Through rescue, loss, and eventual freedom, author, teacher and speaker Hanna Zack Miley stands as a warm reminder of the power of forgiveness. In 1932, just 11 months before Hitler seized power,  Hanna was born in the German city of Bonn. As antisemitism increased, her Jewish parents, Marcus and Amalie Zack, desperately sought ways of escape. On the evening of July 24, 1939, they were able to get Hanna onto a train to escape to England. They however, would not make it to safety. Her parents were forced from their home and deported to endure six months of inhumane conditions in the Łódź Ghetto before being murdered in Chelmno, Poland, on May 3, 1942.

Hanna has since discovered newfound freedom and joy in sharing her story around the world and through her writing and speaking. In her memoir, “A Garland for Ashes: World War II, the Holocaust and One Jewish Survivor’s Long Journey to Forgiveness,” she shares the heartbreaking process of discovering her family’s fate, as well as her journey from vengeful hatred to forgiveness, the release from bitterness and the healing of the past.

She and her husband George have been worldwide travelers for more than 50 years, teaching others about the transforming power of God and forgiveness even in the most painful circumstances. Today, they reside in Phoenix, Arizona. Her story will soon be featured in the documentary “i was 8814.” See the trailer below.