An author with a personal connection to a true story of courage and resolve is coming to the Manetto Hill Jewish Center in Plainview this November.
Marty Brounstein, author of Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust, continues his storytelling journey with a stop at the Jewish Center, 244 Manetto Hill Rd., on Nov. 7. The book chronicles the inspiring tale of a Christian couple, Frans and Mien Wijnakker, who saved the lives of more than two dozen Jews in the Netherlands during World War II and the Holocaust.
It was during a trip to the Netherlands that Brounstein learned of his connection to the events of the Holocaust. Then, at the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem, Brounstein toured a special section dedicated to those who carried out acts of courage to save the lives of Jews. Remembered there are the Wijnakkers from Dieden in the Netherlands; and laid out there plain to see is Brounstein’s connection to the past.
It is a story of selflessness and courage in the face of a horrendous global tragedy.
“When people read the book and hear the story I tell, the message people receive is that of a Dutch couple who had the courage and compassion to do the right thing,” said Brounstein. “The Holocaust was a horrific time, a terrible piece of history. But this is something positive that happened. I also have a personal connection to the story that I will reveal at the end of the event.”
Though hesitant to reveal his personal connection for this article, Brounstein said he believes his tale will move people—and he hopes attendees will leave with a greater willingness to help and care for others no matter race, creed or gender.
“The audience is always unique, whether the crowd is large or small,” he said. “And the reaction is universally positive. People are moved and that’s important.”
Moving people with a story like this, his ninth book, is new for Brounstein. A writer by trade, his previous works were about business management and consulting, which he still does part-time. Since 1991, he has the led the consulting firm The Practical Solutions Group, serving a wide variety of clients on issues of leadership and organizational effectiveness. Through this work, he has written eight business books, from contributing author to sole author, including Communicating Effectively For Dummies and Coaching and Mentoring For Dummies.
“It is very different, but it is similar in that it is nonfiction,” he said of his latest book. “Also, in an early life I was a history teacher. So going back and doing research on the Holocaust was something I was comfortable with. The hardest part of writing the book was piecing all of the information together. But I didn’t have to make it melodramatic; the Holocaust speaks for itself.”
There are even efforts under way to turn Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust into a feature film, with the screenplay currently in development.
“Through my research and studies, there are common qualities shared by people like Frans and Mien Wijnakker,” he said. “There is a quality of character. It is the ability to care beyond themselves. The willingness to act and help. The ability to be calm under pressure. They have an egalitarian view of people; they don’t ask themselves ‘why help,’ but rather, ‘why not help?’”
Support Brounstein’s journey and join the discussion at the Manetto Hill Jewish Center on Nov. 7. For more information, call Laurel Scarr-Konel at 516-924-7237.
