Jewish Chronicle
For a reviewer suffering from Holocaust fatigue, it is rewarding to be able to praise a work wholeheartedly rather than remark dutifully about its worthiness. Such is the case with Joel Elkes' powerful memoir. The penultimate section, "Conversations," which demonstrates Elkhanan Elkes' great dignity in his dealings with the Nazis, is particularly inspiring; he may well be a "luminous figure in the history of the Holocaust."


Common Ground
We who live in a free country should honor Dr. Elkes. The 20th century witnessed a sustained attempt by a major Western nation to murder an entire people because of their ethnic background. That diabolical plan nearly succeeded. Never again! That is the best tribute to unsung heroes such as Elkhanan Elkes.


Book Description
This memoir is a tribute to an extraordinary community and an extraordinary leader. Ghetto Kovno was one of the very few Ghettos in the Holocaust to be headed by a Council elected by the Jewish community, rather than one appointed by the Germans. In the face of relentless, murderous pressure, this Council attempted to maintain a civic structure and, by whatever means possible, to save Jewish lives. Despite terrible odds, it partially succeeded. At the head of the Ghetto stood Dr. Elkhanan Elkes, a distinguished physician who is emerging as a luminous figure in the history of the Holocaust. This Memoir recounts the march of events from the initial German invasion of Lithuania on June 22, 1941 to the final destruction of the Ghetto on July 13-15, 1944. It is based on sources quoted in the text and personal papers in possession of the author. Also included are reproductions of extraordinary water colors and pen- and-ink drawings executed at the time in the Ghetto by the historic Esther Lurie, who served as artist-witness-recorder and visual chronicler to her community.


From the Back Cover
"The story of the Kovno Ghetto is a powerful and illuminating moment in the Holocaust . . .This memoir is a tribute to a courageously noble figure, and a powerful and unique contribution to our understanding of Jewish history and the durability of the human spirit." (Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior, George Washington University, and Former Director, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum) "A most impressive and touching account of the Kovno tragedy." (Jeshajahu Weinberg, Founding Director, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC)


About the Author
Dr. Joel Elkes, son of Dr. Elkhanan Elkes, is Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, the John Hopkins University, and Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus, the University of Louisville. Between 1963 and 1975 he served as Henry Phipps Professor and Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the John Hopkins University and the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. Educated in Lithuania and Switzerland, Dr. Joel Elkes came to England in 1931 and studied medicine at St. Mary's Hospital, London. Beginning in physical chemistry and pharmacology, he moved into psychiatry, and, in 1951, founded the Department of Experimental Psychiatry at the University of Birmingham (UK), the first of its kind in the world. The Department emphasized the continuity between basic laboratory research and clinical psychiatry. Since coming to the United States in 1957, he has built three major research centers for the Brain Sciences as they relate to mental illness. He has contributed significantly to the founding of the new science of Psychopharmacology, a science dealing with the play of chemical influences on mental life, and the place of drugs in the management and treatment of the mentally ill. He is a Founding Fellow and Senior Scholar-in-Residence at the Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

ANNOTATION

Original, previously concealed documents from the Holocaust.

SYNOPSIS

This memoir is a tribute to an extraordinary community and an extraordinary leader. Ghetto Kovno was one of the very few Ghettos in the Holocaust to be headed by a Council elected by the Jewish community, rather than one appointed by the Germans. In the face of relentless, murderous pressure, this Council attempted to maintain a civic structure and, by whatever means possible, to save Jewish lives. Despite terrible odds, it partially succeeded.

At the head of the Ghetto stood Dr. Elkhanan Elkes, a distinguished physician who is emerging as a luminous figure in the history of the Holocaust. This Memoir recounts the march of events from the initial German invasion of Lithuania on June 22, 1941 to the final destruction of the Ghetto on July 13-15, 1944. It is based on sources quoted in the text and personal papers in possession of the author. Also included are reproductions of extraordinary water colors and pen- and-ink drawings executed at the time in the Ghetto by the historic Esther Lurie, who served as artist-witness-recorder and visual chronicler to her community.

FROM THE CRITICS

Common Ground

We who live in a free country should honor Dr. Elkes. The 20th century witnessed a sustained attempt by a major Western nation to murder an entire people because of their ethnic background. That diabolical plan nearly succeeded. Never again! That is the best tribute to unsung heroes such as Elkhanan Elkes.

Jewish Chronicle

For a reviewer suffering from Holocaust fatigue, it is rewarding to be able to praise a work wholeheartedly rather than remark dutifully about its worthiness. Such is the case with Joel Elkes' powerful memoir. The penultimate section, "Conversations," which demonstrates Elkhanan Elkes' great dignity in his dealings with the Nazis, is particularly inspiring; he may well be a "luminous figure in the history of the Holocaust."

News The Canadian Jewish

This brief memoir is a tribute to a courageous giant of the spirit, Dr. Elkhanan Elkes, who served as the elected head of the Jewish Council of the Kovno Ghetto. At the heart of this searing chronicle is information derived from a secret diary by Avraham Tory, a former law student. In the face of relentless, murderous pressure, the council tried in every way possible to save Jewish lives. Dealing with the Nazi death machine on a daily basis was a fearful responsibility, and an ultimately hopeless task.

In accord with a Nazi order, 30,000 inmates assembled for the dreaded selection process in the ghetto square. "Dr. Elkes tried to intervene, responding to cries and appeals, moving this family, this group, this person from right to left . . .Now and then, when he was overcome by a fit of weakness, those near him asked him to sit down, to regain his strength, or offered him a piece of bread. He refused, muttering `Thank you, thank you, gentlemen; terrible things are happening here; I must remain standing on guard, in case I can be of assistance.'"

The next day, Dr. Elkes obtained permission to enter the small ghetto to save another hundred people. There, however, the guards fell upon him. Savaged, trampled, and beaten with rifle butts, he fell to the ground unconscious, bleeding profusely from a head wound. His efforts to save a small number of Jews had almost cost him his life.

In 1944, Elkes made the following astonishing statement (paraphrased) to Wilhem Goecke, chief of the camp: "I am old, I have no fear of death; you can kill me on the spot. However, I have this to say to you. You listen to the radio, and we listen to the radio. You and I know that Germany has lost the war. No miracles can help you. Your patriotism cannot serve your fatherland on your party -- certainly not by murdering thousands of Jews. But you can alleviate your conscience if you leave us alone. Don't supply trains for our evacuation. Postpone it until the Russians arrive...We are an ancient people with long memories and remember decency in times of peril. Whatever your answer, we will not forget." Unhappily, there was no positive response.

Reproductions of striking illustrations by heroic ghetto inmate Esther Lurie, as well as unpublished photographs from the author's collection, add poignancy to this depiction of Jewish suffering that is at the same time a tribute to a heroic and unforgettable human being. (The Canadian Jewish News, January 2000)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

From Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior, George Washington University, and Former Director of U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

The story of the Kovno Ghetto is a powerful and illuminating moment in the Holocaust . . .This memoir is a tribute to a courageously noble figure, and a powerful and unique contribution to our understanding of Jewish history and the durability of the human spirit. — Walter Reich

From Jeshajahu Weinberg, Founding Director, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C.