Jacob's Rescue
A Holocaust Story
Main characters-
Jacob Gilat is an eight year-old Jewish boy in Warsaw, Poland. He is captured with his aunt and grandmother and brought to a ghetto. He escapes and meets Alex Roslan who took him in and protected him until the war was over. Alex Roslan is Jacob's temporary guardian. He is the father of Yurek and Marishka. Yurek is a 12, and Marishka is 8. The same age as Jacob, but much healthier than him. Mela is their mother, she was originally against taking in Jacob, but eventually treats him as one of her own. David, Jacob's brother; is taken from the countryside where he was originally placed, to be with Jacob. Jacob is given a new name to further hide his true identity, it is Genyek. Another Jewish boy is taken in named Sholom.
Plot-
Jacob was a rich boy that lives in Warsaw, Poland before World War II. The war hits hard and Jacob's family is split up. His siblings are sent to the countryside for safety, and he is taken to a ghetto with his aunt, and grandmother. His aunt sends him out of the ghetto through a hole in the wall and he meets Alex Roslan. Alex takes care of Jacob along with another boy named Sholom. Jacob is given a fake name, it is Genyek. Alex and his wife Mela have two children of their own, named Yurek and Marishka. Sholom dies of disease that all the children catch, and Jacob needs a procedure. Alex sells their apartment and they move so they can afford the operation. Jacb gets the surgery and survives. Jacob's younger brother David is brought to their new home and becomes part of the family. Alex realizes Warsaw is too dangerous for his family, so he decides to have them walk to Kaminsk. that's where Mela's brother, Vladek lives. they stay there while the Soviet Union invades Poland to free the Jews. Then Jacob and David are sent to finally see their father in turkey.
Jacob Gilat
The main character in the book
Alex Roslan
Alex is Jacob and David;s caretaker
Mela Roslan
Mela is Alex's wife
Connections to Righteous Among the Nations Award-
Alex and Mela Roslan have more than earned Righteous Among Nations Award. They treated Jacob, David, and Sholom as one of their own children. Alex did many things for his Jewish children, like when he traded cloth and sold his apartment so Jacob could get an operation he needed. Alex made hiding spots for them underneath cabinets and inside of couches. He bought Jacob a fresh white roll instead of his own children, that's something to respect.
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw was an extremely dangerous and bad place to be during WWII.
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Quotation-
"We'll go home soon. But this is a nice place. no one is going to make you sleep with animals here." said Jacob to Sholom. I think it's extremely sad that just because Sholom doesn't have to sleep with animals, makes somewhere a "nice place." it shows how hard times were during WWII.