Hadassah: An American Story

by Hadassah Lieberman Narrated by Hadassah Lieberman

Overview

Born in Prague to Holocaust survivors, Hadassah Lieberman and her family immigrated in 1949 to the United States. She went on to earn a BA from Boston University in government and dramatics and an MA in international relations and American government from Northeastern University. She built a career devoted largely to public health that has included positions at Lehman Brothers, Pfizer, and the National Research Council. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she married Joe Lieberman, a US senator from Connecticut who was the Democratic nominee for vice president with Al Gore and would go on to run for president.

In Hadassah, Lieberman pens the compelling story of her extraordinary life: from her family's experience in Eastern Europe to their move to Gardner, Massachusetts; forging her career; experiencing divorce; and, following her remarriage, her life on the national political stage. By offering insight into her identity as an immigrant, an American Jew, a working woman, and a wife, mother, and grandmother, Lieberman's moving memoir speaks to many of the major issues of our time, from immigration to gender politics. Featuring an introduction by Joe Lieberman and an afterword by Megan McCain, it is a true American story.

Editorial Reviews

Deborah Lipstadt

Lieberman’s story is an American dream. A child of Holocaust survivors and a committed Jew, she became a witness to the topmost reaches of American political life, almost becoming the ‘Second Lady’ of the United States. It was an unbelievable saga, and she takes the reader along with her as she looks back on that journey.

Henry A Kissinger

Drawing on both her personal and familial experiences, Lieberman has written a moving and insightful memoir that speaks on the nature of faith, the importance of personal history, and the individual commitment that democracy requires.

Cleveland Jewish News

"An opportunity for [Lieberman] to honor her parents and to tell her story of light that had originated from darkness."

Madeleine K Albright

Lieberman’s new memoir is a candid, thoughtful, and moving account of her journey from war-shattered Czechoslovakia to the heights of US politics. Its pages capture Hadassah’s love of family, respect for tradition, and deep devotion to her adopted country. As a fellow immigrant, I am glad she is sharing her story of pursuing, and achieving, the American dream.

Father Patrick Desbois

My work in search of the tragic fate of Ukrainian Jews, as well as other victims of the Nazi war machine, has been sobering. Nonetheless, it is important to continue with this effort, to learn what we can, to listen to survivor testimony, and to bear witness. This is exactly what Lieberman has marvelously done in her amazing and moving book recounting her family’s experiences during the Second World War. A book for young generations to read, to stay awake and to stay strong!

Elaine L Chao

Hadassah’s story resonates with all immigrants regardless of where they came from or when. Her beautifully written memoir is moving and inspirational. It will make you cry; it will make you laugh. It is a uniquely American story and her journey is now a part of our history.

Jewish Journal

"Whether writing about marriage, motherhood, illness, being on the campaign trail or an official visit to the concentration camps, Lieberman expresses herself with honesty, dignity, heart and wisdom."

Kirkus Reviews

2021-03-06
An unusual autobiography that often turns away from the writer and toward the lives of family members past and present.

Lieberman (b. 1948) has a unique story to share: The daughter of two Holocaust survivors, she emigrated from Czechoslovakia as a child, earned a master’s degree in international relations and worked at Lehman Brothers and Pfizer, and, in 1982, married prominent politician (and eventual vice presidential contender) Joe Lieberman. While the narrative is occasionally intriguing and even moving in the sections about her parents, the prose leaves much to be desired. The first two chapters are the most riveting, as the author discusses her mother’s imprisonment at Auschwitz and her father’s time at a camp he called “the Hungarian Auschwitz.” Their stories, in part shared via their own words, are worth recording and disseminating, so the book has value in that regard. Shortly after the war, the two survivors immigrated with their infant daughter to America, settling in Gardner, Massachusetts, “a classic New England industrial town.” Lieberman describes a somewhat idyllic youth as a rabbi’s daughter in a town that had only around 30 Jewish families. Here, the memoir grows less engaging as the author describes a rather common tale of college, early career, first marriage, and divorce. Her second marriage thrust her into the public eye, and an interesting theme through the final chapters is how she and her family remained observant Jews despite political demands. However, Lieberman provides too few details about these years, information that would have captivated general readers. The author includes many quotes from her immediate family to flesh out her own story and offer hope to the future, but by the end of the book, most readers will have lost interest.

A flat memoir that still serves a purpose as a Holocaust remembrance.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176263992
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Series:	The HBI Series on Jewish Women
Edition description:	Unabridged

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