Gidon Lev was born Petr Wolfgang Löw in 1935 in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic. He was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp north of Prague in 1941 at the age of 6, and remained in the camp until liberation in May 1945. Married twice, Gidon is the father of six with fifteen grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. He now lives in Northern Israel with his life partner of many years, Julie Gray.
By sharing his inspiring life story, Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev reminds us that the human spirit is larger than even the most severe and unjust trauma. Through one of history’s darkest nights, he preserved his brightness and warmth -- David Von Drehl, author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestseller <i>The Book of Charlie</i> A book by Gidon Lev and Julie Gray is cause for celebration. Few contemporary writers offer us a vision of hope more compelling than this extraordinary duo. In Let’s Make Things Better, they have written both a beautiful memoir and a powerful manifesto for a life of meaning, a much-needed reminder that humanity is still worth believing in and fighting for -- Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestseller <i>Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor</i> In a clear and compelling way, Gidon Lev tells his fascinating story of survival, a story of hope that began to kindle when he was held in a Nazi concentration camp. Readers will feel empowered by Lev’s adventures and his companionate voice -- Oded Adomi Leshem, author of <i>Hope Amidst Conflict</i>