Do Not Cry When I Die: A Holocaust Memoir of a Mother and Daughter's Survival in Jewish Ghettos, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen

One of the oldest living Holocaust survivors recounts her family's imprisonment at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen in this moving memoir of love, loss, courage, and hope.

"A deeply moving memoir, beautifully written and researched." --Lucy Adlington, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmakers of Auschwitz

"I only survived because of my mother's love."

When German soldiers invaded Poland in September 1939, it began a six year journey for then-ten-year-old Renee Salt and her mother Sala. Until their liberation in 1945, Renee and Sala were imprisoned in ghettos and concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. The only light in the darkness and brutality for Renee was the unwavering grasp of her mother's hand in hers-enduring, against all odds.

It was this unbreakable bond, along with a few miracles, that kept Renee alive. Sala's staggering courage to defy the will of SS guards saved both her and her daughter from the gas chambers, and the pair survived the deadliest days in Auschwitz's history.

After suffering the nightmarish conditions at Bergen-Belsen, Renee and her mother were liberated in April 1945-but Sala died soon after they were saved. To this day, Renee attributes her survival to the love and bravery of her beloved mother.

Do Not Cry When I Die is an incredibly moving and deeply crucial book that tells the shocking story of one of the oldest Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen survivors-and the mother's love that saved her life.

Author: Renee Salt,Kate Thompson
Publisher: Alcove Press
Published: 03/11/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.60w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9798892420792

About the Author
Renee Salt, BEM, was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zduńska Wola, Poland, in 1929, and is a Holocaust survivor and educator. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust, Renee returned to Poland to try and find any surviving members of her family and found an aunt who was living in Lódź, who she moved in with. From there they moved to Paris, where Renee met her husband Charles, who was a British military policeman who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest London and has 5 grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools, to organizations, and to the government about her experiences during the Holocaust.

Kate Thompson is a journalist and bestselling author. As well as being passionate about capturing lost voices and untold social histories, Kate's also a library campaigner. Her 100 libraries project celebrates the richness and complexity of librarians' work and the vital role of libraries in our communities. Alongside her journalism and writing, Kate is also a podcaster and recently launched her own podcast, From the Library With Love. You can find Kate at her website: www.katethompsonmedia.co.uk, on Facebook @KateThompsonAuthor, on X @katethompson380 and on Instagram @katethompsonauthor.