Dialogues in Holocaust Studies and the Second World War
This podcast features interviews with authors of new research, fresh monographs and recent books about the Holocaust and World War II.
Dialogues in Holocaust Studies and the Second World War
Gabriel Laufer, ed. and trans., *A Voice Lost from the Lost Town of Trochenbrod: A Translation of Yisrael Beider’s Poems, Essays and Letters*. Gabriel Laufer, Andrew Cassel and Ellen Cassedy, trans. Newton, MA: Cherry Orchard Books, 2025.
The obliteration of Trochenbrod, the sole Jewish town outside of Israel, stands as a largely neglected tragedy of the Holocaust. This book gathers a remarkable array of poems, essays, and letters penned by Yisrael Beider, a native of Trochenbrod and a descendant of a long line of rabbis that can be traced back to the "Maharal of Prague." Beider lost his life during the Holocaust, yet these writings endured, becoming rare artifacts that emerged from Trochenbrod. While Beider did publish some of his works in notable Hebrew and Yiddish publications, the majority of his writings remain largely unrecognized. This translation compiles the complete surviving collection to illuminate Beider's literary and historical contributions, as well as to offer a firsthand account of life in Trochenbrod and western Ukraine during the interwar period.