Young son and I went to a small store front synagogue this week to listen to a talk by Philip Bialowitz, a survivor of the Nazi extermination camp called Sobibor located in Poland. Mr. Bialowitz was a teenager when he and his family were sent to Sobibor. Only he and his older brother survived the initial culling of the transportees. His brother told the Nazis that he was a pharmacist and his brother Philip was his assistant. His Mother had been killed earlier by the Germans. His Father, sisters, and niece died that same day in the camp. 100 of his family perished in the war at the hands of the Germans.
Sobibor was a factory designed to kill humans efficiently and quickly before those to die realized what was their fate. The SS appeared so reasonable and apologetic for the situation that the Jews found themselves in that the victims applauded the welcoming speech that the SS officer gave each group of victims. Mr. Bialwitz stated that within an hour or two of arrival each group was dead and only those who had a skill that benefited the staff that ran the camp were allowed to live for awhile. At any one time up to 650 prisoners staffed the camp, living on borrowed time. Although the prisoners wanted to rise up, kill the guards and escape they felt that they were too weak and sick to do so. The situation changed when Soviet POWs arrived in 1943. These prisoners were Jewish and thus sent to the camp to die. A Red Army Lieutenant organized the uprising and the prisoners overpowered and killed many of the guards and escaped. About 600 escaped but only 42 survived the war including Philip and his brother.
Philip came to the U.S. and his brother went to Israel where he lives today at 99.
The talk was matter of fact and direct. He did not sugar-coat anything. The incredible barbarity of the Germans to the Jews is unimaginable to us, something that we cannot fathom. Young son was there as part of his A.P. history class as were many of his classmates. Hopefully the talk had a positive impact on the young in the audience. It was an honor to be in the presence of someone who has experienced so much in his long life.
He wrote a book about his experience which is available on Amazon.com:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment