Julie Masis with Hasia Diner: How My Grandfather Stole a Shoe

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During World War II, thousands of Moldovan Jews were imprisoned in the Obodovka ghetto, located in the Romanian-occupied part of Ukraine. Unlike the areas under German control where Jews faced systematic extermination, survival rates were marginally higher under Romanian occupation, as soldiers there did not pursue mass executions with bullets. Despite this, most of the ghetto's inhabitants succumbed to starvation and disease during the harsh first winter. Journalist Julie Masis captures this lesser-known chapter of the Holocaust through the memories of her grandfather Shlomo Masis, a survivor who lived to the remarkable age of 102. His recollections reveal stories of resilience, including how some Ukrainians aided the Jews in the ghetto. Masis also delves into a poignant family legend about a German medic who reportedly fell in love with her Jewish grandmother. This narrative sheds light on both the horrors and the unexpected human connections that emerged during one of history's darkest periods.

Julie Masis is the editor and publisher of the Russian Boston Gazette. She is also a freelance journalist whose stories have been published in the Boston Globe, the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post, the Christian Science Monitor, the Guardian, and in other newspapers and magazines.

Hasia Diner is Professor Emerita, New York University where she served as the Paul and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History.A scholar of American Jewish and American immigration history, she is a former Guggenheim Fellow and the author of a number of books, including: We Rememer with Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence After the Holocaust (winner National Jewish Book Award) and Roads Taken; The Great Jewish Migration to New Worlds and the Peddlers Who Forged the Way.

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, United States