We have told you our story. It is the story of two poor survivors, broken in body and spirit, who met at a railway station in Jablonec and managed, in spite of the hardships they suffered during and even after the war, to carve out a life for themselves.

There are thousands of stories like ours. Each and every person who survived the war, in countries occupied or otherwise controlled by the Germans, has a story to tell.

This is not only the story of those who survived, but also of the 6,000,000 Jews that perished. Our story has one purpose only. It is to prove to our children and grandchildren that the Holocaust is not a Jewish invention, as claimed by our many enemies. In time, the survivors of this great tragedy, suffered by our people, will no longer be around to bear witness to the truth.

Whenever or wherever in the future, if someone claims that the Holocaust was a hoax, our children and theirs, for generations to come, will be able to show them our story and say, "We believe our parents and grandparents who lived through it and survived the actual event. You who deny it ever happened are liars and people who distort history."

Above all, we are extremely proud of our Jewish brothers and sisters from Carpathia. Considered "second class" by their fellow Jews from Hungary, not accepted as equals by the Jews of Bohemia and Slovakia, and looked down upon by the German Jews, they proved that they were more than just equals. Whether they came from a large or small shtetl, village or hamlet, in Wyszkov, Torun, Prislop, Volove, Bilky, Chust or hundreds of other similar places, they all carried their burden with the kind of pride and dignity that has endured with Jews through the centuries. Of those who survived, most came to America. Many emigrated to Israel, others to Australia, South America and many other places around the globe. No matter where I meet them, they all started new lives, gave their children a chance to have a good education and become useful and respected citizens in their newly adopted countries.

Some did extremely well financially. Others, who were less fortunate, still were able to provide a comfortable life for their families.

I know many of them - none that I would ever be ashamed of.

Throughout the centuries, the Jewish people have gathered to recite the Scriptural account of our early history as written in the Torah and as told in the Passover Haggadah, and to recount stories from the wealth of our rich folklore. Each time we hear a recitation or listen to a story, we catch a glimpse of yet another meaning and yet other wisdom we can relate to our own lives. As we ourselves change and grow, the stories take on new meaning and give us new dimension.

This book is my contribution to this heritage and my gift to my children, grandchildren and their children's children. Even in our darkest moments, our family has been able to find the inspiration and courage to continue.

May you always REMEMBER YOUR HERITAGE and pass it on to future generations.