We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust

We Are Witnesses presents five authentic diaries written by Jewish teenagers during the Holocaust. The diaries span from 1939 to 1944, documenting daily life under Nazi occupation in different locations across Europe. The teenage writers - David, Yitzhak, Moshe, Eva, and Anne - record their experiences in real-time as their world changes around them. Their accounts capture both mundane details of their restricted lives and major historical events as they unfold. Each diary maintains its original voice and perspective, with minimal editing to preserve authenticity. The book includes biographical information about each writer and historical context about their circumstances. The collected diaries offer insight into how young people processed and documented trauma while maintaining hope and identity in the face of systematic persecution. Their words serve as both historical record and testament to human resilience.

Readers find the five diary accounts provide intimate perspectives on how teenagers processed and documented their experiences during the Holocaust. The short length (160 pages) makes it accessible for middle/high school students while still conveying the emotional weight of the events. Liked: - Clear historical context provided between diary entries - Shows diversity of experiences across different locations - Writing style connects with young readers - Includes photos of the diarists Disliked: - Some found it too brief compared to more comprehensive Holocaust accounts - A few readers wanted more background on the teens' lives before the war - Several noted it can be overwhelming for sensitive readers under 12 Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (90+ ratings) Common reader comment: "These personal accounts from people their own age help students understand the Holocaust in ways statistics cannot."

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Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944 by Aranka Siegal A Jewish girl chronicles her transformation from a protected middle-class life to survival in the ghetto and concentration camps.

Night by Elie Wiesel A memoir follows a teenage boy's experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during 1944-1945.

Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust by Alexandra Zapruder A collection presents fifteen diaries written by young people aged twelve to twenty-two during the Holocaust.

I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson A thirteen-year-old Hungarian girl records her journey from Auschwitz to liberation through a series of concentration camps.

🔹 Jacob Boas, the author, is himself a Holocaust survivor who was born in a Nazi transit camp in Holland in 1943. 🔹 The five diarists featured in the book - David Rubinowicz, Yitzhak Rudashevski, Moshe Flinker, Eva Heyman, and Anne Frank - wrote their accounts in five different languages: Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew, Hungarian, and Dutch. 🔹 While Anne Frank's diary is widely known, this book brings to light four other equally powerful teenage voices that might otherwise have remained unknown to many readers. 🔹 Each of the five diarists came from different social and cultural backgrounds, providing varied perspectives on the Holocaust through the eyes of Jewish youth aged 12 to 16. 🔹 The original diaries were recovered in various ways after the war - some were found hidden in attics, others were preserved by surviving family members, ensuring these crucial historical testimonies weren't lost.