People toss around that word, Nazi, so freely; do they know what it really means? Here’s a taste of what they really did, the real ones –
“On November 3, 1943, more than 6,000 men, women and children imprisoned at Trawniki were shot to death in one of the largest single massacres of the Holocaust.
"During a single nightmarish day in November 1943, all of the more than 6,000 prisoners of the Nazi camp that Jakiw Palij had guarded were systematically butchered.”
Ancient history, you say? Not at all. It wasn’t so long ago or so far away. You wouldn’t say that if they were your own Mom and Dad.
That was somewhere in the killing fields of Poland. Poland, of course. But could have been anywhere around Europe.
Ancient history, you say? Not at all. It wasn’t so long ago or so far away. You wouldn’t say that if they were your own Mom and Dad.
In the clock of history, it happened a moment ago. A thousand years ago, 75 years ago, or last night – how can people do this to people?
Later they went home and listened to Bach – these cultured Europeans…and you wonder why after centuries of that, the Israelis are so glad to be back home in the Land of Israel.
Others put the number of Jews massacred on that single night at 10,000. Most were shot through the head. Kids, too. Some were hacked to death. The Germans were running out of bullets. Bullets were precious. Not Jews. They were made to dig their own graves, for that added touch of Nazi humor.
How do we absorb this? I can’t. Yes, that was the big news from last Tuesday. That this Jakiw guy was one of the killers. Lived here comfy in the United States all these years.
Trump kicked him out – Trump and only Trump. Previous administrations couldn’t be bothered. In fact, right after the war, thousands of Nazis were brought in to augment our intelligence services. That’s another story and too complicated for the moment. At this moment, we are meant to rejoice that we nabbed and lassoed this monster.
Not me. I’m not in the mood to celebrate. Was he really the last? I say no. I also say we’ve learned nothing. I shouldn’t have to go into this. Are the young being taught?
So, one less real Nazi left in America. At the same time, others are being brought in. No need to explain this, either.
Upon the news of that last Nazi, a particular NY book editor, call him Sam, contacted me this morning asking me to explain the Holocaust in terms of my family. He wants a book. He won’t get it from me. He’s the one who, years ago, turned down a novel about a down and out writer seeking one last shot. This later became the bestseller “Slot Attendant.” Now happily published elsewhere. But Sam had rejected it on the grounds that “it is too literate and too well written for a world of idiots.” Now he regrets.
That was then, but it is still the same world now, isn’t it, so why take the trouble. Besides, I already wrote the memoir. People read it, liked it, but did it make a difference?
Maybe it did. I don’t know. I don’t think so. People have other business. So I disagree about people being idiots. Everybody’s got troubles.
A few months ago I was invited to do a reading – to read some chapters from “Escape from Mount Moriah” for a class of kids at the Hebrew Academy.
I was reluctant. But the principal said the story must be told. So I told.
Good audience. Good kids. But I doubt that I got anything across. I should just stick to writing. Maybe I just don’t read well enough publicly.
The teacher introduced me as “someone who knows what he’s talking about on the subject.”
True – and maybe that is why I do not care about the last Nazi. I worry about the last Survivor.
New York-based bestselling American novelist Jack Engelhard writes regularly for Arutz Sheva.
He is the author of the international book-to-movie bestseller “Indecent Proposal” and most recently the two inside journalism thrillers “The Bathsheba Deadline” and “News Anchor Sweetheart, Hollywood Edition.” Engelhard is the recipient of the Ben Hecht Award for Literary Excellence. Website: www.jackengelhard.com