I Shall Live

Synopsis: I Shall Live tells the true story of a Jewish family in Poland and Russia as the Nazi party gain power in Germany. When Henry Orenstein and his siblings end up in a series of concentration camps, Orenstein’s bravery and quick thinking help him to save himself and his brothers from execution by playing a role in a tremendous hoax.

Review: If it wasn't real, you’d think this might be an episode of Hogan’s Heroes. How does a young prisoner have the chutzpah to convince Nazis that he (AND all his siblings) are scientists and mathematicians capable of building a super weapon? Thus, the fake Chemical Commando unit was born. It’s truly an amazing story, a profound personal account of the struggle to survive against all odds. And no, in spite of the tongue-in-cheek reference to Hogan’s Heroes, this is not a funny book. Spoiler alert: Orenstein survives, and ultimately emigrates to the United States where he became a toy inventor—Transformers!—and a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Honestly, you can’t make this up. My one complaint is that I really had as much interest in his life after the war, yet this was relegated to a fascinating epilogue. How does one go through such a horrific experience, and then go on to have such an interesting, productive and fulfilling life? Truly an amazing man. Confronting the ugly side of humanity makes it a tough book to read in many respects, but Mr. Orenstein deserves 5 stars for a life well lived.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: It’s hard to think much about food in the context of so much torture and deprivation. Still, the Orensteins were a relatively wealthy Polish family before the war, and I’m sure enjoyed traditional Polish cuisine. Sausage and sauerkraut seems like something his family would have enjoyed.

Ingredients

2 pounds saurkraut

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 diced apple

1/2 pound of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 pounds kielbasa, cut into 1 inch slices

1) Place sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar and apple into a large saucepan over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2) Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray

3) Cook bacon and onion in a skillet over medium heat and cook until bacon is almost crisp and onion is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir into the sauerkraut.

4) Brown kielbasa in the same skillet until it begins to brown, 10-15 minutes, then stir into saurkraut.

5) Spoon sauerkraut mixture into the prepared baking dish.

6) Bake until bubbling, about 1 hour.