Holocaust survivor and Canada Reads author Max Eisen dead at 93
CBC Books | | Posted: July 7, 2022 8:15 PM | Last Updated: July 7, 2022
Author of Holocaust memoir By Chance Alone died on July 7, 2022
Tibor "Max" Eisen, a Holocaust survivor, educator and author of the Canada Reads-winning book By Chance Alone has died at the age of 93 on July 7, 2022, CBC Books has confirmed. The cause of his death hasn't been disclosed.
Eisen's memoir By Chance Alone won Canada Reads 2019, defended by Canadian broadcaster, science journalist and author Ziya Tong.
Born on March 15, 1929 to an Orthodox Jewish family, Eisen was 15 at the time of his family's deportation from their home in annexed Czechoslovakia to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In By Chance Alone, Eisen relived his traumatic memories of 1944, when he and his family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. An injury would put Eisen in the hospital where, after surgery, he was put to work and random acts of kindness saved his life.
Eisen was liberated on May 6, 1945. He migrated to Quebec City in 1949, and was sent to Toronto by the Canadian Jewish community. In Toronto, he was a passionate speaker and educator who volunteered at the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies.
By Chance Alone was also a finalist for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize and for the 2017 Non-Fiction Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature.
He told The Next Chapter's Shelagh Rogers in 2019 that writing the book wasn't something he initially planned to do.
"I didn't want to write a book at first. As a public speaker talking about the Holocaust, I can speak about what I want to touch on — and also I don't want to talk about. I don't want to let my emotions get the better of me because I want people to learn," he said.
I realize that when I'm gone, at least there will be this book. - Max Eisen
"I don't want to make people cry, but I can still see tears in the audience. But many of the students asked me to write everything down on paper.
"And I keep hearing the voice of my father to tell the world about what happened. I realize that when I'm gone, at least there will be this book."
Listen | Max Eisen on The Next Chapter:
Eisen was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2021. He was cited "for his contributions to Holocaust education, and for his promotion of transformational dialogue on human rights, tolerance and respect."
For over two decades, he travelled to schools and community halls across the country to tell his stories about surviving the horrors of the Second World War. Eisen spoke with CBC Books in 2019 about the challenges he had in writing the book:
"When I started to write my book, this is when the nightmares came back. I speak four or five times a week and when you are speaking you know how far you can go, where you want to take your discussion and your presentation. But when I sat down to write and I was looking at this movie in my head, it brought back demons from the past," he said.
"When you get up at two or three in the morning and you can't go back to sleep, it's a good time to start writing. I wrote this book with a pencil on paper for two years."
Tong told CBC Radio in 2019 that meeting Eisen and championing By Chance Alone for Canada Reads was an honour: "The minute I met Max, my eyes started welling up and stinging because this isn't just a book — it's his life. He's living history, and he's survived all of this.
"When you read the book, you will find it absolutely unbelievable — but at the same time, it's a total and complete page-turner. You can't put it down. To have a chance to meet with him made me so grateful that he survived."
"By Chance Alone details Max Eisen's life and his experiences going through the Holocaust. It's not an easy read, I'll tell you that. What's interesting is that Max and Anne Frank were born in the same year, and Anne Frank didn't live to tell that tale, but Max did," Tong added.
"He writes in such a vivid and clear style that you feel like you're watching a movie. You can see what he sees and hear what he hears and smell what he smells — that's how vivid the imagery is in this book. He transports you. And of course, we're living in somewhat dark times, so this is an incredible, important read."
Max was trying to issue a warning to us — to make sure that we don't repeat what he had to live through. - Ziya Tong
Tong spoke with CBC Books shortly after hearing the news that Eisen had died and expressed her condolences. "This is such sad news. I am still trying to process what has happened right now."
Eisen's By Chance Alone is a vital read, particularly in light of what is happening in the world today, she added.
"Max was trying to issue a warning to us — to make sure that we don't repeat what he had to live through. If anything, now is a time for everybody who hasn't had the chance to meet Max or attend one of his lectures to read By Chance Alone. It is such an important and powerful work."
Recalling her time on Canada Reads 2019, Tong noted that she had read many books but quickly identified that By Chance Alone was the one she had to champion.
"It was the book that grabbed me by the proverbial lapels and touched me in the heart. I knew that when I first read it that it needed to be shared with the country — that was the real goal," Tong said.
"I felt called to it. There is a part of the book where it was actually Max's father's dying wish for him to be able to spread this message and get the word out. Steven Spielberg also made a hologram of Max — that way, his life and words will live forever."
Watch | Max Eisen on CBC News:
By Chance Alone was published by HarperCollins in Canada. Eisen donated a portion of his royalties from the book to institutions promoting tolerance and understanding.
"HarperCollins Canada is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Max Eisen, author of By Chance Alone. His story of surviving Auschwitz is testament to his incredible strength of spirit and perseverance against all odds," said By Chance Alone editor Jim Gifford in a statement to CBC Books.
"Max was a highly influential educator and mentor to tens of thousands of Canadians, and his book has been published around the world. His legacy will last for generations."
Reflecting on his life in 2017, Eisen said his goal was to educate people to learn history so that it is never repeated.
"I am inspired by the need to document my story so others may learn from the past. On a personal level, I have a highly developed sense of observation of the world around me, which constantly inspires and motivates me to take action."