Dear Mr. Ghosh
I just finished reading your book The Glass Palace.
I enjoyed it very much.
It has a very personal meaning to me and I would like to ask you
if you have more information regarding the
“Forgotten Long March” of 1941
My husband’s father was a Jewish merchant in Rangoon at the time.
His wife and many children, including my husband (two years old at the time), were able to board a ship that took them to Calcutta where they lived for about 10 years before making Aliyah to Israel.
His father was among the trekkers that walked from Burma to Calcutta over several months. They thought he did not survive. He turned up several months later in Calcutta but in a very sad state after the long march.
Due to his trauma, he did not speak much about this journey and the family would
like to know more about the experience.
My husband and I visited Rangoon in 1970 en route from the US to Israel where we lived for several years on a kibbutz. It was difficult to get a visa here in the states and we were able to get a 24 hour visa for Burma in Japan.
I have some slides from the visit, most from the Jewish synagogue where my father in law was very involved and some street scenes and of course the Pagoda.
I am planning to have the slides converted to a DVD.
Is it possible to email or write to Nellie Casyab, a survivor in Calcutta who you mention in your book?
Do you have more material about this march and in particular do you have anything about the Jewish survivors.
I hope this email comes to you and would appreciate hearing from you.
We live in NY, in the Rockaways and would gladly come to you or would love to have you visit with us.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Susan Sagiv and Abraham Sagiv