Between Two Worlds

“A fresh perspective on the aftermath of trauma . . . . Drawing on rich archival sources, historian Judd makes her book debut with a sensitive, well-researched history of marriages between survivors of the Holocaust and American, British, and Canadian military personnel . . . . Judd’s stories of “loss, recovery, power, and unbelonging” stand as testimony to the triumph of survival.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A new piece of the Holocaust story that will be of interest to readers of Jewish studies, women’s history, and Holocaust studies.”—Library Journal

“Between Two Worlds is elegantly crafted and beautifully written, making it a pleasure to read and suggesting that its reach may well extend beyond purely academic circles. . . . [This book] makes significant contributions to modern Jewish historiography, gender and family history, and the study of migration in the post-Holocaust world. The stories it reconstructs offer rare glimpses into the lingering effects of trauma in the most intimate spheres and shed light on the hopes and dreams for new lives in new places in the years and decades after Europe’s darkest hour.”—American Historical Review

“An important book introducing a new area of investigation while reinforcing previous research that demonstrates how reconnection was a significant step on the road to emotional recovery.”—American Jewish History

“An engrossing discussion of a little-considered subject. . . . [I]t is impressive that [Judd] has written a book that so thoughtfully explains the significance of [the Jewish war brides’] story for our understanding of Holocaust survivors and their experiences after the war.”—H-Diplo

“This poignant, deeply researched text furthers readers’ understanding of the complicated meetings, courtship weddings, immigration, and acculturation of Jewish war brides following the Shoah. . . . Reclaimed postwar Jewish autonomy and the creative management of problem-solving shine through the voices of those whose stories populate this readable book. . . . Recommended.”—CHOICE

“Terrific history. Drilling down on the unspooling lives of Jewish war brides and their servicemen fiancés/husbands, Between Two Worlds breaks entirely new ground. In clean, muscular prose, Judd addresses the messiness of liberation, grieving, and—at the same time—falling in love. ” —Debórah Dwork, director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes against Humanity at the CUNY Graduate Center

“Tells a history—and a dramatic story—never told before. The Holocaust survivor war brides and their American Jewish soldier husbands who come to life in this book reveal the intertwined histories of military red tape, immigration policy, the Nazi terror, and the opportunities of postwar America.” —Hasia R. Diner, author of We Remember with Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence after the Holocaust, 1945–1962

“The definitive study of Jewish war brides in World War II. Written by a master historian-storyteller whose own grandmother was a war bride, the volume illuminates the extraordinary complexities confronting soldiers and Holocaust survivors who fell in love and married.” —Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University