Page 6 - Jewish News | November 2021

6A November 2021 FEDERATION NEWS

People of the Book author/lecture series continues

with two Zoom events in November

By Gayle Guynup
he People of the Book series New York Times best-selling author back against the Nazis out to the pub- the acts of kind Gentiles. The story
of in-person and virtual events, of The Longest Winter, the book was lic, especially while there were still a of X TROOP is about Jews taking the
Tsponsored by The Jewish Fed- “brilliantly researched, utterly gripping few commandos who were still alive fight against the Nazis into their own
eration of Sarasota-Manatee, contin- history: the first full account… of a (whom I was lucky enough to get to hands and doing extraordinary things
ues in November with two spectacular top-secret band of brothers who waged interview for the book). to make sure the Allies won.
authors holding virtual events. The first war on Hitler.” During your research, what was David Biro /
event will be held on Wednesday, No- How did you first become aware your most fascinating discovery This Magnificent Dappled Sea
vember 3 at 7:00 p.m. with Dr. Leah of the X TROOP and why did you about this top-secret band of broth- David Biro is an associate clinical
Garrett and her book, X TROOP: The decide to write about it? ers? professor of dermatology and medi-
Secret Jewish Commandos of World I had heard rumors about a secret There were so many incredible cal humanities at SUNY Downstate
War II. It will be followed on Monday, stories that I uncovered – the meet- in Brooklyn, New York, and a clinical
November 22 at 7:00 p.m. with David ing of a commando with Rommel, assistant professor of dermatology at
Biro and his book, This Magnificent that a Jewish commando on a bike
Dappled Sea. was one of the first men to cross
Dr. Leah Garrett / Pegasus Bridge, and how crucial
X TROOP: The Secret Jewish these Jewish commandos were in
Commandos of World War II all the main bat-
Dr. Leah Garrett is a professor at Hunt- tles of World War
er College, where she serves as Direc- II. But perhaps the
tor of the Jewish Studies Center and most surprising and
Director of Hebrew and Jewish Stud- extraordinary was
ies. Dr. Garrett is the author of four the story I share of a
books on Jewish literary history, as Jewish commando,
well as numerous essays and articles. Manfred Gans, who
Her book, Young Lions: How Jewish rescued his own
Authors Reinvented the American War Dr. Leah Garrett parents from a concentration camp.
Novel, won and was short-listed for Jewish commando unit and started to What do you hope readers take David Biro
several major literary awards. She lives research it and was shocked to dis- away from reading this book? the NYU Grossman School of Medi-
in New York City with her husband and cover that no book had been written I hope they realize that the idea cine. In 1996, Biro discovered he had
their two daughters. about it. I was already interested in that Jews didn’t fight back during a rare bone marrow disease and was
X TROOP is the incredible World Jewish soldiers and World War II. My World War II is completely untrue. On treated with a transplant from one of
War II saga of the Jewish-German grandfather and great uncles all served, all fronts and in all places, Jews were his sisters. He wrote about his experi-
commandos who fought in Britain’s and my previous book had been about fighting back against the Nazis. This ence as a patient, and how it changed
most secretive special forces unit, but Jewish-American soldiers. I thought is a challenge to the mistaken idea (as his work as a doctor, in his first book,
whose story has remained untold un- it was extremely important to get portrayed in the movie Schindler’s One Hundred Days: My Unexpected
til now. According to Alex Kershaw, this unknown story of Jews fighting List) that Jews were only rescued by continued on next page

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