Celebrating the life of Alice Herz-Sommer through literature of the Holocaust

Alice Herz-Sommer, 110 years old and considered the oldest known Holocaust survivor passed away Sunday February 23rd in London. A gifted pianist before the war, Herz-Sommer was taken to the concentration camp Terezin and it was music that saved her life there. Considered a transit camp, Terezin was the stop before virtually imminent death at concentration camps. Because of her music performance at the various concerts set up at Terezin, she and her son were kept at Terezin throughout the war until liberation. Alice spoke with open candor about her time during the war and her fear future generations will forget the horrific treatment of the Jews and other groups during this time. Many books and documentaries have been written about her.

While it seems odd to use the words "celebration" and "Holocaust" in the same sentence, I want to point out the tremendous amount of intense and fabulous literature that came out of such a dark and dreadful time. From The Diary of a Young Girl to The Book Thief to Number the Stars. To do honor to Alice Herz-Sommer's survival and life and her fear that the Holocaust be forgotten, it is our duty to remember the Holocaust and what better way than through the amazing stories lived and created through literature.

Please come to the library and check out the display of amazing books we have on this topic. The best way we can remember is to engross ourselves in stories from years passed so we can honor those fallen, celebrate those who fought and not make the same mistakes again!