'We Are Going to Pick Potatoes': Norway and the Holocaust, The Untold Story

Irene Levin Berman was born, raised, and educated in Norway. Her first conscious recollection of life goes back to 1942, when as a young child she escaped to Sweden, a neutral country during World War II, to avoid annihilation. Germany had invaded Norway and the persecution of two thousand Norwegian Jews had begun. Seven members of her father's family were among the seven hundred and seventy-one unfortunate persons who were deported and sent to Auschwitz. In 2005, Irene was forced to examine the label of being a Holocaust survivor. Her strong dual identity as a Norwegian and a Jew led her to explore previously unopened doors in her mind. This is not a narrative of the Holocaust alone, but the remembrance of growing up Jewish in Norway during and after WWII. In addition to the richness of both her Norwegian and Jewish cultures, she ultimately acquired yet another identity as an American.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction: Why Norway Wasn't Too Small Chapter 1: The Escape Chapter 2: Refugees in Exile Chapter 3: Those Who Came First - The Levin Family Chapter 4: Those Who Came First - The Selikowitz Family Chapter 5: The Family that 'Disappeared' Chapter 6: War and Holocaust Chapter 7: The Silence Chapter 8: Return from Exile Chapter 9: Learning How to be a Norwegian Jew Chapter 10: On Marrying a Jew Chapter 11: Life in America Chapter 12: The Myth about the Danish King Chapter 13: Identity Chapter 14: The Journey Into the Past

About the Author :
Irene Levin Berman, a native of Norway, has lived in the United States most of her adult life. She is a professional translator of Scandinavian languages and has co-translated seven plays by Henrik Ibsen, Norway's renowned playwright. 'We Are Going to Pick Potatoes': Norway and the Holocaust, The Untold Story, which was first written in Norwegian by Ms. Berman and published in Norway in 2008, was translated into English by the author herself. To learn more about the book, and to get updates on Ms. Berman's latest appearances and events, please visit www.norwayandtheholocaust.com.

Review :
Irene [Levin] Berman tells an important and— for most Americans— unknown story about the destiny of the Norwegian Jews during WW II. Being herself a Holocaust survivor, her style is emotionally very strong, though factual and sober. This comprehensive, moving and heart-rending book, with a welcome underlying optimism in spite of traumatic experiences, deserves a wide circle of readers in the U.S.A, far beyond those of Norwegian descent. The story of the effort and extent to which the Nazi war machine would reach out in order to annihilate even the most remote Jewish family. The story of indifference and courage, of despair and hope, of silence and action. A very Jewish and very human story which should be told and listened to. Irene Levin Berman has written a powerful, deeply moving book about a people, a place, and a time unfamiliar to many Americans. It is a story that should be widely known and remembered by all. Contemplating such a stomach-turning subject matter alongside the endearing intimate family details you offer is not easy, but the opportunity to learn a little about your remarkable family is a blessing to cherish. It is unimaginable to me the incredible courage, commitment, wisdom, and fortitude you had to muster to start and complete this work, and to render its content so thoughtfully and effectively. Unexpectedly precious. It wasn’t until 2005 that Irene Levin Berman forced herself to examine what it meant to her to be a Holocaust survivor. Even after so many years, she strongly identified as a Jew and a Norwegian, as well as a United States citizen, but not having been in a ghetto or camp, she didn’t feel 'worthy' of the label 'survivor.' In 'We Are Going To Pick Potatoes': Norway and The Holocaust, The Untold Story, she describes what happened to the Jews of Norway during the Holocaust, focusing mainly on her particular family; this is as much an autobiography as an account of flight and resettlement in hospitable Sweden. A child of four when she was told 'We are going to pick potatoes,' she and her family embarked on a tortuously dangerous journey across the Alps to reach neutral Sweden, just missing the Gestapo roundup of November 26th for the purpose of mass arrests. It was 1942, and the Norwegian Jews who remained in Norway did not realize the danger they were in....Although this is primarily an account of the fate of the author’s extended family during the Holocaust, it is nevertheless an important addition to the library of survivor testimony since not much is known about Norwegian Jews during this period. This ‘untold story’ about what happened to Norwegian Jews during the Holocaust deserves to be told—and now it is.