By Chance Alone and the Importance of Memory

 
 
It has been several years since I listened in on the CBC radio Canada Reads contest. It was entertaining in earlier years but seemed to become more abrasive and yell-y latterly, as earnest biblio-defenders duked it out with one another. I did read last year's winner, Forgiveness, by Mark Sakamoto and it was worthwhile. 

 I happened to hear a few minutes of yesterday's episode, including the final vote which resulted in Max Eisen's memoir By Chance Alone being declared the winner. Eisen recently turned 90 and this is a book about Eisen as a Holocaust/Shoah survivor as well as being a tribute to the parents and siblings who perished. Eisen was a Holocaust educator for 25 years before he wrote his memoir, and his presence in classrooms must have been powerful. I met another survivor years ago as she was in our community to visit schools and it was both a gentle and meaningful encounter.

Some of the Canada Reads contestants cited the importance of keeping before Canadians a story of terrible evil and those who are now very few in number who overcame unimaginable loss to survive and thrive. Eisen emigrated to Canada in 1948 with virtually nothing and became a successful businessman. In his own words:

While I was able to create a life and family for myself here in Canada and put the anger and pain behind me, my past never left me. In my final goodbye to my father in Auschwitz, he had told me to survive so that I could tell the story of my family. This always stayed with me in the back of my mind.

This spotlight on one Shoah memoir also reminds us that the Canadian government was anti-Jewish in some of its decisions, as were many individual Canadians. We are also aware that in a time of emboldened white supremacy we need to be vigilant in upholding the rights of all. Communities of faith coming together to support freedom of religion is one, effective way of doing so.

Congratulations to Max Eisen for his remarkable life and his award-winning book. 

Have any of you read the book? Are you planning to do so?