After Auschwitz
The Inspiring True Story of a WW2 Holocaust Survivor
Yehudit Harel
- Literary Fiction
- Memoir
- Holocaust
- WWII History (True Story)
The Book
After surviving the worst war in history, Vera is not afraid to fight another.
1944. Czechoslovakia. Vera “Verushka” Roth is thirteen years old when she is torn away from her happy and comfortable life and sent to Auschwitz. At the camp’s gates, she is advised by prisoners to lie about her age, a little lie that saves her from certain death. Not knowing the fate of the rest of her family, Vera holds on to her mother, relying on her love and protection to survive the camp’s horrifying and inhumane conditions. When the two are finally released at the end of the war, they set off to pick up the broken pieces of their lives.
Trying to find meaning in life after total devastation, Vera joins Hashomer Hatzair, a Jewish youth movement helping survivors in the aftermath of the war. Empowered by its optimistic vision of revival, she chooses to go by her Hebrew name, Yehudit, and is determined to start anew in Israel. But even though she survived the worst atrocities in history, Vera is on her own and must face extreme challenges in an unknown and volatile land. As war erupts in Israel and her new home comes under constant fire, Vera must prove she has what it takes to fight for her new life.
Why This Book Matters
After Auschwitz is an authentic, first-hand Holocaust testimony, written by a survivor in her own words. Yehudit Harel began writing it at the age of 91, at the request of her grandchildren, who wanted to know about a past she had never spoken about. She completed the book in January 2024, just weeks before her death, making it a final act of remembrance and a legacy for future generations.
Rarely does a single memoir cover both survival in Auschwitz and the founding of the State of Israel. Yehudit’s story continues where many Holocaust testimonies end: through the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement in Budapest, six months in a British detention camp in Cyprus, and her arrival at Kibbutz Negba at the age of 17, just as the War of Independence broke out and she joined in defending the kibbutz.
At its heart is the bond between a mother and daughter who kept each other alive, and a young woman’s determination to build a new life and identity after losing almost everything. Its universal themes of trauma, recovery, and hope speak to readers of every generation, and its educational value makes it well suited to Holocaust studies and history programs.
About the Book
Genre: Memoir / Holocaust / WWII History (True Story)
Published in English on April 9, 2025 | 38,800 Words
For readers of Edith Eger’s The Choice and Elie Wiesel’s Night, After Auschwitz is a survivor’s own account of Auschwitz, liberation, and the fight to build a new life in Israel.
Author
Yehudit Harel
Yehudit Harel was born in 1931 in Munkacs, Czechoslovakia (now part of Ukraine). In 1944 she was deported to Auschwitz with her mother, father, and other family members. After she and her mother were liberated, Yehudit went to Budapest, joined the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, and prepared with them to immigrate to Israel. There she also met her future husband, Menachem Harel.
On their way to Israel in 1948, they were arrested by the British and held in a detention camp in Cyprus for six months. Yehudit finally arrived at Kibbutz Negba at the age of 17. Shortly afterwards the War of Independence broke out, and she took part in defending the kibbutz. After the war she married Menachem, and together they raised three children.
For decades Yehudit did not speak about her past. At the age of 91, after the passing of her second life partner and at the request of her grandchildren, she began writing this book. Returning to those dark memories was very difficult for her, but she completed the book in January 2024. Yehudit passed away the following month.
Rights Status
Publishing Rights Available
Translation Rights Available
Film Rights Available
Audio Rights Available
Comparable Titles
This book is suitable for readers who enjoyed:
- The Choice by Edith Eger
- Night by Elie Wiesel
- Rena’s Promise by Rena Kornreich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam
BISAC Categories
- HIS043000 – HISTORY / Holocaust
- BIO022000 – BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
- HIS027100 – HISTORY / Military / World War II
- HIS022000 – HISTORY / Jewish
Themes
- Survival and Resilience
- The Mother-Daughter Bond as a Lifeline
- Finding Meaning After Devastation
- Rebirth and a New Identity
- Building a Life in Israel
- Courage in Israel’s War of Independence
- Silence, Memory, and Testimony
- A Legacy for Future Generations
Keywords
For readers interested in:
- Holocaust memoirs and survivor testimonies
- WWII true stories
- Auschwitz survivors
- Women’s memoirs and stories of resilience
- Mother-daughter relationships
- Israel’s founding and the War of Independence
- Kibbutz life and Hashomer Hatzair
- Holocaust education and Jewish history
FAQ
Is this book a true story?
Yes. It is the true story of Holocaust survivor Yehudit Harel, written by her at the age of 91.
What time period and locations does the book cover?
From 1944 Czechoslovakia and Auschwitz, through post-war Budapest and a British detention camp in Cyprus, to Kibbutz Negba during Israel’s War of Independence.
Why did the author write the book?
At the request of her grandchildren, who wanted to know about the past she had never spoken about.
Has this book been published before?
Published in Hebrew on May 24, 2024.
Who will enjoy this book?
Readers of Holocaust literature and WWII nonfiction, memoir and true-story readers, readers interested in Israel’s founding, and educational institutions and Holocaust studies programs.
Rights Agent's Notes
After Auschwitz offers what readers and publishers in Holocaust literature value most: an authentic first-person testimony, written by the survivor herself. As the generation of survivors passes, such accounts are becoming rarer and more precious, and this one carries the added power of having been completed in the final weeks of the author’s life.
The memoir also stands out for its scope, continuing beyond liberation into the founding of Israel and the War of Independence. Its emotional depth, mother-daughter story, and educational value give it appeal across generations, and we see strong potential in markets with established Holocaust literature readerships and in educational publishing.