Akira Ohiso

Surviving Akira Ohiso

This graphic work of non-fiction explores the concept of 'surviving' in terms of what it means to be Jewish. Akira Ohiso, half-Japanese half-Irish, is a recent convert to Judaism. As a new Jew, he struggles with his role within the religion and in the face of a fresh fear, anti-Semitism. Through the process of conversion, Akira learned his maternal great-grandfather, Jules, was a silent Jew that suppressed his Jewish identity. After his death, the family found a simple Kiddush cup, a vestige of a hidden past. At the time of his conversion, Akira helped Holocaust survivors continue to survive. The book represents the triumvirate of endurance: Akira's struggle with Judaism and Jules' reemergence set against the backdrop of Akira's retelling of Holocaust stories. Surviving takes an intimate look into the stories of related Jews on both sides of a century and the horror settled in between.