As we all know, time is of essence to transmit the saga of our parents’ suffering in the Holocaust before there are no more witnesses alive to tell their stories. Chavi Diamond, a daughter of survivors, is a woman with a mission. She feels this urgency keenly and has initiated a groundbreaking series of Holocaust children’s books geared to ages 6-12.
In recent years, a Holocaust curriculum was introduced at the junior high and high school level, but the younger students have zero or minimal knowledge of their great-grandparents’ travails.
As a vehicle to gently expose children to the Holocaust, Diamond has published The Promise – a touchingly illustrated account of her aunt’s survival that is an age-appropriate depiction of the war years. The storybook is done with much sensitivity and was created with the guidance of leading educators and psychologists.
Diamond plans to publish many more true stories, covering the different European countries and varying backgrounds of survivors, and has founded Heart to Heart Memories to perpetuate the legacy of loved ones.
The Pesach Seder is an opportune time to broach this topic, deftly weaving our recent history into the narrative of yetzias Mitzrayim. Our children are more resilient than we give them credit for. Just as they are familiar with the Egyptians’ cruelty and enslavement, it is incumbent upon us to share the details of our nation’s suffering throughout the ages.
The Promise is available at Eichler’s, Torah Treasures, Judaica Place. For more information about this book and forthcoming publications or to share your story go to www.h2hmemories.com, or contact Chavi Diamond at [email protected].
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