Counting on America, an uplifting Holocaust memoir, reads both like a history novel and Hollywood thriller. Dozens of nail-biting events are seamlessly tied together, facilitating the captivating story of Viennese newlyweds Kurt and Hennie Reiner fleeing the Nazi scourge. Adventure and excitement dominate the story as the Reiner fugitives undergo narrow escape from German pursuit. Kurt is arrested and put in Dachau. Hennie meets with the Gestapo to secure his release. Farm labor, clandestine border crossings, and a French prison provide additional dilemmas. Despite the odds against survival, the Reiner's mutual devotion will not permit them to lose faith in their attempt to reach America.
The first-person narrative delivers an emotional portrayal of the difficulties confronted by Jews attempting to emigrate from Europe despite blocked borders, low immigration quotas, and the absence of financial resources.
Brace yourself for a roller coaster ride that will transport you back in time and convey a vivid and historical perspective of the Holocaust. Ideal for leisurely reading and/or use in conferences, high school and college Holocaust curriculums.
About the Author: Gary Reiner delivers on his promise that he would some day publish the memoir his father had drafted over 30 years ago. Mr. Reiner spent nearly thirty years as a criminal justice consultant and project director. He designed educational training programs for the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government and operational programs for federal, state, and local criminal justice systems. To his credit, he has developed several national model programs for the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. His earlier career demanded investigative research, information management and analysis, planning, curriculum development and project management.
Kurt Reiner knew he and his wife had accomplished something special when they finally succeeded in crossing the Atlantic in May 1940. Following 26 months of dodging Hitler's pursuit, they had made it to freedom at last. Kurt Reiner was born September 22, 1913, in Vienna, Austria. He escaped Europe with his wife, Hennie, in May 1940. His professional career began in the shipyards of Salem and Portland, Oregon, where he helped build "Liberty Ships" and other tankers shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. After moving to New York at the end of WWII, Kurt Reiner settled in his profession and contributed to the defense industry of America for over 40 years. His past record of accomplishment includes employment as an aeronautical electrical design engineer for the Republic Aviation's F-105 Thunderchief, and the Grumman Corporation's Lunar Excursion Module. He began writing his autobiography in 1975 at the age of 62. Recognizing the importance of teaching youth of all religious faiths and ethnicities about the Holocaust, he lectured on several occasions at local high schools in New York until his death in 1985. Kurt Reiner remained married for 44 years.
Michael Berenbaum is Project Director (1988-1993), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (overseeing its creation), President and Chief Executive Officer of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, (1997-2000) and Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust, American Jewish University, Los Angeles.
