The newly released book 'The Right to Live' by the publishing house 'Zinātne' features the memoirs of Ella Medalja, a Latvian-Jewish survivor of the Rumbula massacres. The book was launched at the 'Jews in Latvia' museum on February 16 and highlights crucial aspects of her terrifying experiences during World War II. Ella Medalja, born in Tukums in 1913 and who passed away in 1999, provides a gripping account of her time in the Riga ghetto and her survival amidst the Nazi regime's atrocities.

Ella's experience during the bleak winter of 1941 was marked by significant peril, as she endured the horror of being captured and taken to Rumbula, where around 25,000 individuals were murdered in just two days. In her memoirs, she describes how she evaded death by convincing her captors that she was not Jewish. Moreover, the book illustrates the critical role played by those who helped her during this perilous time, risking their own lives to provide sanctuary and support.

The book also contains poignant reflections on her life in Latvia before the war, including her memories of her husband Pinhas, whom she last saw on July 1, 1941, when the German army occupied Riga. Ella's story serves as a vital testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable evil, as well as a reminder of the importance of remembering the Holocaust and its survivors.