For years, the boys were hidden in occupied France in homes, secluded farms, and even in Lourdes to avoid the enemy and their ever-present collaborators. Simche, their Orthodox Jewish father who secretly worked for the French Resistance, was arrested and deported to Nazi internment and death camps, where he was murdered after six months of hard labor. His devoted wife, Marjem, waited in vain for his return; her only clue was a postcard imploring his family to have courage and bidding them "adieu." Years later, the brothers were miraculously reunited with their mother, and they could finally emigrate to the United States to start a new life. Despite the tragedies he endured, Alfred never gave up hope. His life in America became the epitome of the American Dream.