say that the author does not know much about the history of Auschwitz. This book, however, tells a story of a real person, his real tragic experiences, and this puts much more responsibility on a person who tells this story to the world. “The number of different errors in the book - not only in simple basic facts but also in the depiction of the reality of Auschwitz can sometimes create more confusion than understanding. It turns a real story into an interpretation - very moving and emotional - that however blurs the authenticity of this true experience. We believe that the survivor’s story deserved better”. Perhaps read it and judge for yourself?
Bouncing Back – and Forward Stefan Reif’s autobiography Bouncing Back – and Forward is scheduled for publication in January 2021 by Vallentine, Mitchell in London. He has kindly supplied a brief preview, from part of chapter 16, “Meanwhile at Home (1973–84)” The plan is to have at least one launch in Cambridge and the publisher has agreed to offer a significant discount on copies sold at such a launch.
Sabbaths and Festivals in Cambridge, in the 1970s The Cambridge Jewish community had been a strong one in the 1940s, with numerous refugees arriving from Hitler’s Europe–and indeed from evacuated London colleges–to bolster the small number of local observant students. By the time that we arrived in 1973 the tally of observant congregants was not an impressive one. That same summer, another family, Ron and Thelma Domb and their daughters, Dassa and Debora, came from Liverpool. Ron opened a local dental surgery and Thelma was a professional teacher of what was once called domestic science or home economics; I cannot recall what its more politically correct name was by that time. The girls functioned as leaders of a little Page 36
