Four Armies, One Survivor: Martin Bodek on Zadie’s War

In this powerful episode, Donald Dunn sits down with author Martin Bodek, best known for his witty Haggadah parodies, to discuss his most personal and profound book yet: Zadie’s War. The book tells the extraordinary true story of Bodek’s grandfather, who against all odds served in four different armies during World War II—Romanian, Hungarian, German (forced), and Russian—before walking 1,600 miles home to rebuild his life. Martin shares how his grandfather’s survival instincts, resilience, and faith carried him through unimaginable trials—digging foxholes on the front lines of Operation Barbarossa, enduring starvation, refusing moral compromise in the darkest of times, and finally becoming a sniper in the Russian army. This conversation goes beyond history—it’s about perseverance, identity, and the power of storytelling. You won’t hear another story like this one. 👉 Pick up Zadie’s War at martinbodekbooks.com and join us in amplifying this incredible legacy.