Guernica Editions

A child survivor, a child of survivors and a grandchild of a survivor, Sidney Zoltak is all these things. His story about a family that struggled and endured, the generosity of those who saved them against all odds, and a vow never to forget is a remarkable journey through the Holocaust into a rich and full life. At eight, Sidney loses a middle class home and goes from the slow death of the ghetto into the terror of hiding in forests, barns and finally, a hole in the ground provided by a Polish family farm. But when war ends, there is no going back. We follow the Zoltak family as they make their way to Italy where young Sidney encounters a generosity of spirit that helps to heal war's wounds and prepares him for life in Canada. Sidney Zoltak's chronicle is a lesson in the importance of honouring your story for the generations to come.

In the middle of the night, I was awoken and told by my parents to leave the house and head towards the barbed wire fence not more than 200 feet away. My father, whose job in the Ghetto was to inspect and repair the fence, took out the wire cutters and began to open a number of holes in it. He pushed me through and followed. My mother was to follow him. It was two o'clock on a pitch-black night.

Reviews

• Canadian Jewish News reviews MY SILENT PLEDGE
  Canadian Jewish News - December 15, 2013
• Holocaust memoir book launch attracts huge audience
  The Suburban - November 27, 2013
• Sidney Zoltak’s Silent Pledge
  Nashen Notes - November 28, 2013

Links

• Launch of My Silent Pledge