The Woman in the Photograph Page 17
Acknowledgments
No one creates a book alone. During the twenty years of my journey, many wonderful people came forward to help. This book is a testament to community, collaboration, and faith. It is also a reminder to make time to be with the people who matter to us; as I write these acknowledgments, I am saddened to note that so many of the individuals who contributed are no longer here.
Thank you to the editors who worked on different versions of the manuscript: Elianne Obadia for her insights on the first draft, Allen Horne for his attention to rhythm, Ann Matranga for giving the story roots, Rebecca Spence for pulling the threads together, and Leslie Tilly for her review of every detail. My gratitude forever goes to Naomi Lucks for championing the book from the first moment she read the manuscript, over a decade ago, to the last word. With patience, humor, and endurance, Naomi has contributed the brilliance of her writing, editing, and insight.
I appreciate the late Max Osen for his work with restitution, David Roland for legal assistance, Jim Mahoney at the Nyack Historical Society, and the Ephraim Carlebach Foundation for preserving the history of the Jews of Leipzig.
I am grateful to Carol Ehrlich for her cover vision, Patricia Coltrin for her dedication and passion for type, Karin Kinsey for artistic teamwork, Romy Harness for the author photo, and Raphael Shevelev for bringing the photographs of Alice and Erika back to life.
I want to express my appreciation to Loie Rosenkrantz for her reflections on the essence of the book, Ellen Friedman for her sensitive observations, Diane Mintz for her clarity, Jane Ehrlich for encouraging me to push the edges, Rosemarie and Martin Delson for their help with German, Joel Friedlander and the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association for guidance, and Selene Kramer, Mano Alexandra and Landes Good for cheering me on year after year.
My search would have ended very differently without the thoughtfulness of Gerald Rosenstein, who sent my email address to Matthias Wiessner in Leipzig. Matthias continues to be an amazing friend and guide. Thank you to Eve Wechsberg, Lynn Fogel, Fritzi Thorner, the late Sidy Rayfeld and the late Dr. Fritz Schmerl for sharing their stories with me. I am grateful to the late Terri Webb McMillan, who left no stone unturned to track down clues to my mother’s past. I hope this book will honor her spirit.
The following people gave valuable feedback and encouragement: Kathy Allen, Tom Atkins, Sue Bender, Iris Bieri, Byron Brown, Chick Callenbach, Josephine Coatsworth, Denver Coleman, Theresa Tollini-Coleman, Mary Cuneo, Kathleen Curtin, Carol Dembling, Marcia Dickman, Carla Dole, Susan Feiga, Lara Forest, Sarah Jane Freymann, Liz Froneberger, Nancy Gallagher, Nancy Gardner, Brenda Garner, Rachel Gila, Jill Goodfriend, Nina Greeley, Elizabeth Gutfeldt, Caitlin Hoffman, Georgia Hughes, Kathy Indermill, Carol Johnson, Erika Kramer, Christine Leefeldt, the late Lolli Levine, Dina Lisha, Jonathan Marsh, Merry and Terry Michaels, Claudia Miller, Naresh, Zoe Newman, Jackie Newlove, Deborah Nicholas, Linda Oppen, Susan Penzner, Willa Reister, Diane Rose, Karine Schomer, Jan Shapiro, the late Izzy and Edith Sher, Julie Silber, Laura Sobel, Nancy Tompkins, Margaret Trost, Loretta Valentine, Maliko Wallach and Martha Winneker.
I am grateful to my brother, Tom Feniger, for talking with me about our childhood. I cherish my relationship with him and with his wife, Harriet Feniger, whom I have known since she was fourteen and I was eight. A poignant thank you to my late cousins Tamara Rutman and Nao Freeman who spoke with me in the early years of my quest, to my cousin Nikki Gustafson with whom I have grown closer because of our shared love for Alice and Erika, and to my late uncle William Wedgewood, who contributed all he could. I will always treasure my relationship with the late Lynne Gordon for making my mother’s story come alive and for being my ally in the search for truth.
I am blessed by my immediate family—Sarah Berger Habermann and Brett Habermann who make my heart burst with joy, and to my husband, Michael Gardner, whose loving companionship and infinite kindness have made this book possible. He read a thousand versions of the manuscript and was moved to tears every time. Our relationship is living proof that generational patterns do change, that life can bring more than you ever expected, and that it’s my turn to make dinner for the next ten years.
Sources
1. Daniel Eisenberg, “Taking Down the Wall,” Time, March 31, 2003 (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1977881_1977895_1978711,00.html).
2. Monika Gibas, Cornelia Briel, Petra Knöller, Steffan Held; translated by Cynthia Dyre Moellenhoff, ’Aryanization’ in Leipzig. Driven Out. Robbed. Murdered, Leipzig, Germany: Leipzig City History Museum, 2009 (http://www.juedischesleipzig.de/arisierung_engl09.pdf).
3. Mary Lowenstein Felstiner, To Paint her Life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era (New York: HarperCollins, 1994).
4. Much later, I found a website with names from all of Germany: www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch.
5. Peter Gumbel, “Secret Legacies: Heirs of Nazis’ Victims Challenge Swiss Banks Over Deposits from World War II Era,” Wall Street Journal: June 21, 1995.
6. Henry Burstyner, “Holocaust Survivors Claims Against Swiss Banks: What’s Really Going On,” (no date; http://www.dosinc.org.au/swissbanks2.html).
7. Edmund L. Andrews, “The Rescuer of Swiss Bank Ledgers,” New York Times, January 17, 1997.
8. David E. Sanger, “Swiss Find More Bank Accounts From the War, and Publish List,” New York Times, July 23, 1997.
9. Judith Scherr, “Grandfather’s Swiss Bank Account Opens Past for Berkeley Woman,” Contra Costa Times, July 31, 1997.
10. Leslie Katz , “Area Jews Join Frustrating Hunt for Names on Swiss List,” Jewish Bulletin, August 27, 1997.
11. Andy Altman-Ohr, “Therapist Uncovers Family Secrets, Finds Shoah Tragedy,” Jewish Bulletin, October 18, 2000.
12. This was my uncle Willy’s surname before it was anglicized to Wedgewood.
13. “Exiled Physician Ends His Life Here,” New York Times, July 13, 1936.
14. Anne Schönfelder and Wieland Zumpe, Das Leipziger Musikviertel, Leipzig: Wiss.-Zentrum, 1996.
15. Churchill was paraphrasing George Santayana in The Life of Reason: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
About the Author
Mani Feniger is an author, therapist, and inspirational speaker. Her popular and practical book Journey from Anxiety to Freedom has helped thousands of people find the tools to reclaim their lives. She is available for consultation, seminars and presentations. More information may be found at her website www.manifeniger.com. She can also be contacted at manifeniger@gmail.com.
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ALSO BY MANI FENIGER
Journey from Anxiety to Freedom
Table of Contents
Title
Contents
Prologue
PART ONE No Wall Lasts Forever
1 The Wall
2 Family
Family Tree
3 Widowed
4 Central Park West
5 Escape
6 A New Path
7 Safe Passage
PART TWO The Search
8 The Letter
9 A Vacant Lot
10 The Photograph
11 Diamonds
12 The Cows
13 The Girls
14 Fez
15 Tangled Web
16 Juden Verboten
17 A Broken Thread
18 The Dinner Party
19 The Swiss Account
20 A String of Pearls
21 The Settlement
Photographs
PART THREE Renewal
22 A New Home
23 Alice's Photo Album
24 Alice and Fez
25 The Journey
26 Ralph Rotholz
27 Fritzi's Tale
28 The Call
29 Landing
30 Matthias
31 Roots
32 Stronger Than Death
33 Crossing The Border
Epilogue
Afterword
Poems
Acknowledgments
Sources
The Author