Ira Wesley Kitmacher Boeken

Despite its idyllic setting, the coast of the Pacific Northwest has another, darker name by which it is known: the Graveyard of the Pacific. Two thousand ships and countless lives have been lost to the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and the Columbia River has claimed many more. The spirits of early settlers, Native Americans and drowned mariners are said to linger near the shores. From ghostly treasure hunters eternally searching for buried gold to a graveyard filled with souls that met violent ends, legends abound. Join author Ira Wesley Kitmacher as he uncovers mysterious tales and takes readers on a road trip through this most haunted place in America.

The breathtaking scenery of the Pacific Northwest hides a myriad of dark secrets. From sightings of the Columbia River Sea Serpent, nicknamed "Colossal Claude," to tales of Bigfoot encounters dating back to 1865, strange creatures lurk both on land and at sea. Shipwrecks, drownings, shanghaiing, and nautical superstitions abound. The restless settler spirits of those who lived and died on the Oregon Trail are said to linger alongside apparitions of adventurers and soldiers, while others, including the 1920's-era ghost of a woman in white and a man in top hat haunt places like the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Join author Ira Wesley Kitmacher as he takes you on a journey through one of the most haunted regions in America.

Al Kitmacher and Pearl Harris were heroes. In WWII, Al led his Jewish family to temporary safety, and through miracles he survived the Warsaw Ghetto and Nazi death camps. Pearl, with her military service, helped fellow Jews who were suffering at the hands of the Nazis. The author's family, who were lost to the Holocaust, are given a voice by recreating their lives in Nazi Europe of the 1930s and 1940s. Few methods of examining the roots of antisemitism are more revealing than the study of folklore and stereotypes. This is critical to understanding why the Holocaust happened, and why we are witnessing a resurgence of antisemitism today. The author explores folktales using a cinematic construct of the Holocaust as one part horror story, and the other part hero and superhero story. Longstanding beliefs in monsters, angels, and the supernatural are discussed. By reexamining the Holocaust, and through our joint humanity and hope, we can try to prevent a similar nightmare from happening again.