Four Perfect Pebbles

Marion and Ruth were together during the Holocaust and the years afterward, but their memories of the time still differ. This contrast in memory reflects how trauma shapes individual experiences—even within the same family. Marion, still a child, saw moments of first-time joy and wonder in their post-war years, while Ruth, as a mother, shouldered an overwhelming burden of loss and survival. This difference in perspective highlights the complexity of healing. For Marion, her childhood was stolen, and she longed to reclaim it. For Ruth, the weight of responsibility never lifted, even in freedom. While Marion was still a child and experiencing many of life’s luxuries for the first time, Ruth was worried about how she was going to rebuild and make a life for her family, especially without Walter. 

Ruth’s motivation to continue was her children, while Marion was driven by the desire to experience her childhood fully for the first time. This contrast underscores how trauma manifests differently: For one, it fuels an urgency to provide; for the other, it fuels an urgency to reclaim lost years. Marion was more hopeful during this period, while Ruth found herself bogged down by concerns over the future and memories of the past. Marion’s reaction also demonstrates how trauma can be simultaneously repressed and relived, as she experienced lingering fears; she would often have reminders of being alone in the barracks, and she overindulged in food for several months to compensate for having had so little for so long. 

The Blumenthals intended to emigrate to Palestine after the war. This transition reflects the broader post-war Jewish experience, as thousands of Holocaust survivors sought new homelands to rebuild and reclaim their identities. Their experiences illustrate the theme of Surviving in a World of Prejudice, as their lives were shaped not just by persecution in Europe but by the continued necessity of finding a place that would accept them. The concept of “home” itself became complicated—many Jewish survivors no longer felt safe in Europe, yet the paths to new lives were often riddled with bureaucratic obstacles and difficult choices. The Blumenthals were among 96,000 Jewish immigrants who came to the United States in the post-war years. For many, America represented hope—but it was a complicated hope, layered with grief, displacement, and survivor’s guilt. After years of waiting, they finally arrived on the shores of New York, but the moment was filled with both positive and more sorrowful emotions. The moment when Marion sees the Statue of Liberty is particularly poignant—it symbolizes freedom, yet it also marks a painful reminder of all they have lost. America became a new beginning, yet it was not an easy one. Many survivors arrived with nothing, needing to learn a new language, find work, and build lives from the ground up. The United States was not free of prejudice, but for Jewish survivors, it offered an opportunity to live without fear of extermination.

The Blumenthals always lived by Family as the Foundation for Survival, and with Walter gone, there was a hole in their family unit. His absence looms over their new beginning, a reminder that survival was not without sacrifice. Ruth, Marion, and Albert demonstrated indescribable Hope and Resilience in the Face of Adversity as they healed from the Holocaust and built their new future in a new country. Unlike in Holland, where their stay felt temporary, America offered a chance to establish true roots. They adapted to the new life while supporting one another through that process. Marion credits Ruth at the end of her memoir as “a survivor in the truest sense” (124) and as someone who kept her and her family alive through the Holocaust. 

Their ending, though marked by Walter’s absence, is ultimately one of survival, resilience, and even redemption. Both Marion and Albert went on to build families of their own, carrying forward the legacy of love and perseverance that had sustained them. They were taken in by a relative in Manhattan, easing their transition and, unlike so many displaced survivors, they had a choice about where to rebuild their lives—Palestine or America. Ruth’s decision to go to America ensured that she would not be separated from her children again, a choice that stands in stark contrast to the forced separations they endured during the war. Though they suffered unimaginable loss, theirs is also a story of luck and renewal—of a family that, against all odds, was able to create a future.