Both Sol, known for his generosity and easygoing nature, and Nechuma, the “mighty matriarch” as she’s affectionately called, are well liked and respected among Poles and Jews alike in the Radom community. They take great pride in the success of their fabric shop, as well as in their children’s upbringing, education, and careers.
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Halina is the youngest and most rebellious of the five Kurc siblings. Whether in the right or blatantly in the wrong, she stands her ground with the brazen defiance of a pitbull guarding a bone. Thanks to her bravado, her blond hair, and her sea-green eyes, Halina, twenty-two at the start of the war, abides…
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The youngest and most soft-spoken of the three Kurc brothers, Jakob is a hopeless romantic. Playful, humble, and forever resistant to being the center of attention, there’s hardly anywhere he’d rather be than beside his high school sweetheart, Bella, or peering down through the viewfinder of his Rolleiflex camera.
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Genek is the oldest and the most debonair of the Kurc siblings. With a law degree, a dimpled smile, and a sexy, signature swagger, Genek, a lawyer by trade, can talk his way into or out of just about anything. His wife Herta jokes that he talked her into marriage the day they met at…
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Addy’s older sister Mila is greatly admired by each of her siblings. With a degree in classical music and a passion for literature and travel, Mila’s approach to life is at once thoughtful and diligent. As a new mother at the start of the war, Mila must learn to keep a brave face, no matter…
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Whether composing a hit song in Poland or bent over the keys of a Steinway aboard a ship full of refugees, Addy is an entertainer through and through. A charmer and a joker with a soft spot for beautiful women and American jazz, his musical prowess and quirky, larger-than-life personality earn him the affection of…
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Last year, Robert and I set off on a weeklong, 685-mile journey through Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria, following in the footsteps of my relatives, who traveled the same path seventy years before. A few weeks ago, we hopped the pond once again to complete a second leg of my family's post-war exodus, this time with our four-and-a-half year old son…
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The other day, when it registered that Wyatt would be starting school in a couple of weeks, I realized just how much of this summer has been devoted to The Eternal Ones. In some ways, it's as if I've been living two parallel lives---one in the moment, and one in an alternate universe, seventy years in the past. July was…
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You guessed right, Daryl---the mosaic in the banner photo above lives just off the shore of Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Congratulations on being the first to respond correctly---your iTunes gift card is on the way (you should consider downloading Getz & Gilberto's Girl from Ipanema to commemorate your win!). Robert and I visited…
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Thanks to all of you who have guessed/commented on last week's "name that photo" contest. The verdict's still out on where the banner shot (above) was taken...which means a $25 iTunes gift certificate is still up for grabs! I've decided to post one, last clue---a panned-out photo (below)---which I imagine will incite a few aha's!…
Read MoreHi all, I've decided to host a contest. What's more fun, after all, than a chance to WIN something?? Before I explain the rules, however, I have to apologize to my family on my mother's side (which includes anyone with the last or maiden name Kurc, Courts, Hunter, Abernathy, Prasquier, and Eichenwald)---you're not allowed to…
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