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A true story based on the lives of two people whose love, faith, and will to survive transcended one of the darkest periods in human history...the Holocaust.
A love story which celebrates the strength of the human spirit and a message for humanity to remember.
A testament to the power of love, faith, and the will to survive.
A treacherous search through central Europe for his beloved wife and to uphold the Vow he held sacred.
Based on actual written testimony of their miraculous survival inside a Lithuanian Ghetto, only to face the atrocities of Hitler's Death Camps
My grandparents (my mother (upper right) age 17. Not all family present in photo. All perished except 2 siblings and my mother out of 9 children.
Additional family members with Housekeeper Norma who adored the kids. All perished during the Holocaust except my mother (upper right); Sara (upper left).
He carries his parents' legacy for the extraordinary lives they lived which humanity will always remember!
My grandparents (my mother (upper right) age 17. Not all family present in photo. All perished except 2 siblings and my mother out of 9 children.
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Strength of the human spirit
As the last remaining captives were being herded towards the trains, David whispered in Dora’s ear.
"No matter where they take us, we will meet back here in the Square, when this is over. Stay strong my Love, and know my thoughts and prayers are with you."
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Dora replied with tears in her eyes.
“I love you David and I will pray every night that God keeps us safe and brings us home to each other."
-The Vow: A Love Story & The Holocaust
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Author
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Michael Ruskin (born Meyer Ruksen), was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the beautiful city of Perth Amboy, New Jersey (central New Jersey). He is the youngest son of David and Dora Ruskin and the younger brother of the late Allen Ruskin. A graduate from Kent State University in Ohio, he received a B.A.
in Political Science and Psychology. Michael spent most of his 40-year career in corporate Human Resources and private consulting. Mr. Ruskin, now retired, lives a very active lifestyle which includes traveling, tennis, dancing, hiking. He is a student of spirituality, world history, and an avid researcher. He has one niece and enjoys spending time with friends and making new ones. Michael is the last surviving member of his immediate family. The Vow: A Love Story and the Holocaust is Mr. Ruskin's first book, but not his last. He currently resides in Roswell, Georgia.
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Children rounded up for deportation to the Kulmhof death camp
The death of innocence
"With their dogs alongside, the soldiers ransacked the apartments using axes, hammers, and crowbars to pry open any locked doors, hidden crawl spaces, and suspicious walls that could be used as hiding places. They were searching, not for adults this time, but the CHILDREN."
-The Vow: A Love Story & The Holocaust
Credit: USHMM website (www.ushmm.gov)
Credit: Yad Vashem Holocaust Rememberance Center, Jerusalem Israel, S-310837 CRM:0329547
This book is dedicated to my loving Parents and the millions of innocent people whose voices will never be heard. All were heroes in their own right. The book is also dedicated to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, their Allies, and partisans who gave their lives to free the world from the horrors of an ideology that had no place among civilized nations.
ABOUT ME
As the two men continued their conversation, David told Sam about his liberation from Dachau and about the Mission he was on, hoping to find Dora. David commented,
"I've been on the road a long time Sam”
As he looked down the road at the DP Camp a short distance away.
“I'm not sure how much further I can go." David continued, "I had no idea how difficult this journey would be. The last time I saw Dora was when she and Sara were being forced onto the trains in Kaunas last year. They could be anywhere. I'm not sure if they're even alive. "
-The Vow: A Love Story & The Holocaust