RESILIENCE is a legacy project; true Holocaust stories needed to be told. The book  comprises thirty-seven stories because the number eighteen, in Hebrew, means “Life.” I  came up with the 37 stories by double-counting eighteen to honor the two lives that  survived and adding one more story to symbolize the next generation. These stories and  illustrations capture and evoke the innocence and inner strength of these children,  surviving even as the Nazis sought to crush both their hope and their lives.  

These stories and illustrations create a dynamic visualization by interpreting the story  visually to help amplify the story’s mood. The short tales and illustrations portrayed  different situations that the young characters faced. Each section has its own theme of  RESILIENCE that emphasizes the young people and their narrative, demonstrating their  courage and their ability to handle their situation. Each chapter describes the history in the  order of the events that occurred by depicting the time during the Holocaust. “It is my hope  that RESILIENCE spurs family conversations, where the stories told are inspirational and  the history is shared. 

It has been more than 70 years since the Holocaust and, one by one, we are losing our  survivors to the march of time. This decade may well be the last where we will be able to  hear their stories from their own lips. We are losing these wells of strength, wisdom, and  humanity, and, already, we are making the mistake of following the past. But we have a  choice: We can learn from it, instead. 

The RESILIENCE Project seeks to keep the stories of these incredible survivors alive by  connecting the past and the present. Join me in fostering tolerance, kindness, and healing 

through art. Let’s create a world where the tragedy of the Holocaust can, truly, never  happen again. With RESILIENCE, I aim to connect with people aged eleven and older. I  hope they will learn unity and acceptance before they become aware of the destruction of  spiraling prejudice, as we see now. 

Cheryl’s book can be found in schools, museums and book stores in the United States and  countries of Eastern Europe. The book now is requested to be translated in Spanish and  Portuguese for distribution in South America.