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It takes a remarkable person to see the goodness in people when facing the depths of man’s cruelty. Mira Unreich, a Holocaust survivor who endured the horrors of four concentration camps and a death march before the age of 18, never lost her indomitable spirit. Today we hear her remarkable story from her daughter, journalist Rachelle Unreich, who in her mother’s final moments conducted the most important interviews of her career, documenting Mira’s enduring legacy of joy in the pages of her novel, ‘A Brilliant Life’. Through the A to Be journeys of both mother and daughter we grasp the precious stories of our parents and gain the unique perspective of being the child of a survivor. In the echoes of Mira’s life, this episode is one of love, appreciation and wonder.
About Rachelle
Rachelle Unreich has been a journalist for 37 years, including seven years in the United States where she wrote about the entertainment industry. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Elle, Rolling Stone, Good Weekend, and she has been extensively published in the US, the UK, and Southeast Asia.
In Rachelle’s memoir “A Brilliant Life,” she recounts her mother Mira’s harrowing survival through four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March during the Holocaust. As Mira faces a cancer diagnosis at 88 in Australia, Rachelle delves into her mother’s past, revealing a tale of resilience and the discovery of “the goodness of people” amidst cruelty. This poignant exploration becomes a tribute to family, highlighting the unbreakable bond between mother and child, questioning fate, chance, and destiny in one’s life.
Resources
- Learn more about Rachelle here.
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2:00 Welcome journalist and author of ‘A Brilliant Life’, Rachelle Unreich.
4:29 The power and intimacy of sitting down with your parents to understand who they are as people and understanding the psychological jigsaw pieces of your own life.
8:27 The remarkable survival tale of Mira Unreich, Rachelle’s mother, who, despite enduring the horrors of humanity, remained steadfast in her appreciation for the goodness of people.
14:10 The acts of kindness extended to Mira during her journey.
16:13 Were Mira’s moments of grace coincidences, moments of serendipity, or were they something bigger?
19:09 “They were such a joyous bunch that you wouldn’t have picked it”- Rachelle reflects on memories of laughter between her mother and mother’s friends who survived the holocaust.
21:51 Rachelle shares her perspective of being a child of a holocaust survivor and feeling a sense of intergenerational strength as opposed to intergenerational trauma.
24:13 The heart-touching faith-affirming call from her mother that Mira experienced in her last few days before being emancipated on her eighteenth birthday.
29:12 Mira’s life purpose and its impact on Rachelle’s journey, culminating in the creation of ‘A Brilliant Life.
34:23 The healing nature of sharing deep conversations with your parents.
38:50 “I always knew that I didn’t have grandparents and that they died in the Holocaust and camp.”- Growing up with knowledge of the atrocities her mother faced and relating to the world with that history.
43:31 Rachelle shares how she hears her mother’s voice echoing in her thoughts, offering guidance and comfort.
46:15 For both mother and daughter, what are Mira and Rachelle’s ‘Be’s’?
Meet Jo
Jo Stanley is Founder and CEO at Broad Radio – radio for women, by women. Comedian, author, MC, speaker. Co-host of The House of Wellness TV and Radio. Hope messenger. Equality warrior. Mother, wife, awesome friend.
Broad Radio Insta • Broad Generation Insta • Broad Radio Web
Say hi to Mimi
Mimi is the Author of House of Kwa, Journalist, MC, Facilitator, Keynote, Mum of four, studying to become a mindfulness mediation teacher, also did architecture at university and didn’t become an architect. Quite a good friend.
BUY House of Kwa • Mimi Kwa Web