Of Human Agony free essay sample

I have chosen to write about a particular piece of literature, Of Human Agony, written by Irene and Carl Horowitz, which has had a profound impact on my life. Irene and Carl Horowitz are my great aunt and uncle on my mothers side. They are Holocaust survivors who came to the United States after World War II and are presently living in Brooklyn, New York. As the years passed, Irene and Carl felt compelled to record their war experiences for future generations. They decided to write a book. Irene and Carl were Polish Jews when Hitler took control in 1939, and for the next several years they suffered the fate of so many of Hitlers victims. Overnight, they lost their homes, parents, friends, and almost their own lives. Until the war finally ended in 1945, their daily struggle was a desperate one of perseverance and endurance. My great aunt was fortunate to spend the war years hiding in a well. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Human Agony or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Through winter and summer she remained concealed under leaves, only able to emerge after dark for food and water. The well soon became crowded with other Jews seeking an escape from Hitlers relentless onslaught. Finally on August 8, 1944 news arrived that the Russians had driven out the Germans. Irene was so flea and lice infested that she was half dead from anemia, but she was free at last. In another part of Poland, Carl was searching for any opportunity to avoid his own doom. He was on a death march to Auschwitz, when an old woman selling apples appeared by the side of the road. He made a desperate leap for safety, trusting God in the guise of this woman who hid him and helped him find a route to freedom. My grandparents are also characters in this horrific drama and their adventures no less harrowing. I have read many books in my life. Many describe acts of heroism or perhaps superhuman dedication to some cause, but none will hold the strength and courage for me that this book does. To meet my great aunt and uncle, or my grandmother and grandfather, one would never suspect the enormous obstacles they have overcome. Their survival and recovery will always and forever inspire me. My great aunt says they were just victims, but to me they are heroes.

bally ground water essays

bally ground water essays The Bally ground water site is a municipal water supply well field in the borough of Bally in Berks county, near the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Bally well field and the nearby springs to the northwest of the site are the public water sources for approximately 1,200 residents. The area near the site includes wetlands to the north and a manufacturing plant, Bally Engineered Structures, 1,000 feet to the south of municipal well number 3. Since the 1930s, degreasing solvents containing methylene chloride, TCA, Methanol, Toluene, and TCE have been used in manufacturing at this plant. In 1982, a state water quality check identified the plant as a source of VOC contamination in Ballys municipal wells. The ground water and surface water is contaminated with various VOC's, including tetrachlorethane, trichloroethane, and dichloroethene. Potential health risks exist through direct contact with or drinking of contaminated ground water or surface water. Currently contamination le vels in active public water supply wells do not pose any danger; however, private well contamination does pose a risk. Former lagoons lay underneath the plant and are also considered potential sources of aquifer contamination. From December 1982 to March 1987, the borough of Bally did not use the contaminated municipal well number three for water supply. The water was periodically pumped and discharged into a nearby pond to contain the contaminant plume. Pumping, however, had the effect of drawing VOCS deeper into the aquifer. The Well was completely shut down in March of 1987, due to results of additional ground water contamination studies indicated that 19 of 35 wells sampled, contained detectable levels of VOCS. Currently, VOC-contaminated ground water extends from the plant to the east and northeast. Contaminant movement has become more controlled since pumping and air stripping pilot ...