
Rena's Promise
A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz
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Narrated by:
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Heather Dune Macadam
About this listen
"I do not hate. To hate is to let Hitler win." - Rena Kornreich Gelissen.
On March 26, 1942, the first mass transport of Jews - 999 young women - arrived in Auschwitz. Among them was Rena Kornreich, the 716th woman numbered in camp. A few days later, her sister Danka arrives and so begins a trial of love and courage that will last three years and 41 days, from the beginning Auschwitz death camp to the end of the war.
Rena's Promise stands out from other memoirs not only for the mere length of time she spent in the camps (no other survivor from the first transport has ever written about her experience) but for her dedication to honoring the bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters, prisoners, and even guards. From her escape from Dr. Mengele's experiment detail to her surreal meetings with SS woman Irma Grese, Rena tells a dynamic tale of courage and compassion that reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit, and the power of people to help one another in unimaginable circumstances, be they Gentile or Jew, German or Pole, kapo or prisoner.
©1994 Heather Dune Macadan and Rena Kornreich Gelissen (P)2013 Heather Dune Macadam and Rena Kornreich GelissenListeners also enjoyed...
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Rescued from the Ashes
- The Diary of Leokadia Schmidt, Survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto
- By: Leokadia Schmidt, Oscar E. Swan - translator
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The diary of a young Jewish housewife who, together with her husband and five-month-old baby, fled the Warsaw ghetto at the last possible moment, and survived the Holocaust hidden on the "Aryan" side of town in the loft of a run-down tinsmith's shed. Rescued from the Ashes documents the incredible life story of Leokadia Schmidt and her small family and their daily struggle to survive the Warsaw Ghetto.
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Amazing details
- By Holly H on 12-11-24
By: Leokadia Schmidt, and others
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Into the Forest
- A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love
- By: Rebecca Frankel
- Narrated by: Natalie Pela
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters, Typhus outbreaks, and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944. After the war, they trekked across the Alps into Italy, where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States.
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Great story with an added benefit
- By Scottsville Stu on 12-30-21
By: Rebecca Frankel
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Helga's Diary
- A Young Girl’s Account of Life in a Concentration Camp
- By: Helga Weiss, Neil Bermel - translator
- Narrated by: Emily Bevan
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1938, when her diary begins, Helga is eight years old. Alongside her father and mother and the 45,000 Jews who live in Prague, she endures the Nazi invasion and regime: Her father is denied work, schools are closed to her, she and her parents are confined to their flat. Then deportations begin, and her friends and family start to disappear.
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New Perspective
- By Caroline D. Hayes on 02-21-15
By: Helga Weiss, and others
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The Redhead of Auschwitz
- A True Story
- By: Nechama Birnbaum
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Rosie was always told her red hair was a curse, but she never believed it. She often dreamed what it would look like under a white veil with the man of her dreams by her side. However, her life takes a harrowing turn in 1944 when she is forced out of her home and sent to the most gruesome of places: Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Rosie’s head is shaved and along with the loss of her beautiful hair, she loses the life she once cherished.
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It’s so real…
- By Diane Findley on 07-02-22
By: Nechama Birnbaum
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The Dressmakers of Auschwitz
- The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive
- By: Lucy Adlington
- Narrated by: Lucy Adlington
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Holocaust, 25 young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp - mainly Jewish women and girls - were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers. This fashion workshop - called the Upper Tailoring Studio - was established by Hedwig Höss, the camp commandant’s wife, and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers.
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Not what I expected given description and preview
- By Kaeli Mathes on 09-24-21
By: Lucy Adlington
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The Tattooist of Auschwitz
- A Novel
- By: Heather Morris
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (German for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism - but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.
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A hopeful perspective on a harrowing time
- By melyssa57 (A Page Before Bedtime dot com) on 10-10-18
By: Heather Morris
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The Book Thief
- By: Markus Zusak
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books.
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Glad I took a chance.
- By Robert on 08-20-11
By: Markus Zusak
What listeners say about Rena's Promise
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- J.Brock
- 01-25-18
Harrowing
Another harrowingly wonderful Holocaust memoir. The fact that two sisters survived is a miracle in itself. The horrors are too much to take in. Surviving was and us the miracle. The narrator does a beautiful job with such a deeply personal story.
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- Aimee M kartchner
- 07-10-21
AK
This story or survival and the will to live is amazing. The recording, however, reminds me of making a mixed tape when I was a kid. The book would be much better to read.
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-12-17
Rena's promise
I thought the narrated was not right for this book. I felt like I was a small child being read to in some parts.
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- Toad Grinder
- 03-31-22
What a gripping story.
I’ll probably never be the same. Every time I I feel like the world is against me I’m going to remember Rena. Well worth the time.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-18-23
The most horrifying and best survival story
Rena has turned into my hero, and the reader is the author who got to know Rena well during their sessions. The story will forever tear on my heart strings, and forever be close to my heart. I will never forget Rena and Danka’s journey to freedom, and the absolute disgusting scenes they witnessed during their 3 years in camp. Sending love to Rena’s reminding family.
- Elina
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- Selina M Urango
- 04-09-17
Unbelievable
This woman's story is riveting. It's incredible. Her story was was full of intrigue. It has it's funny parts, it's heart breaking sadness, terrifying moments, courageous acts & so much more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about a first hand account of the holocaust from a Jewish woman's perspective. The pure unadulterated evil committed by human beings upon other human beings is incomprehensible. Will I ever understand why? Can that question even be answered for any aspect of the holocaust? I don't know. I choose to keep looking for answers.
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- Kristy Rieman
- 12-02-16
I have listened to many. this one is the best
I loved this book, I couldn't turn it off.
it was Heartbreaking, yet inspiring. Best in this genre
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- Harriet Yelton
- 05-24-24
history, My husband and I knew Rina when she lived in NC.
Remembering her story. You did a great telling her story. thank you for sharing this story and history
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-07-19
Sisters promise
This book is a wonderful story of dedication to each other and endurance to do whatever possible to survive and honor those who didn’t.
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- Frosty
- 03-24-15
Amazing story!
Absolutely remarkable story! This was such an engaging story. Did not want to take a break from listening. Narrator did an excellent job.
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