Arts & Entertainment ON THE COVER The Whole Truth A man who uncovered the incredible story of his parents' bravery demonstrates the lure of history and the pleasure of terrific nonfiction. Elizabeth Applebaum Special to the Jewish News U ntil Our Last Breath: A Holocaust Story of Love and Partisan Resistance by Michael Bart tells the story of his parents, Leizer and Zenia, who were part of the World War II resis- tance group the Avengers: Q: Did you ever suspect your parents might once have led such unusual lives? A: While I was growing up, my parents did not speak often about their Holocaust experiences. Either it was very painful for them to speak about or they didn't want to emotionally burden my brother and I with the agony of their past. However, my mom spoke often about being born and raised in Vilna, a city she More Nonfiction Artfp4nperf. Av. 8:15 p.m. (WB): Abraham Foxman, The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control The Anti-Defamation League national director and leader in the fight against anti-Semitism takes on critics like for- mer President Jimmy Carter who charge that Israel has an all-powerful lobby with a commanding influence on U. S. foreign policy. (See more event information in "Special Events" on page B14.) Saturday, 8 8:30 p.m. (WB): Jeffrey Toobin, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin takes readers inside the most important – and secret – legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, and reveals the complex interactions among the nine men and women who decide the law of the land. (See more event information in "Special Events" on page B14.) 5 p.m. (WB): Viktoria Hertling, Road to Rescue: The Untold Story of Schindler's List Polish Jew Mietek Pemper was forced to work as a stenographer for brutal B20 October 30 e 2008 described as having won- dad's life (1994-1996) derful Jewish culture rich when he began to tell me with many synagogues (106 about my mom's losses, prewar) and institutes of and my mom told me Jewish learning. She was about my dad's losses. very proud to be from Vilna. This is when I began to My dad spoke often about ask many questions. being one of the partisans of Vilna with Abba Kovner, Q: So many moments whom my parents referred in your parents' histories to as "our commander." My — when your mother father was very proud to escaped death — and have been a mainline par- in your own research Michael Bart tisan fighter whose assign- — such as when you ments were primarily the discovered the picture of sabotage and destruction your parents with Abba of Nazi trains. He knew his Kovner — were extraor- contributions were important in slowing the dinary, miraculous even. Do you feel differ- transportation of supplies, fuel and troops. ent about life after this experience? It was only in the last two years of my A: My life changed the day of my A Holocaurt Story of Love and Perritan R si.t a 13 c e lad Lauer! Carona camp commandant Amon Goth; he bravely passed on private documents to Oskar Schindler, which became the basis for Schindler's lists and his rescue of 1,200 Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust. 7 p.m. (WB): Lawrence Malkin, Krueger's Men: The Secret Nazi Counterfeit Plot and the Prisoners of Block 19. Former Time correspondent Malkin recounts the true story of Jewish pris- oners forced to produce counterfeit British currency to sabotage the Allied economy during World War II. After an audience viewing of the Academy Award-winning film The Counterfeiters, based on his book, Malkin will discuss how the events of the movie differ from his book. (See more event information in "Special Events" on page B14.) 8:15 p.m. (OP): Michael Wex, Just Say Nu: Yiddish for Every Occasion (When English Just Won't Do) An exceptionally funny follow-up to Born to Kvetch, Just Say Nu is a practi- cal guide to using Yiddish words and expressions in day-to-day situations. 7 p.m. (WB): Elinor Burkett, Golda In a comprehensively researched biography, Pulitzer Prize-nominated Michael Bart speaks 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9 (WB). journalist Burkett portrays Israel's for- mer prime minister as a woman whose uncompromising commitment to the State of Israel often got in the way of her personal relationships. Rosenberg, a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press, tracks how the Ohio State and U-M football coaches pushed their players to greatness while trying to adjust to the social upheavals of the '70s. Wednesday, Nov. 11:30 a.m. (WB): Andrew Meier, The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin's Secret Service Cy Oggins was an American who con- nected with the Communist Party in 1920, was drafted by the Soviets six years later, became a spy and traveled to Europe, pretending to be a scholar. 8:15 p.m. (WB): David Grubin, producer of The Jewish Americans The documentary (and its accompany- ing book) chronicles 350 years of Jewish life in America, beginning with the arriv- al in 1654 of 23 Brazilian Jews; it is the story of a tiny minority who struggled to make their way into the American mainstream while still maintaining their identity as Jews. 10:30 a.m. (WB): Lisa Kogen, editor of With Strength and Splendor: Jewish Women as Agents of Change Splendor highlights some of the most extraordinary Jewish women from the past two centuries, reflecting how Jewish women disassembled old gender roles, shattered boundaries and expand- ed the options for future generations. Sunday, Nov. to Monday, Nov. father's funeral in 1996, when an unidenti- fied man told me to inscribe "Freedom Fighter of Nekamah" on the headstone. Shortly after the funeral, I began my research. What I learned made me very proud of my parents and of my Jewish heritage. My father and other former par- tisans said to me that they didn't think they would survive the war; and they were going to fight the Nazis for the honor of their family and for the dignity of the Jewish people. "My parents made two pledges to each other: to love each other and to fight the Nazis. Their commitment was 'until our last breath?" Li 10 a.m. (WB): Michael Rosenberg, War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and America in a Time of Unrest 1 p.m. (WB): Hank Rosenfeld, The Wicked Wit of the West Detroit native Hank Rosenfeld, a journalist and NPR commentator, spent six years with Irving Brecher, the mind behind some of the greatest comedi- ans, including Groucho Marx and Milton Berle, in this show-biz history. 2 p.m. (OP): Andrew Meier (see above) 3 p.m. (WB): Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century Weinstein chronicles the movement of Jewish comedians away from Borscht Belt humor to a honest, irreverent style. 7 p.m. (OP): Simcha Weinstein (see above)