Jacob's Rescue
A Holocaust Story
Main Characters:
There are three main characters in the novel; Jacob, David, and Mela. Jacob Gutgeld( later known as Genyek) is a Jewish boy who lived in the ghettos with his Aunt Hannah and later escaped and was taken under the wings of Alex and Mela Roslan in order to prevent him from being captured by the Nazis. David Gutgeld, Jacobs little brother, is also taken in by the Roslan's. Mela and Alex are very nice, caring people that risked their lives to keep these children alive. To make matters worse, if Alex and Mela were found housing jews, they, including the children, would be murdered.
Plot:
This true story takes place in Warsaw,Poland, a heavily occupied area by the Germans that was invaded in 1939. Before the war, Jacob went to school and played games with friends,that is, until the Nazis came. One day, Jacob slipped through a hole in the ghetto wall to meet Alex Roslan, a man who agreed to be Jacob's new "uncle". Alex and the rest of the Roslan family would care and shelter Jacob for the remainder of the war to keep the secret that Jacob was a Jew from the public. This true holocaust story really shows the cruel brutality that people had to go through between 1939 and 1945 and great lengths of risks they had to take to survive.
Connections:
The Roslan's earned the Righteous Among Nations Award for three main reasons. First off, Mela and Alex went through hell and back to keep these children's identities a secret, so they would not be captured,taken to camps, and killed at such an undeserving young age. Second, in the act of sheltering the Jewish children, Alex and Mela were risking their lives for the children's lives. If Jacob and the others were discovered, the whole family, including Alex and Mela, would be punished by death. Lastly, Alex and Mela didn't just help these children and push them on their way. They had kept a life threatening secret from the public for multiple years. These very courteous people deserve the award because they treated Jacob, Sholom,David,ect. like they were a blood tied family. And anyone would do anything for family.
Quote/ Citation:
When Jacobs father, grandfather, and uncles left Poland the year before, they said:
"It is not and wont be safe for Jewish men here." They were correct. One year later the Nazi's invaded and began isolating Jews in Ghettos, and deported and murdered millions in camps.
Reflection/Review:
This is an overall fantastic read. The fact that it is a true story makes it that much better because you know these people went through pretty close to exactly what your reading. I like books that put you in the shoes of the people and to see what it was like in their time period. But, some of the things that are mentioned in the book are undescribable
Also,this book is an important read because we need to hear and remember the stories of these survivors who escaped unimaginable horrors. A tragedy like this must never be forgotten, and especially the brave people who went through it should not be forgotten.
Also,this book is an important read because we need to hear and remember the stories of these survivors who escaped unimaginable horrors. A tragedy like this must never be forgotten, and especially the brave people who went through it should not be forgotten.