fiftieth gate
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A journey through memory and history The Fiftieth Gate by Mark Raphael Baker
During the 1930s, there were some nine million Jews living in Eastern Europe. These people lived in relitive peace amoungst the predominant Christian population. However as the Nazi war machine spread across Europe, the majority of these Jews (approximated at six million) were exterminated by the SS death squads.
The Lives of those who survived were thrown into turmoil in the years following the Holocaust. Many only had memories of their past life, as their property had been destroyed or taken away from them. And records of their life throughout he holocaust had been poorly kept, and in many cases destroyed by the Nazis towards the end of the war.
Mark Raphael Baker, tries to retrace the lives of two survivors His parents, Yossl and Genia. His relationship with them makes his job a particularly personal one, as he is not only discovering their past, but also discovering his heritage. He uses not only historical evidence and sources, but also the memories of his parents. This sees many contradictions between the two, and mark as a historian and son must choose what he believes is the truth...