By Lisa Carolin
When Lyndon Township resident Harold Fischel was growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he experienced bullying. Although his life experience was somewhat different than the youth of today, being bullied left a lasting impression on him, one that inspired him to become an author and write about the subject.
“While I was growing up my family moved a lot,” said Fischel. “It is not unusual for the new kid in school to be bullied. It was no different in my case. Thankfully, it was not as vicious and hurtful as kids experience today on Facebook and via other social media. News stories about kids being bullied to such an extent that it led to them committing suicide inspired me to write my first book called Anthony.
He wrote Anthony in 2012 and received a lot of positive feedback from people who encouraged him to keep writing, which he did. Anthony remains his favorite of his books.
Since retiring, Fischel has published nine novels. He calls it a hobby.
“When I write I do not aim at a particular age group,” said Fischel. “Comments from readers and people who have written reviews of my books make me think that my writing is best suited for people classified as young adult and older.”
Fischer’s family fled the Netherlands soon after the Nazi invasion. Most countries were not accepting refugees, and after passing through six different countries, the Fischel family finally settled in Curacao and then in Aruba. They immigrated to the United States in 1952 and Fischel attended and graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia followed by the New York University School of Law, after which he joined a law firm in New York City.
“I had enrolled in the R.O.T.C program and was called to active duty in 1964,” said Fischel. “I served in the U.S. Army in Germany, retiring as a captain after my tour of duty. The Secretary of the Army awarded me The Army Commendation Medal for my service. I took an overseas discharge and lived and worked in the Netherlands for many years.”
Fischel has worked on four different continents and eventually returned to the U.S. and later retired. To be closer to friends, he moved to the Chelsea area in 2015. He lives with his wife Jan, and they have two daughters, two sons-in-laws, and five grandchildren.
“We love the friendly atmosphere in town,” he says. “My wife Jan and I enjoy the slower small-town pace of the village. The friendly reception in the shops and restaurants adds a lot to the attractiveness of living in Chelsea. The lack of continuing traffic jams throughout the day and convenient parking are an extra plus.”
He has no plans to start a book in the near future but is toying with some ideas. For more information about Fischel and his books, go to www.haroldjfischel.com.
