Surviving the Survivor

A Brutally Honest Conversation About Life (& Death) with My Mom: A Holocaust Survivor, Therapist & My Podcast Co-Host

De: Joel Z. Waldman

Narrado por: Joel Z. Waldman, Karmela Waldman

Holocaust survivor and licensed therapist Karmela Waldman shares brutally honest advice about life and death—often deploying brutally sharp wit—with her son and podcast co-host, Joel Waldman.

Karmela's story is moving and inspirational, and one every young person should be reminded of. Mitch Albom, Author of The Little Liar

Karmela Waldman is an eighty-something psychotherapist and Holocaust survivor. Her son, Joel Waldman, is a successful broadcast journalist. After a discontented Joel chooses to leave his network-news job, he gets a crazy idea for the next step in his career: What if he and his elderly mom did a podcast together?

The two embark on creating a show together and name it Surviving the Survivor. Things get off to a bumpy start as the lovingly dysfunctional mother-son duo struggle to figure out the art of podcasting on the flysometimes feuding, sometimes laughing, and finally mastering the format and watching Surviving the Survivor break out as a wildly popular true-crime hit.

Along the way, the two discover things about each other that they never knew. Joel is stunned to learn that Karmela survived World War II by hiding in a boys Catholic school. Karmela also sheds light on the emotional struggles she endured when Joel's older brother, Rami, died of an incurable illness. She's also struggling with the inevitable loss of her husband of sixty-three years, which she describes as the most difficult experience of her life.

Mastering podcasting is one thing; figuring out the meaning of life is a challenge of an entirely different order. In real time and on air, mother and son engage frankly and movingly with each other for the first time as adults, discussing child-rearing, aging, illness, death, and the secrets to enjoying life no matter how complicated it gets.

©2024 Joel Z. Waldman (P)2024 Post Hill Press

Touching and entertaining

I'm a huge fan of Karm, and Joel. But mostly Karm...LOL I wasn't sure what to expect, but I do like this podcast, and knew enough about the two's dynamic that I wanted the book, and I bought the paperback and hope to have it signed when Joel is in Los Angeles, CA. But I really wanted to hear Karm tell her story, and she's done an amazing job. I love her honesty. Her story is heart wrenching, but inspiring. I choaked up so many times hearing the reality of a time in history revealing the horrible pain so many suffered at the hands of pure evil people. It gave me a reality check, that still today, so many people are suffering with the horrors of war at the hands of the evil people behind it. Joel you get praise too. Although you often speak over your mom on the Podcast, you have done a beautiful job with this book, and telling Karm's story. Well done, Joel and Karm. I highly recommend this book and the podcast.

Love this mother/son relationship! So real and honest. Very refreshing AND Karm is HILARIOUS!

I really enjoyed this read! I an avid listener to their podcast Surviving the Survivor. This story takes you on a young jewish girl’s journey during WW 2. Some events told in the book are the first time that her son, Joel (host of podcast) has heard of them. So we get a real time insight on his reaction. They narrate the book themselves and are not professional voice actors so don’t expect a professional narration. I think this fact makes the book even better and REAL! Great job Joel & Karm!

Wendy B.
Gig Harbor, WA

Honesty and humor

I love the podcast and feel like I know them better now and appreciate karms wisdom

Delightful and Insightful

OMG - we love this so much!!
I ordered the book today on Audible...my husband and I have been listening to it all day and can't stop! Dinner is currently on hold...
So insightful, so interesting, and so entertaining!
Love that we purchased it in this format--LOVED hearing the bantering between Karm and Joel!
Love these two!!

Surviving the survivor

Wonderful! Well written! Audio was great. Funny and informative. Enjoyed every minute. Can’t wait for good 2!