A story of courage and resilience

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When Roza Hamer’s daughter handed Joy Bloumis 2000 words worth of diary pointers, the author was immediately intrigued.

“There was so much to know and write about,” Bloumis told The AJN. She immediately delved into a new project – discovering as much as she could about Roza Hamer. It was a project that took years of research and culminated in the publication of The Storms You Walk Through: A Memoir of Roza Hamer.

According to Bloumis though, she should have titled the book The Courageous Journey of Roza Hamer, “because Roza Hamer was a woman of extraordinary courage, determination and resilience”.

Throughout the book, Bloumis shares Roza’s life story, which spans several continents, and touches on themes such as antisemitism, the Holocaust, the British mandate, life in China for Jewish refugees and the heroism of nuns, who as shared by Bloumis, “saved 1000 Jewish children”.

As detailed by Bloumis, Roza was born in Poland and while she enjoyed her early years in relative peace, as antisemitism spread across Europe, the wheels began to fall off.

But, Roza was undeterred.

“When the Polish government imposed increasingly harsh restrictions on Jewish citizens, banning them from schools, universities and hospitals, Roza refused to be deterred. She pursued her passion for nursing and trained in a Jewish hospital, determined to provide care despite growing oppression,” Bloumis told The AJN.

While two of Roza’s brothers fled Poland, Roza, two other siblings and her parents chose to stay. Unfortunately, the rest of Roza’s family were murdered by the Nazis. While Roza eventually did escape Poland, she ended up in Russia, being seconded into the Russian army due to her nursing skills.

“She continued to serve with bravery, even gaining a medal for not leaving her post under fire,” Bloumis explained.

Roza’s journey took her then to China and Israel before she arrived in Australia.

Bloumis explained that when Roza had to leave China as the civil war erupted between the Communists and the Chinese Nationalists, she had hoped that Israel would provide safety and stability. However, Israel was under constant threat from acts of terrorism.

“Her determination was tested once more though when tragedy struck close to home,” Bloumis explained. “When her daughter was just five years old, a terrorist bombing near their home shattered her fragile sense of security, one she had tried to build. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, Roza made the difficult decision to leave behind yet another home, this time immigrating to Australia.”

In Australia, ultimately, she found the peace she sought. Though her journey was fraught with hardship, Bloumis said that Roza never lost her compassion, and never wavered in her commitment to helping and healing others. She remained a nurse in Melbourne until she was 75 years old. “Her story is one of remarkable courage – a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the sacrifices made in pursuit of safety and survival.”

The Storms You Walk Through: A Memoir of Roza Hamer is available to purchase via Amazon.