Let's Make Things Better

By sharing his inspiring life story, Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev reminds us that the human spirit is larger than even the most severe and unjust trauma. Through one of history’s darkest nights, he preserved his brightness and warmth – David Von Drehle, author of the New York Times bestseller The Book of CharlieA book by Gidon Lev and Julie Gray is cause for celebration. Few contemporary writers offer us a vision of hope more compelling than this extraordinary duo. In Let’s Make Things Better, they have written both a beautiful memoir and a powerful manifesto for a life of meaning, a much-needed reminder that humanity is still worth believing in and fighting for – Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of the New York Times bestseller Letters to My Palestinian NeighborIn a clear and compelling way, Gidon Lev tells his fascinating story of survival, a story of hope that began to kindle when he was held in a Nazi concentration camp. Readers will feel empowered by Lev’s adventures and his companionate voice – Oded Adomi Leshem, author of Hope Amidst Conflict

Gidon Lev was born Petr Wolfgang Löw in 1935 in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic. He was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp north of Prague in 1941 at the age of six , and remained in the camp until liberation in May 1945. Married twice, Gidon is the father of six with fifteen grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. He now lives in Northern Israel with his life partner of many years, Julie Gray.

Julie Gray is a writer and native Californian whose work can be found in the Times of Israel, Moment Magazine, the Huffington Post, the Jewish Journal, the NY Post and many other publications. She has spoken and taught about storytelling techniques at Warner Bros. Studios, Cal Arts, the London Screenwriter’s Festival and The Haifa International Film Festival, as well as the Weitzman Institute and the IDC in Israel. Julie has volunteered with the Middle East Peace Initiative, Kids for Peace, Amnesty International and Combatants for Peace.