Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii
Personal Introduction
Preface
Acknowledgments
Why This Story . . . ? 3
1900: Beginning of a New Century 5
The Levin Family 00
Father’s Life in Oslo 00
Pre-War Years 00
April 9, 1940: War 00
1941: The War Continues 00
October–November 1942: Germans Pursue the Jews 00
October 24-November 1942: Escape to Sweden 00
November 25–26, 1942: Escape and Arrest of Jewish
Women and Children 00
The Donau—The Death Ship 00
The Extermination of Jews in Auschwitz 00
Efforts to Save Lives 00
1942–1946: Working in Sweden 00
Refugees and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) 00
The War Is Over—Back to Norway 00
1947: Father’s Philosophy—Personal Unresolved Issues 00
1945: Returning from the Holocaust 00
Return from Auschwitz: Post-war Contact with the Norwegian
Government in London 00
1946: Displaced Persons 00
1948: The European Children’s Camp in Norway 00
1938: A Jewish Children’s Home in Oslo—Boys and Girls
from Vienna 00
1953–1955: Minus Refugees 00
Circa 1960: Reconstruction in Norway after the War 00
Compensation for Norwegians 00
The King of Norway and the Watch 00
1965: Father’s Last Years 00
Our Family Becomes Part of the JDC 00
1943–1946: Childhood Memories of Sweden 00
Learning about the Meaning of the Holocaust 00
Growing up Both Norwegian and Jewish 00
Looking Back with Ruth 00
January 2012: The Prime Minister of Norway Apologizes to the
Norwegian Jews 00
My Philosophy Connected to Prime Minister Stoltenberg 00
About the Author 00

About the Author

Irene Levin Berman is author of “We Are Going to Pick Potatoes”: Norway and the Holocaust, the Untold Story and Norway Wasn’t Too Small: A Fact-Based Novel about Darkness and Survival.

Reviews

As much as we have continued to learn about the details of the Holocaust in past decades, there remain dimensions of the tragedy that are only now emerging into larger awareness. Irene Berman, in this her latest work, offers a moving and compelling personal account of the impact of the Nazi machine on the Jews of her native Norway. The courageous and untiring devotion of her father Marcus Levin to the salvation and well-being of the victims is a shining beacon in an era of fearful darkness. The Price of Survival is not only a loving daughter’s tribute to her humanitarian father, but also a work of deep honor to the victims and hope to those who face unfathomable evil.
*Rabbi Jim Rosen, Beth El Temple, West Hartford, CT*

Irene Levin Berman and her family have distinguished themselves in service and dedication to Norway for more than 100 years. Author, businesswoman, Ibsen translator for American theater, and activist, Irene has been on a mission to educate future generations. Many Norwegian Americans like myself are deeply grateful for her trilogy of three books that provide us with knowledge of our heritage. Our conversations over many years have enriched my understanding of my own Norwegian family. Her writing is powerful and compelling for all ages. This third book, The Price of Survival, continues the story of Norway and the Holocaust that has been virtually unknown in the United States.
*Karin Arentzen Stahl, author of The Option*

Irene Levin Berman’s newest book The Price of Survival: Marcus Levin, Norwegian Holocaust Humanitarian continues her remarkable history of Jews in Norway, this time adding many little known details about life there for those who survived the Holocaust. Told through her family’s experiences escaping and returning after World War II, we learn of Norway’s unwillingness to help resettle refugees in Norway after the war. The book shows the importance of one individual, Ms. Berman’s father Marcus Levin, who helped returning Jews finding new lives with the help of the Joint Distribution Committee, International.  After the war Mr. Levin was awarded the Gold Order of Merit by King Haakon of Norway. Anyone interested in the history of World War II and its aftermath will be grateful to Ms. Berman for sharing this compelling and intimate story.
*Peggy Shapiro, retired associate director, Career Services, University of Connecticut School of Law*

In The Price of Survival: Marcus Levin, Norwegian Holocaust Humanitarian, Norwegian/Jewish author Irene Berman has accomplished two incredible feats:  First, her tribute to the legacy of her father, Marcus Levin, which lives on for survivors and for her and her family today; and second her fascinating and chilling indictment of the war horrors perpetuated in Germany and Norway. No matter the issue, Marcus Levin’s caring and compassionate presence was there.  He aided in getting as many Norwegian Jews as possible to Sweden before the majority were sent to the camps to be massacred.  All through the war and after his force and energy helped survivors through statelessness, housing shortages, and finding work. His focus on the children, including his own, was incredible. The most important event in his life was his association with the JDC—the Joint Distribution Committee.  Together they helped expand his humanitarian work.  He was admired everywhere, even receiving the Norwegian Gold Medal of Honor from the king of Norway to recognize and thank him for his work. Read about his take on unfairness, the difference between guilt vs responsibility, and the incompetence of the Norwegian Social Department. The entire Berman family must be so proud of his legacy and how he made a difference in the world.
*Roberta Prescott, president, The Prescott Group*