Hidden Recipes: A Holocaust Memoir

by Eva Moreimi

Overview

Before the Second World War, Ica and Ernő each lived a comfortable life in Czechoslovakia. Their lives were shattered by Nazi cruelty, prejudice and devastation. Hidden Recipes tells the story of their will and determination, and their struggles to survive. By sharing stories about their lives when food was abundant before the war, Ica secretly wrote down hundreds of recipes that she and her fellow inmates shared. Ironically, many of the delectable recipes were written on the reverse sides of papers that carried information about ammunition that was manufactured and used to annihilate the Jews during the Holocaust. Ernő spent several years in various Hungarian forced labor units, where he was required to perform strenuous manual labor. He courageously escaped with the help of righteous people, which saved his life.

Hidden Recipes is a story of endurance, will to survive, courage, faith and finding joy and happiness again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781733409704
Publisher:	Secondgen Press
Publication date:	11/22/2019
Pages:	186
Sales rank:	185,843
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.43(d)

About the Author

Eva Moreimi grew up in Czechoslovakia as an only child to two Holocaust survivor parents. Shortly after graduating from Economic School, she escaped from the communist regime and immigrated to the United States. She lives in the Midwest with her husband close to their three children and six grandchildren.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

3 Prologue

9 Ica’s Prewar Life

13 Troubled Times for the Kellner Family

15 Shoes by the Danube

17 A Warm Sweater for the Ghetto

20 Meeting Marika

22 A Kiss on the Hand

24 The Angel of Death

28 Vernichtungslager

32 Postcards from Waldsee

35 Music by the Gas Chambers

36 Summoned by the Kommandant

42 Translator and Messenger

44 An Act of Resistance

47 Death March

50 Liberated at Last

53 Journey Home

55 Injustice After the Holocaust

59 Start Life Anew

61 Ica and Ernő Meet

68 Holocaust Artifacts

72 Living with Holocaust Survivor Parents

74 Behind the Iron Curtain

76 Immigrating to USA

79 Ica’s Sister Babi

80 Receiving a Torah

83 My Parents

85 A Fond Childhood Memory

88 Auschwitz May 2017

91 A Legacy

97 The Story of Ernő

103 Kaufmann Family

108 Family Photos

118 Linzer Cookies

120 Ischler Cookies

122 Sour Cherry Cake

124 Gerbeaud Slices

126 Chocolate Almond Torte

128 Wasp Nest (Darázsfészek)

132 German Forms with Recipes

159 Resources and Endnotes

Editorial Reviews

“Eva Moreimi movingly tells the story of her family, her father Ernest, slave laborer in German Allied Hungary, her mother Ica and Aunt Babi and their journey from a life of comfort into the world of Auschwitz, their survival and liberation and then their journey back from the abyss…Read the book and be moved by the story of courage and determination, loss and dehumanization but also the struggle to resist both physical and spiritual annihilation. Bake from these Hidden Recipes but only if you make two commitments: Serve these cakes on a joyous occasion — these women suffered enough…Above all, tell their story for they must be remembered.”

—Michael Berenbaum, Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute, Professor of Jewish Studies, American Jewish University

“From courage to cuisine, this incredible story shows how the best of humanity can survive in the darkest of times. Hidden Recipes captures not only an amazing story of Ica’s heroism and survival, but a story of struggle and redemption as scraps of paper will keep alive the memories of joy for generations to come.”

—Steve Isakowitz, Space Industry Executive, Child of Holocaust Survivors

“Hidden Recipes is a loving tribute to Elena and Ernest Kalina by their daughter Eva. Elena’s recipes are a legacy to her family and an honor to those women who shared their favorite dishes with her in the camp. Because of her act of resistance these women will live on through their recipes.”

—Jodi Elowitz, Director of Education, Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center

“Eva Moreimi’s book is a unique Holocaust survival story. In the most unlikely of places, while starving, the women shared with Ica, the author’s mother, their most precious family recipes. Ica risked everything to scribble down the recipes, and in an act of defiance and a quest to preserve her culture, she hid them. A fascinating story of uncanny coincidence and serendipity, resilience and defiance.”

—Janet Horvath, Cellist, Child of Holocaust Survivors, Author of Playing (Less) Hurt and her upcoming memoir, Piercing the Silence

From the Publisher