Today, publishing on the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland, We Survived the Holocaust (Imagine and Wonder Publishing) is a triumph of words and illustrations that conveys a complicated history and a story of courage to readers of all ages.
Author Frank Baker and graphic illustrator Tim Ogline combine their storytelling talents for a detailed account of survival. It is one of both horror and hope. It is one that should be shared in classrooms and living rooms across the country.
As the Nazis invaded Poland, Bluma Tishgarten, and Felix Goldberg two young Polish Jews were swept away and forever altered by the Holocaust – the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. This miraculous story of survival, combined with the rise of nationalism and fascism, leading to the extermination of millions of men, women, and children, not only tells the historic tale of the Holocaust from the lens of Felix and Bluma it also relays a cautionary tale, a dangerous history that — if forgotten — could very well be repeated.
Speaking of the project’s origins, author Frank Baker said, “A few months before Holocaust survivor Felix Goldberg passed away, he handed me his story about the Holocaust and told me to “do something with it.” I knew from that moment forward I had a responsibility to find an innovative way to share the story of Felix and Bluma’s survival to ensure future generations continue to learn about the heroes that survived and remember those who perished. The Holocaust started with words of hate — this is an opportunity to take words and images and use them to fight Holocaust denial and strengthen remembrance.”
“We had the opportunity—and the responsibility—to tell the Goldbergs’ story through visual narrative in a way that was not only designed to inform, but to also emotionally resonate with our reader. This book was a deeply personal mission for all of us. We needed to bring the history and the horrors of the Holocaust to new generations of readers to remind them of what hate can do and that antisemitism is an ancient evil that we must always be prepared to fight,” stated Illustrator Tim Ogline.
Michael Berenbaum, Professor of Jewish Studies at the American Jewish University, explains the importance of the graphic novel, “It speaks to some of the most important of our values and offers a message that is at once timeless, but so timely in the world of war, antisemitism, and racism that has characterized 2022. Simply but not simplistically told and beautifully illustrated, the complex story of the Goldbergs is now accessible to readers of all ages.”
Imagine and Wonder CEO Steven Wilson stated, ”The book was a labor of love for myself and everyone involved. Having had a father who was a Holocaust survivor and grandparents who perished in a ghetto just outside of Dachau, I understand how critical it is to tell these stories.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Frank W. Baker is an internationally recognized media literacy educator. He maintains the Media Literacy Clearinghouse and Close Reading the Media websites. His lifelong work in media literacy was recognized in 2019 by UNESCO. He is the author of Close Reading the Media and Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Tim E. Ogline is a Greater Philadelphia-based writer and illustrator as well as a design professional. Ogline is an alumnus of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and has previously taught there as well as at Moore College of Art & Design. Ogline also holds an MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Tim is currently working on a new eBook version of Ben Franklin for Beginners as well as a graphic novel, Benjamin Franklin’s The Way to Wealth and Other Words of Wisdom.
Ogline’s illustrations have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Institutional Investor, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Utne Reader, Outdoor Life, Philadelphia Style, Loyola Lawyer, How Magazine, and Mensa Bulletin among others. To learn more: www.timogline.com
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