Summary Of Surviving In Silence

Surviving in Silence is the resilient biography of Izrael Deutsch, a Deaf Hungarian man during the Holocaust. Dunai is accredited as being the first major publication of a Deaf Jewish survivor’s memoirs. Deutsch, also known as Harry Charia Dunai, lived an agrarian life with his nine siblings near the mountains in a territory formerly referred to as the Komjata, Czechoslovakia. His siblings were Miklós, Jolán, Hainsha, Salgo, Lenke, Magdalena, Sandor,and Irén. His father was a rabbi and the family followed kosher and Sabbath rules, leading a strict and simple Jewish lifestyle. Dunai is unsure of what caused his Deafness, however, it is potentially the consequence of an accident that occurred when he was roughly one years old. His sister, Lenke,

After a doctor diagnosed him as Deaf and mute, Dunai and his family communicated via simple, iconic body signs. Knowing that there was no life for him in the village, his mother inquired about boarding or residential schools for the Deaf in Budapest. Dunai began attending a Jewish school for the Deaf in Budapest when he was six years old. At first he hadn't grasp the notion of the permanency of his stay, however once acclimated, his communication skills flourished with the support of Sári néni. At the school, it was forbidden to sign in the classroom, only oralism was taught. However, students were allowed to sign during their free time. The school was run by the strict principle, Dr.Kanizsai Returning home every summer break, Dunai was ecstatic that he could communicate with his family now and began to learn his families’ names with the correct pronunciations. He began to feel complete and truly part of the family. However, his happiness was short lived due to Fascist and Nazi influence. At a certain point during his schooling, he realized he was a poor and that his family was struggling due to the new policies regarding Jewish

After to visits to his old home, he decides to pursue a Swedish visa to visit his sister Magda who were transferred to Sweden to be cured of tuberculosis when they were freed from the camps. Dunai decides to stay in Sweden, becoming a legal alien of Sweden. He finds a job in Stockholm to help Magda financially and joins the Deaf club near him. Although he liked his job, he desired traveling to Israel, France, Asia, and America. Dunai traveled to, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Tel Aviv and ventured to London for an international chess match where he saw both his Swedish and Hungarian past teammates. In London, Dunai met Jessica Rapaport, a british-born Deaf woman who was Jewish. After the tournament, he traveled to Los Angeles via New York to visit his siblings Irén, Jolán, and Sándor. At first he struggled finding a decent paying job that fit his qualifications, as well as finding transportation. Eventually, Dunai returned to his original job with Art and throughout his stay in America, kept in touch with Jessica. Jessica and he got married quickly due to familial pressure from both