Remarkable Resilience

After enduring Nazi imprisonment and losing most of her family during the Holocaust, Noemi Ban was slowly recovering from her traumatic past - until the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Terrified by a resurgence of Nazi sentiment, and the increased tyranny of the Soviet regime, Noemi summoned her courage and guided her husband and young sons through a successful escape into Austria.

Welcomed into the United States as a refugee, Noemi navigated the complexities of life as an immigrant and returned to her teaching career, yet remained silent about her experiences as a Nazi prisoner. At the age of seventy-three, inspired by a speech given by fellow Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace prize winner Elie Wiezel, Noemi returned to Auschwitz-Birkenau to confront her haunting memories and honor her loved ones. She then dedicated the next three decades to sharing her story, capturing the hearts of tens of thousands of students and community members throughout the United States and beyond.

Remarkable Resilience, written in Noemi's voice by one of her closest friends, preserves Noemi's legacy and messages of hope and healing. Further, Noemi's story provides a unique historical perspective from which to view current national and international political events. 

DEDICATION...iii

TESTIMONIAL...iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...ix

FOREWORD...xii

INTRODUCTION...xvi

PART I: 1922-1944

My Delight...2

Impossible to Escape History...4The Threat Comes Closer...10

PART II: 1944-1945

No Longer a Friendly Place...14

Carrying On...19

The Outside World Turns Away...23

Waiting and Still Hoping...26

Packed...29

No Time for Tears...33

Believing the Unbelievable...37

Parched...41

Holding Tightly to Humanity...44

Smoke, Music, and a Night of Horror...49

Refreshing to the Soul...54

Stepping Out...60

Recovering...63

Farewell...67

PART III: 1945-1957

Did Anyone Survive...72

Joy and Heartache...76

If You're Alive, Be Alive...83

Ernő...86

Strangers Among Us...93

Different Lives Joined as One...99

Hitler Didn't Stop Me...103

First the Nazis, and Now the Communists...107

My Father Moves Forward...111

Following in My Father's Footsteps...114

Broken Promises in a World of Fear...119

A Taste of Freedom...125

Pushing Beyond the Fear...131

A Chance and a Warning...138

A Perilous Path to Freedom...143

Finally Free?...150

Helpful Hands...155

A Few More Bumps Along the Way...159

Sailing to Freedom...162

PART IV: 1957-2019

Land of the Free...166

So Much to Learn...169

A New Way of Life...173

Connecting with the Past...183

Lasting Love...187

Returning...196

Facing the Fear...204

Again and Again...215

Sharing and Healing...225

Messages of Love, Hope, and Healing...232

AFTERWORD:

My Dear Friend's Legacy of Love...241

ABOUT NOÉMI BAN...248

ABOUT THE AUTHOR...250