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Jonathan Freedland's new book, The Escape Artist details, Vrba and Wetzler's escape from Auschwitz. The most interesting part came at the end. After the Auschwitz Report was finally circulated (7 months after the escape and too late to stop the murder of the Hungarian Jewish population), Freedland contradicts Ken Burns and Lynn Novack's recent documentary. The documentary stated that it was not practical to bomb the railway tracks that led into the concentration camp, but Freedland says that it was possible because the American Air Force was in the area anyway. In addition, Freedland asserts that there were already arial photos of the Auschwitz complex, but no one bothered to investigate what these photos depicted. Freedland blames Pehle and the US War Department. The Burns documentary states that the US didn't bother bombing the tracks because the Germans could easily replace the damaged rail. But I wonder if by 1944, when all of this occurred whether Germans were running out of supplies and would have difficulty making repairs or would choose to use their resources elsewhere.
Mods, not sure if this post belongs in the Judaism forum or the History forum. Please place it where you think it would be most appropriate.
Jonathan Freedland's new book, The Escape Artist details, Vrba and Wetzler's escape from Auschwitz. The most interesting part came at the end. After the Auschwitz Report was finally circulated (7 months after the escape and too late to stop the murder of the Hungarian Jewish population), Freedland contradicts Ken Burns and Lynn Novack's recent documentary. The documentary stated that it was not practical to bomb the railway tracks that led into the concentration camp, but Freedland says that it was possible because the American Air Force was in the area anyway. In addition, Freedland asserts that there were already arial photos of the Auschwitz complex, but no one bothered to investigate what these photos depicted. Freedland blames Pehle and the US War Department. The Burns documentary states that the US didn't bother bombing the tracks because the Germans could easily replace the damaged rail. But I wonder if by 1944, when all of this occurred whether Germans were running out of supplies and would have difficulty making repairs or would choose to use their resources elsewhere.
Mods, not sure if this post belongs in the Judaism forum or the History forum. Please place it where you think it would be most appropriate.
I think the tale is much deeper and darker than for which anyone gives credit. Over the years I have read books such as:
The gist of these books, among other reading I have done, is that the response of the civilized world to the slaughter was, to quote William Safire in another context, typical "coordinated cries of anguish and nicely orchestrated hand-wringing" (link to Safire article). Vrba's escape has been well documented. When FDR was confronted in person (not many could get to see him about this) he professed astonishment; and did nothing. Even the War Refugee's Board, which he formed under heavy pressure, see especially first book in the above list, was seriously underfunded. Owing to the sense of mission on the part of a few of its people, it did mange to save a few hundred thousand lives. The sense I get, overall, is that neither Britain nor the U.S., or rather Churchill or FDR, wanted a huge influx of penniless and often sick refugees. No one seems to mind that now, but the Jews have often been special in that highly negative manner.
Even in modern times, the national self-determination rights of the "Palestinians" seem to trump that of the Jews among polite company. The Jews, in the perception of the rest of the world, are different. See:
These books all take a slightly different approach. None satisfactorily explain why Anti-Semitism is a persistent problem. I posit that it's not as much of a problem in "new world" countries, where the focus is what a person brings to the table, not who they are. All of these books, though, hint at the problem is "who" in the cradle of European "civilization."
The Jews, on the merits, have accomplishments that far outsize their numbers. Much more previously powerful empires have not a remaining trace; the Babylonian, Assyrian, Roman (though through much of its time a republic), Egyptian, Moghul, Aztec, Inca, Holy Roman and others are either vanished without a trace or are a remnant, a shadow, of their former selves. As for religions, the idolatrous religions of yore are largely gone.
The Jewish people and religion, as hated as they are, still survive, thrive and contribute.
Originally Posted by Excerpt from The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland
Jewish tradition says that to save one life is to save the whole world. By their report, Fred and Rudi saved 200,000 Budapest Jews from immediate deportation to Auschwitz. Some would die a few months later at the hands of the Arrow Cross, but many more would not. And each one of those lives, and the lives of their descendants, would not have been possible without Rudolf Vrba.
******
Rudolf Vrba was an escape artist whose achievement ranks among the very greatest of the century. By escaping from Auschwitz, he did what no Jew had ever done before - and then he told the world what he had seen. And though he never escaped Auschwitz's shadow, he lived a life in full, as a man in full. He became a scientist and a scholar, a husband, a father and a grandfather. He had helped the world, and history, know the truth of the Holocaust. And, thanks to him, tens of thousands of others went on to live lives that were long and rich, as did their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren - so many, even he could not count them all.
I just finished reading The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland. I learned in this book that the most famous escape artist, Harry Houdini, was a Hungarian Jew but I digress. Rudolf Vrba (born Walter Rosenberg) was deported first to Majdanek, then to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942. He and another he traveled with were the first two Jewish escapees from Birkenau in 1944. The first 3/4 of the book details their incarceration and escape. Early, he came to the realization that Auschwitz-Birkenau's role was as a death factory. He believed that if he could only tell the world what was happening, either the world would stop the planned massacre, or the Jews would resist, i.e. behave like "deer, not like lambs" and gum up the works on the expressway to death. Sadly, as we all know, this was not to be.
As the author, writing in 2022 lays out, the leadership of the U.S., Great Britain and others knew what was happening. The book also lays out the deep betrayal by much of Jewish leadership at the time. The book The Jews Should Keep Quiet: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and the Holocaust,by Rafael Medoff pretty much confirms what Vrba, as "biographied" by Freedland had to say; the Jews were seen as whiny special pleaders whenever they tried to advocate for their interests and the interests of their co-religionists. Even the horrors of Birkenau were insufficient to warrant more than the typical response of the civilized world to the slaughter. This response was, to quote William Safire in another context, typical "coordinated cries of anguish and nicely orchestrated hand-wringing" (link to Safire article).
It has always been easy to verbally "virtue-signal", in modern terms. Taking actions such as bombing the rail lines leading directly to the chambers, or letting more people in, not so much. Perhaps people wanted to feel warm inside, and yet not run the risk of millions of penniless Jewish refugees coming in.
If I recall, Rosenberg just assumed that if he could let the world know what was happening, then the world would be outraged and put pressure on authorities to stop the slaughter. This would have been the logical outcome. However, as Rosenberg discovered, no one, including Jewish authority figures, genuinely cared enough. Despite providing solid evidence, people chose to remain blind.
If I recall, Rosenberg just assumed that if he could let the world know what was happening, then the world would be outraged and put pressure on authorities to stop the slaughter. This would have been the logical outcome. However, as Rosenberg discovered, no one, including Jewish authority figures, genuinely cared enough. Despite providing solid evidence, people chose to remain blind.
The title says it all. The book's premise is that dead Jews, i.e. Holocaust victims (Anne Frank in particular) and other similar people are a lot more popular than actual, identifiable living Jews. The author writes a lengthy chapter on a righteous Gentile, Darian Fry, The gist of that appears to be that Darian Fry was not well liked as an actual person and got little glory. What the author did tell us about him was that aside from his year engaging in rescue he was extremely unhappy and not easy to get along with. People love the concept, not the reality.
Sorry I haven't had any comments to add to this great discussion, but I've been following it. Coney and jbgusa, many thanks for all the book recommendations, as well.
Coney, the title of the book you mentioned -- People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present -- particularly intrigued me. I've bookmarked it at Amazon and have started reading the sample pages Amazon provides. It's late at night right now, but I'll probably finish the sample and buy the Kindle edition of the book tomorrow.
Thank you both, Coney and jbgusa, for a fascinating (and timely) topic and discussion!
Edited for correction: I made an error, the book People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present was recommended by jbgusa. Sorry, jbgusa! Great recommendation!
Yom Hodu Sameach to all!
Last edited by Rachel NewYork; 11-23-2022 at 02:34 PM..
Sorry I haven't had any comments to add to this great discussion, but I've been following it. Coney and jbgusa, many thanks for all the book recommendations, as well.
Coney, the title of the book you mentioned -- People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present -- particularly intrigued me. I've bookmarked it at Amazon and have started reading the sample pages Amazon provides. It's late at night right now, but I'll probably finish the sample and buy the Kindle edition of the book tomorrow.
Thank you both, Coney and jbgusa, for a fascinating (and timely) topic and discussion!
Edited for correction: I made an error, the book People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present was recommended by jbgusa. Sorry, jbgusa! Great recommendation!
Yom Hodu Sameach to all!
Thanks. It’s all good.
Last edited by Rachel NewYork; 11-23-2022 at 02:35 PM..
Reason: Fixed my misspelled Turkey Day greeting.
Thanks, Jbgusa. I just started reading People Love Dead Jews. It may take me a while, since I am reading 3 other books at the same time.
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