Evelyne Juliette Blaikie

Michelle Simoneau wishes your family the very best. Evi life experience and film I just saw lead me down the path of wanting to meet her. I work at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, IA. Her story is similar to many brave survivors. I was saddened to know if her passing. Please keep her story alive!! Many blessings!

I worked with Evie for 6 years at CEC in Queens - she was fun, irreverent, devoted, kind, thoughtful, unassuming. One day after talking about our lives, she gave me a copy of Magda's Daughter, which was beautiful (and a little brave given how personal it is). My admiration for her grew a lot after that! She and others at CEC - Rick, Kathy, Dick - were such great role models for a rich and fruitful career later in life. Much love to her family - I'd love to connect!

Here's a review I posted about Magda's Daughter after reading it this week: Of the literally hundreds of holocaust memoirs I've read over the years, this is one of the best. It's less about the Holocaust - there are few gory tales, no concentration camps- than it is about the aftermath of the holocaust and the effects of PTSD upon the survivors, specifically in this case: the child survivors. I think I was especially affected by it because it better helped me to understand my husband's family, who were so culturally different than my American-raised Jewish self; but more importantly, it created for me a certain empathy and better understanding of the grief and frustrations of the many first- and second- degree survivors of October 7 and what they are dealing with on a daily basis and how certain aspects of the trauma will haunt them for all their years to come, something that someone who is unconnected may be unable to fathom. I cannot recommend this book highly enough; it is a must-read, especially for anyone living in Israel today who is trying to cope/hope while moving forward.
I am so distraught to hear of Evi's passing. What a brilliant soul.

Watched a documentary about her just now was a wonderful woman RIP Evelyne

Eva spoke at 92Y's senior center for Yom HaShoah in 2003 after her memoir was published- I was the director of the program and she inscribed her book for me. Finally got around to reading it and it was powerful and meaningful. May her memory be for a blessing. Jo Frances Brown (July 2024)