Hello!–  Sol Lurie, now in his late 90’s, is an amazing man.  A Holocaust survivor, he overcame fear, torture, and imprisonment to build a life in the US where he has bravely shared his story with hundreds.  His daughter, Bea, has ensured that his story is not lost and that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.  Her novel, LIFE MUST GO ON, is a testament to her father but also serves as inspiration and a beacon of hope for all who read it.  I hope you will listen to my interview with the fascinating Bea Lurie on the latest episode of EXTRAordinary People on shirleywachtel.com and streaming beginning MONDAY,  JANUARY 5, 2026.  I wish you all a healthy, safe, and peaceful 2026!–Shirley

Bea Lurie is the daughter of two child Holocaust survivors, her father, Sol, and her mother, Evelyn Rebecca Lurie, whose parents escaped from Poland with two toddlers. Bea learned by her parents’ actions the importance of helping those in need and devoted her career to making a difference in the lives of others as a leader of nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and as an owner of two businesses.  Bea also is an active volunteer in her community and at her local synagogue.  LIFE MUST GO On is the remarkable story of Sol Lurie, a child survivor of six concentration camps during the Holocaust, who continues to be a beacon of hope. After a bucolic childhood in Kovno, Lithuania, Sol was just eleven when the Nazis invaded and he and his family were forced to move into the Kovno Ghetto. The Kovno Ghetto was one of the only ghettos to later become a concentration camp, and Sol was among just a few Jewish survivors from Kovno. In this inspiring story of tenacity, character, faith, love, and forgiveness, we follow young Sol through heartbreak and fear, torment, and torture. Through Sol’s eyes, we learn the history of the communities in Eastern Europe, especially Lithuania, which has in the wider history of the Holocaust. Along the way, we meet the righteous few who helped save young Sol’s life. After being imprisoned in six other concentration camps for a total of four years, Sol was liberated from Buchenwald on his 15th birthday. To this day, he still joyfully celebrates every year the day he was born and liberated. Miraculously, Sol’s three brothers and his father also survived the Holocaust. Her inspiring story was written with Dr. Steven Leonard Jacobs, also a child of survivors and genocide scholar.