Escape or Die: True Stories of Young People Who Survived the Holocaust

by Ina R. Friedman

Book Overview

In this extraordinary collection of true stories, some new to this edition, 12 Jewish men and women--all under the age of 20 at the time--recount their incredible tales of surviving the Holocaust.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201104776
• ISBN13: 9780201104776
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Regional contexts for the systematic killing of the Jews

These are true stories of courage in the face of great adversity, yet there is an underlying sadness about them for they are so few in number. Given that millions of people were systematically killed, a few success stories seem to pale by comparison. As we look back on the twentieth century, it was a time of great technological and scientific triumph, yet the most significant story hundreds of years from now will most likely be the genocides. One of the best features about this book is that it puts the systematic destruction of the Jews in the Holocaust in perspective. The escapees have different national origins, two from Germany and two from France, one each from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, Belgium, Ukraine and Hungary. There is a brief statement before each national story describing how the Jewish population of that country migrated there and how they were treated over the centuries. This background makes it clear that what happened during the Second World War was an aberration in size only, not in intent. The Jewish people were often the targets of discrimination, where their goods were confiscated and many were killed. The book closes with the establishment of the state of Israel and an explanation of why it must exist. As stateless people, Jews could be discriminated against with impunity, however with a nation to back them, it is much more difficult to do. Which is a demonstration of the unfortunate reality, "While moral force is a help, physical force is the only guarantee."

Dynamic, first-person stories of young teenagers

Accomplished storyteller Ina R. Friedman's compelling video Escape Or Die: True Stories Of Young People Who Survived The Holocaust vividly presents three powerful, dynamic, first-person stories of young teenagers who survived the Nazi Holocaust against all odds. There is Many, age 14, caught in the violence of Crystal Night and who witnesses his home and family shattered (11 minutes); Renee, age 13, orphaned by German atrocity, who attempts to hide and feed her three siblings (12 minutes); Robert, age 13, suffering from horrific deprivations and the ever present threat of the Nazi death camps, who escapes to fight in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising (21 minutes). Escape Or Die is a truly resounding testimony to human strength and enduring courage against utterly unspeakable, genocidal horrors, and offering intensely personal viewpoints to a chilling era of twentieth century history. Escape Or Die is a very highly recommended and welcome contribution to Holocaust studies collections and especially suited to young viewers ages 6 and older. Total Running Time: 44 minutes.

A few good words

beautiful, realistic and true to the situation..a good rea