Jaak Rakfeldt, Ph.D., professor emeritus of social work, has published a book about his family and the Estonian people during World War II titled Song of my Soul.
A member of the Southern faculty from 1989-2022, Rakfeldt was the coordinator of the Co-occurring Disorders Cohort Program (mental health and substance use). In 2006 he received the J. Philip Smith Award for Outstanding Teaching.
He has also been an assistant clinical professor at the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, where for several years, he has provided clinical supervision for third-year psychiatry residents. He has published over 60 papers and chapters and given over one hundred conference presentations while also maintaining a private clinical practice.
Rakfeldt has been a member of the Estonian American National Council, the Estonian World Council, and the Estonian Academic Fraternity-Korp! Fraternitas Estica, and the chairman of the Connecticut Estonian Society. He has also published in the area of Estonian identity issues.
“It is precisely the poetry of the Estonians that drew Rakfeldt back to his heritage—a poetry that, like that of other oppressed cultures (for instance, Irish poetry), grapples with existential issues that few in the West have ever faced: the destruction of a millennia-old language, culture, and history,” wrote Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of the Republic of Estonia.
Song of My Soul is more than a memoir; it’s an emotional journey into the heart of a besieged nation and a family’s relentless fight for survival. Rakfeldt’s narrative guides the reader through the turbulent 20th century, a period when Estonia was caught in the brutal power struggles between Stalin and Hitler, marked by the tragic impact of three successive occupations.
Rakfeldt recounts his family’s harrowing escape to Sweden, where he was born. He also shares his life in Canada before moving to America and building a new life. He weaves together meaningful episodes from his parents’ lives in Estonia, which were shattered by the Soviet invasion, forcing them to flee into the forests to avoid deportation, living as partisans while being hunted by Russian death squads.
Beyond the historical account, Song of My Soul is a deeply personal journey. Rakfeldt begins to reclaim his ancestral heritage and fill the void left by displacement and loss. He grapples with questions of identity and belonging. This book stands as a testament to the resilience of refugee families and chronicles the suffering of the Baltic people. It resonates with anyone who has faced such challenges and with those seeking to understand the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Andres Kasekamp, Ph.D., professor of history, University of Toronto, wrote, “Song of my Soul is a gripping and emotional account of an Estonian refugee family’s journey, set against the backdrop of the dramatic events of the Second World War…. a compelling and eye-opening read.”
