Four Perfect Pebbles

by Lila Perl

  Although she approached her journey with deep anxiety, Marion soon found herself responding positively to her German hosts. Especially moving was the reception tendered to the Lazans in Hoya by the Huth family: Heike and Hans and their teenage daughter and son, Sara and Henning. As conscientious German residents, the Huths had taken on a postwar research project to reconstruct the history of the town’s Jewish community. In 1992 the fruits of their study, tracing Jewish life in Hoya from 1754 to the Holocaust and its aftermath, were published in a volume titled Wann wird man je versteh’n . . . [When will People Ever Understand?]. Similarly, in Tröbitz, a local historian, Erika Arlt, has made it her mission to research and compile a history of the death train. Also, the graves of those Jews who were laid to rest in Tröbitz have been looked after since the late 1940s by the cemetery’s German caretaker, Heinz Färber. Today this German village has the rare distinction of having the Honorary Jewish Cemetery in which there are seventy-nine individually marked burial sites. Here, unlike the mass burial sites of almost all Holocaust victims, the names of the dead are recorded for posterity.

  Albert Blumenthal and his wife, Diane, reside in Atherton, California, where he is a financial consultant. His advanced degrees include an M.B.A. in finance and marketing from Northwestern University. In 1958, while on army duty in Europe, he made his first visit to Hoya, the town in Germany where he had been born. The fate of its Jewish community was then unknown, and its Jewish cemetery was in ruins. Subsequent visits took place in 1983 and again in 1993, at which time he also visited the sites of Westerbork and Bergen-Belsen and his father’s grave at Tröbitz.

  Ruth Blumenthal Meyberg remained in Peoria until 1956 and subsequently lived in California and in New York, where she still resides. In her eighty-seventh year she is a spirited, energetic woman. A survivor in the truest sense, she continues to be a vital presence in the lives of those she sustained through the Holocaust and its aftermath.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Boas, Jacob. Boulevard des Misères: The Story of Transit Camp Westerbork. Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1985.

  Epstein, Helen. Children of the Holocaust: Conversations with Sons and Daughters of Survivors. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1979.

  Frank, Anne. The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition. Prepared by the Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation. New York: Doubleday, 1989.

  Gilbert, Martin. The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.

  Hillesum, Etty. Letters from Westerbork. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.

  Höss, Rudolf. The Memoirs of the SS Kommandant at Auschwitz. New York: Prometheus Books, 1992.

  Laqueur, Walter. The Terrible Secret: Suppression of the Truth About Hitler’s “Final Solution.” Boston: Little, Brown, 1993.

  Lipstadt, Deborah E. Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. New York: The Free Press, 1993.

  Lookstein, Haskel. Were We Our Brothers’ Keepers? The Public Response of American Jews to the Holocaust 1938–1944. New York: Vintage Books, 1988.

  Mechanicus, Philip. Year of Fear: A Jewish Prisoner Waits for Auschwitz. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1968.

  Meltzer, Milton. Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.

  Presser, Jacob. Ashes in the Wind: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1988.

  Regional Centre for Political Education in Lower Saxony. Bergen-Belsen: Text and Pictures of the Memorial Exhibition. Hanover, Germany, 1991.

  Schloss, Eva, with Evelyn Julia Kent. Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Stepsister of Anne Frank. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1989.

  Verdoner-Sluizer, Hilde. Signs of Life: The Letters of Hilde Verdoner-Sluizer from Nazi Transit Camp Westerbork, 1942–1944. Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books, 1990.

  Weinberg, Werner. Self-Portrait of a Holocaust Survivor. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1985.

  Wyden, Peter. Stella: One Woman’s True Tale of Evil, Betrayal, and Survival in Hitler’s Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.

  Wyman, David S. Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust, 1941–1945. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984.

  GERMANY AND SURROUNDING NATIONS, 2016

  AFTERWORD TO TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

  It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since the publication of Four Perfect Pebbles in 1996. So much has happened in my life these past two decades, as is true for many of us.

  There would be no afterword had I not had the help of my dear friend and coauthor, Lila Perl, who sadly passed away in December of 2013. It is because of Lila’s efforts, talent, and diligence that Four Perfect Pebbles has reached more than a million readers since publication.

  Four Perfect Pebbles has taken on a life of its own—and definitely changed my life for the better! The book has been translated into German, Hebrew, Dutch, and Japanese, which is tremendously exciting, of course. The Dutch version is of special relevance: Gerton van Boom, a Dutch businessman, publisher, and philanthropist, took it upon himself to print 102,000 copies with the title Vier gelijke stenen Op de vlucht voor de holocaust.

  Why 102,000 copies? To symbolize and remember the 102,000 men, women, and children, out of a total population of 120,000 Dutch Jews, who were deported from Camp Westerbork and destined never to return. My family and I were among the small percentage of “lucky ones” who did return. Gerton van Boom placed this large number of books at the disposal of the Camp Westerbork Museum in the Netherlands, to be given free of charge to visitors. A second printing was soon needed!

  I have come to understand that my story is one of survival and continuity. In the epilogue of the original edition, my beloved mother, of blessed memory, is described as an active and energetic eighty-seven-year-old. She was almost as active and energetic to the very end, and still living in her own apartment, when she passed from this life six weeks short of her 105th birthday. No words can describe my incredible mother, a “lady to the nth degree.”

  Yes, survival and continuity. Leah Tova, my mother’s great-great-granddaughter (and our great-granddaughter), who when born gave our family five generations of tough but gentle women.

  As of this writing, in addition to our three married children, David (married to Lisa), Susan (married to Rob), Michael (married to Rachel), we have nine grandchildren, three of whom are married: Arielle (married to Moshe), Joshua (married to Allysa), Gavriel (married to Ariela), Dahlia, Yoav, Jordan Erica, Hunter, Ian, and Kasey Rose, and two great-(really great!) granddaughters, Leah Tova and Rachel Tehilla.

  Some ten years ago, Dr. John Chua, an associate professor at Richmond University in London, wrote and directed the documentary Marion’s Triumph: Surviving History’s Nightmare, which aired on PBS. The film is about my Holocaust experiences and the work I do in schools and communities to share my story—and the universal message of love, tolerance, and respect for one another that I believe in so passionately.

  When I look back at the many schools of every type (public, private, parochial, alternative, etc.) I have visited in thirty-eight states and abroad, I sometimes wonder how I’ve had the energy! I have personally reached more than a million youngsters and adults, and it has become my mission to reach even more. Many people I speak to or meet have their own problems to deal with—not being accepted, being a new immigrant, having a difficult childhood, being homesick, and so many other issues—yet somehow, because of my own background and perspective, I am able to communicate to them a message of hope. Without hope, it is almost impossible to live a healthy, happy, and productive life. I finish each and every presentation by giving too many hugs to count. Hugs have become my trademark!

  I would be remiss not to mention John Holt of Pittsburgh, who wrote a musical score about my life experiences, with a title song called, “Four Perfect Pebbles.” This song is sung after each of my presentations. John truly captured my feelings as a fearful child, and I than
k him.

  Keys to the city have been presented to me! One mayor said, “Although this key will not open up any doors in our city, you have opened up the hearts of our citizens!” This past year, I was honored to help plant two new trees, one in New York, the other in New Jersey. Both ceremonies were particularly memorable.

  On June 12, 2014, in Aurora, New York, I was privileged to be the keynote speaker at an event commemorating what would have been Anne Frank’s eighty-fifth birthday. On that day, at Emily Howland Elementary School, we planted a sapling from the original chestnut tree that Anne looked down on so many years ago. I concluded my talk with the following prayer, hope, and wish:

  May the roots of our Anne Frank Chestnut Sapling grow deep and strong

  May its leaves give shade in a troubled world.

  May the sight of this lovely tree

  Give us the understanding and desire

  To be kind, respectful, and tolerant towards one another.

  In the spring of 2015, at the John Hill School in Boonton, New Jersey, I was given the wonderful surprise of having a tree planted in my honor. It was a dogwood tree, the official state memorial tree of New Jersey. Elaine Doherty, the school’s PTA president, wrote a beautiful message about the dogwood tree. I would like to share her words with you:

  “A tree is a symbol of an immense and enduring strength. The kind of strength we read about in Four Perfect Pebbles, and a strength we see in Marion Blumenthal Lazan as she spoke today.

  “A tree is a protector and signifies life. A life lost or a life spared, both of which we honor today. Those who survived that horrible time in history and those who fell victim to it.

  “A tree can represent the completion of a difficult period and a return to stability. It signifies wishes fulfilled and all things representative of a family. We plant our tree for Marion’s family, and all the families who were touched by the Holocaust.

  “We have chosen to plant a dogwood tree. The dogwood tree is New Jersey’s designated tree for remembrance celebrations. However, in our case, the dogwood tree was chosen for a much more symbolic reason.

  “Each spring when the dogwood blooms, it will have hundreds of flowers made up of four petals, each round in shape and almost the same size. Some may say they are ‘Four Perfect Petals.’

  “So please, when the sun grows warm and we begin to emerge from school back to the fields to practice and play again, look to the courtyard and the Dogwood tree. Look for those ‘Four Perfect Petals’ that fill the branches, and remember back to what we read in Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles.”

  Since the publication of Four Perfect Pebbles, I have been back to Germany on six occasions to speak in schools and churches. It has been a remarkable revelation to see how one German town, among others, is doing its best to redress the evil, crimes, and horrors perpetrated during the Nazi era. The study of the Holocaust in German schools is mandatory, and students are highly encouraged to visit the former camps.

  The new Marion Blumenthal Hauptschule (high school) in my former hometown of Hoya, Germany, was named in my honor in 2010, and in 2014, I received honorary citizenship from Hoya, the town we had been forced to flee some seventy years earlier. Over the past ten years, Stolpersteine have been placed in Hoya and elsewhere in Germany. A Stolperstein is a brass plaque set in the sidewalk in front of a home where a deported Jew once lived. It gives the victim’s name, date of birth, where, when, and how he or she died. There are four Stolpersteine in front of the house where we lived in Hoya, one for each of my grandparents, one for my father, and now one for my mother. Stolpersteine are a vivid and constant reminder of what happened on those streets, and they are hard to miss. Students from “my” school keep the Stolpersteine in Hoya clean and shiny.

  As gratifying as the honors and recognition are, what is truly most rewarding and important to me is the audience’s reaction after a presentation, and the letters and emails I receive from readers and from people I have met on my travels. Students who attended my talk years ago and are now teachers themselves have begun inviting me to speak to their students. Survival and continuity. They understand that this generation will be the last to hear personal, firsthand accounts of the Holocaust.

  I would like to share with you several of the many letters I have received these past twenty years.

  From a letter written by a former Catholic parochial student in San Francisco who saw me speak more than fifteen years ago, and is now an executive with Google:

  “I remember your smile and the joy you brought to the room. I remember how your husband looked at you when you spoke. I remember going home and trying potato chips and mayo and I think I remember dogs? But most of all I remember your certainty. You were so sure of yourself and your mission in life. You survived hell and turned something weakening and negative into something strong and positive. You inspired me and continue to do so daily.”

  From a letter from a young immigrant and high school student:

  “I’m from Mexico. I live with my parents and sister. When we came here, I didn’t know any words in English, and had to take ESL in school because I didn’t know how to speak English. But when you came to my school, to tell your story, I was listening, and at the same time, thinking that nothing is impossible. . . . You are an example for everybody; I’ll never forget you.”

  From a letter from a high school foreign exchange student:

  “At that time, I was really having problems fitting in and being happy with my host family, and my new school. I felt sad most of the time. I was always afraid of doing something wrong, and I was missing my family just so much.

  “The day you visited us, I felt so moved by your story. You taught me and showed us all how courage to thrive can be found in awful situations and by that, taught me to cope when times are hard . . . my history teacher made arrangements for me to meet you afterward. I remember seeing you, and the smile you gave me, and right now, as I am writing this, I have goosebumps and tears in my eyes, just to relive those memories. . . . For the first time, I started crying and told the truth, saying it was hard and that I missed my parents so much. You gave me a hug, and believe it or not, it was the first hug I received in the USA, and I just felt so good. You gave me hope. You said it would be great at the end. And I believed you. . . .

  “So now, three years later, I am back in Brazil, with my parents, and I just got accepted to medical college, and I hope in the future to help people the most that I can. I am sending this message to thank you. Thank you, Marion, from the bottom of my heart. That day you meant the world for me and I am never going to forget you, or your story. Your kindness gave me the strength to carry on. God bless you and your family.

  “With love, and the most sincere thank you, Filipe.

  “P.S. Since that day, I have read Four Perfect Pebbles five times, and it is still my favorite book.”

  There you have it, my afterword.

  I hope to continue my mission to reach out to young adults and communities for many years to come. I hope to continue to inspire people, to talk about understanding, tolerance, and empathy, with my loving husband of sixty-three years, Nathaniel, at my side. I hope to see my family grow in numbers and good deeds. I hope and pray that children, grandchildren, and all succeeding generations, everywhere, will be kind to one another, and grow up healthy, happy and productive, in a world of love and peace.

  Hugs,

  Marion

  Photo Insert

  Marion’s mother’s passport, with a large J stamped on it for “Jew”

  Marion’s father’s passport, with a large J stamped on it for “Jew”.

  The author, deep in the midst of the concrete blocks during a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin

  A “permission” slip allowing the Blumenthal family to take a few items out of the country

  Gouda, Holland, early 1939. Marion’s parents were assigned to look after a number of other young children sent by their parents to Holland to escape the Na
zis. Marion is the little girl in the very front of the group

  Marion’s father’s Stolperstein embedded in the sidewalk in front of the home where the Blumenthals lived in Hoya.

  Marion’s report card from Camp Westerbork in Holland, dated just after her seventh birthday

  Marion continues to travel to schools, libraries, churches, and synagogues around the United States, speaking to people of all ages about her Holocaust experiences

  PRAISE FOR FOUR PERFECT PEBBLES

  An ALA Notable Book

  An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

  An IRA Young Adults’ Choice

  A Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

  “Best of the Bunch” list, Sydney Taylor Award

  Committee/Association of Jewish Libraries

  “Perl weaves the history of the Holocaust with a survivor’s personal memories of what happened to her family. The writing is direct, devastating, with no rhetoric or exploitation. The truth is in what’s said and in what’s left out. . . . The personal facts bring it home.”

  —ALA Booklist (starred review)