Croatia, the War, and the Future

When Courage Prevailed – Book Review by Mishka Gora

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When Courage Prevailed: The Rescue and Survival of Jews in the Independent State of Croatia by Esther Gitman – A book review by Mishka Gora

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BOOK REVIEW

When Courage Prevailed: The Rescue and Survival of Jews in the Independent State of Croatia by Esther Gitman (Paragon House, ISBN 978-1-55778-894-8)

No one likes to admit they have been duped, so it is no surprise that we have not seen headlines declaring that the history of Eastern Europe as we know it is largely based on Communist propaganda.  What is disquieting, however, is that there hasn’t been a rush by historians to delve into the hitherto closed archives and set the record straight.  Indeed, one of the areas that has remained largely unexamined, despite the popularity of Holocaust literature, is the rescue and survival of Jews during World War II.  Bucking this trend is Esther Gitman, whose book When Courage Prevailed details the extraordinary efforts of non-Jews to save Jews, often at great risk to their own lives, under the puppet regime of the Independent State of…

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2 responses to “When Courage Prevailed – Book Review by Mishka Gora”

  1. Esther Gitman Avatar
    Esther Gitman

    Dear Ina,
    I’m at awe upon reading Mishka Gora’s critique and analysis of my book. She managed to identify all the fine points I tried to bring out in this book. I was a bit surprised that she indicated that I tantalized the reader with many examples but didn’t bring even one to a conclusion. Well, all those who testified are survivors and in fact they told their life stories. Although, I rarely mentioned my own story of survival as not to make the book subjective I survived first in Sarajevo part of NDH and later by the Italians in Korčula and after the capitulation of Italy on September 8, 1943 the Croatian Partisans together with the Allied forces transferred to Italy proper.

    Thank you Ina for bringing to public attention Gora’s review and thank you to Gora for taking the time to read the book and write such an insightful review. I hope that sometime in the near future we will all sit together and see how can we erect bridges to make this world more peaceful and more tolerant.

    Esther Gitman

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    1. inavukic Avatar
      inavukic

      Greetings Esther! The bridge to a more peaceful and tolerant world is visible on the horizon particularly with an increasing number of individuals courageously look at the truth in the eyes and and pave the way to a better future. I look forward to the day we can all sit together and say: I too was a part of this.

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Hello,

I’m Ina

I was born in Croatia and live Australia. I have been described as a prominent figure known for my contribution to the Croatian and wider societies, particularly in the context of Croatia’s transition from communism to democracy, as well as for my many years of work as a clinical psychologist and Chief Executive Officer of government-funded services for people with disabilities, including mental health services, in Australia. In 1995, the President of the Republic of Croatia awarded me two Medals of Honor, the Homeland War Memorial Medal and the Order of the Croatian Trefoil for her special merits and her contribution to the founding of the Republic of Croatia.  I have been a successful blogger since 2011 and write extensively in the English-language on issues related to Croatian current affairs and democracy, as well as the challenges Croatia faced and still faces in its transition from communism. My goal is to raise awareness of these connections and issues worldwide.

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