Once My Name Was Sara

Once My Name Was Sara is a true story of survival, displacement and the search for home—written by Betty Grebenschikoff, who lived it.

Born a Jewish child in Berlin, Betty's life changed forever when the Nazis rose to power. Forced to leave everything behind, her childhood became a series of escapes across Europe, each move shaped by fear, uncertainty and the hope of safety.

One of the most remarkable chapters of her journey brought her to Shanghai, one of the few places in the world that accepted Jewish refugees without visas. There, she experienced life in a crowded refugee community far from home, navigating hardship, resilience and survival in an unfamiliar culture during World War II.

From pre-war Germany through wartime Europe and Shanghai, and finally to the United States, Once My Name Was Sara traces a refugee's journey across continents—and the lasting impact of displacement, memory and identity.

Written with clarity and compassion, Betty's memoir brings history out of textbooks and into lived experience. It is a powerful account of:

Ideal for readers of Holocaust memoirs, immigration stories and historical nonfiction, this book is especially suited for students, educators and families seeking to understand history through a personal lens.

Some stories must be remembered.

This is one of them.