A Cup of Honey

“In 1980 I had a discussion with Elie Wiesel. He told me that it was my obligation to tell the world about the Holocaust. . .that I had survived to tell the world what had happened. I remembered that my mother had once told me the same thing.”

-Eliezer Ayalon

For ten-year-old Lazorek Hershenfis in Radom, Poland, life with his family is joyful. Lazorek’s father, Israel (known as “Srul”) operates a leather-cutting business, and the family spends idyllic summers harvesting fruit from orchards in the nearby countryside. His brothers Mayer and Abush work as tailors to supplement the family’s income and Lazorek’s sister Chaya is a kindergarten teacher and a playmate especially cherished. A deeply respected healer in the community, Lazorek’s beautiful mother Rivka shows him the meaning of caring unselfishly for others. But what is given does not always appear to be returned in kind, as Lazorek discovers on his journey into the ghetto and the concentration camps.

Lazorek survives and journeys to Palestine, taking the name Eliezer Ayalon. A new life begins.. . but can memories be forgotten? With “A Cup of Honey,” Neile Sue Friedman and Eliezer Ayalon impart the richness and endurance of the family love that inspires the Holocaust survivor to perpetuate the lives of those he lost by telling their story. 

Neile Sue Friedman

Neile Sue Friedman is an administrative law judge for the State of Maryland. Neile lives in Baltimore where she is active with the Jewish community. Her other interests are gardening, sports, and the theater. Neile is grateful to have had her opportunities to contribute to our understanding of the Holocaust, and hopes her efforts will provide a link from the past to the future.