Hope

Without hope, there is nothing. As the child of young, poor Polish immigrant parents who lived on the Lower East Side of New York, Bernard Warach grew up celebrating a life of freedom in America, despite facing seemingly insurmountable odds during an incredibly challenging time in America. This is his story. Bernard suffered an attack of poliomyelitis at the age of three that left him with a withered left leg and diminished strength; even so, he went on to lead a vigorous life. With great attention to detail and the historical events that took place at the time, Bernard narrates an entertaining and dramatic tale that begins with his early experiences in public schools and continues through his graduate training in social work at the University of Pittsburgh. Through anecdotes and personal reflections, Bernard traces the remarkable life journey that eventually led him into fifty years of service with the United States Department of Agriculture and as founding Executive Director for the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA). Hope: A Memoir provides an intriguing glimpse into the evolution of a family and how one man overcame adversity as a child to live a long, full, and rich life.