us better understand intergenerational trauma, the power of storytelling, the true meaning of resilience, and how to be a better ally, friend, and community member to those who carry a nearly unbearable weight."

On our YouTube channel, do not miss watching the most amazing presentation held at the Longmont (CO) Public Library on May 24th. You will see three different voices amplifying the family story of Joy Wolfe Ensor’s (author and co-editor of our book) mother and aunt, Henia and Ilona Karmel. Inspired by their wartime poetry, composer Michael Udow shares excerpts of his recently completed chamber opera “A Wall of Two”. Joy follows with readings from her chapter that speaks to the themes depicted in these opera selections. The presentation culminates with clips from a 1984 radio interview where Henia describes the genesis of her poems and remarkable story of her postwar reunion with her husband. WOW!