From the Ashes of Sobibor: A Story of Survival

Jewish Lives

by Thomas Toivi Blatt

When the Germans invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Thomas Toivi Blatt was twelve years old. He and his family lived in the largely Jewish town of Izbica in the Lublin district of Poland - a district that was to become the site of three of the six major Nazi extermination camps: Belzec, Sobibor, and Majdanek. Blatt's account of his childhood in Izbica provides a fascinating glimpse of Jewish life in Poland after the German invasion and during the periods of mass deportations of Jews to the camps. Blatt tells of the chilling events that led to his deportation to Sobibor, of his separation from his family, and of the six months he spent at Sobibor before taking part in the most successful uprising and mass breakout in any Nazi camp during World War II. Blatt's tale of escape, and of the five horrifying years spent eluding both the Nazis and later anti-Semitic Polish nationalists, is a firsthand account of one of the most terrifying and savage events of human history. From the Ashes of Sobibor also includes a moving interview with Karl Frenzel, a Nazi commandant from Sobibor.

Genres: Holocaust, History, Nonfiction, War, Memoir, World War II, Biography

242 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 1997

Reviews

[AMEERA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this type of books 💜!

[Laurie Neuwirth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I taught this story for years and couldn't believe that "Toivi" wrote a book. He kept a diary as a teenager and was able to salvage some of it after the Holocaust. He is an articulate writer and recalls with regret how his last words to his mother were, "And you didn't want me to drink the milk yesterday..." before they were separated at Sobibor and she went to her annihilation. I called Toivi. He spoke to me twice -- I told him how important and incredible his story was and asked him what he thought of the movie version (with Rutger Hauer). He said, "Of course, no movie could depict what happened there," but he was satisfied that an effort was made at historical accuracy. Included in this book is his interview; years later with Sgt. Frenzel; one of the sadistic Nazi guards during an arranged meeting. Blatt searches for answers; wonders what happened to Frenzel's humanity during that awful time. Interesting interesting story....Thank you Toivi.

[Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart aches so badly. This is a very powerful story.

“I should’ve jumped for joy. So why did I feel so much sadness, such tremendous sorrow, such emptiness in my soul? What my survival instincts had suppressed met me with full force. My loved ones were gone, my world was gone. I felt empty, sad, and alone.”

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother James visited Auschwitz when he was in the Army. He said that the feeling of horror that comes from walking through a place where one people take such liberties with the life and death of others changed him.

We were having lunch downtown when we had this conversation...I don't think I ate, I don't remember eating. The entire time he spoke to me about his personal experience, 'educating himself,' his voice was soft, quiet and matter of fact. He said that from the moment the group he was with came to the same stop in the road where the Nazi's had the Jews disembark for the final walk to enter the Camp, there was nothing but a terrible, crushing sadness...his eyes looked haunted and it was like I was taking the long walk into the camp with him. I can still hear his voice.

That's what this book is like, the voices of the past reaching out to us, to be remembered...all of the Holocaust books actually....We should all aspire to remember that feeling, 'hear' those voices when we read...and never be afraid to do our part to prevent history from repeating itself.

[Anastaciaknits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being an amateur historian, the Holocaust is one of the things that fascinates & scares me. 60 years have pasted & my mind still can't wrap around the facts of the Holocaust, that humans could inflict such pain & horror on other animals, let alone on other humans.

My main thought throughout the book was how incredibly lucky Blatt was. Repeatedly, throughout the book, in sections on every page, he chose left or right, up or down, go or stay, raise his hand or not, steal some bread or not, and every time he chose the right path. In each one of those cases, in every single case, if he had chosen wrong, he would have been dead. I'm not being melodramtic; Blatt illustrated over & over again that with his recreations of past events.

As always, I'm a little skeptic, but even if half of his choices are true, then my God, how did this person survive? How did anyone survive? As so many people have asked before, why did the Jews not fight back? I think Blatt in his autobiography/memoirs, explain this better then any book I've read before.

I bought this book as part of a book lot about the Holocaust at a field auction.

[Julia]

Oceny w systemie gwiazdkowym unikam, no bo jak ocenić czyjeś świadectwo piekła?
Nie ważne, ile literatury wojennej się przeczyta, wstrząsa ona bez zmian. Tak samo "Ucieczka z Sobiboru" wstrząsa, przede wszystkim siłą instynktu przetrwania i drogą przebytą do przeżycia.
Dla nas, czytelników, zadanie pozostaje jak zawsze tylko jedno - pamiętać i pielęgnować w sobie człowieczeństwo.

[emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75

[Lori Jernejcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing story - young and alone in hell - has a very eerie way of making the reader feel and know, that whatever we allow to happen to our brothers and sisters in the family of man comes back to haunt us.

There's the story of the knitters whose lives were saved because they could knit - they were tasked with repurposing the sweaters, socks, etc., taken from the dead and remade into sweaters, socks, mittens for the guards and their families. I found one of the sock patterns which have the Star of David hidden in the cable pattern. Making them to keep the memory with me and to honor them. We all need to find a way to remember those we turned our backs to.

[Marko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niezwykła biografia.

[Tales_with_Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
Niezwykle dosadna historia o realiach wojny, poruszająca…

[Gaile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a page turner, a tear jerker and a highly suspenseful book. To read this book, you will need to have a strong stomach. WWII was pretty horrible and this account of a polish Jew (Toivi Blatt) trying to survive the war tugs on the heart. I was rooting for him all the way as he tried escape after escape and was always recaptured until he ended up in the death camp of Sobibor. When the Germans make the mistake of sending Soviets POWs to Sobibor, things change. These are soldiers who are not going to accept they won't survive. They plan and carry out a successful revolt and escape. Toivi Blatt takes part and ends up trying to survive in the forest. By the end of the war, he is told there are still Jew hunters and to leave the area. The book closes with his survival.

[Neeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A daring escape by a teenage boy, Toivi, from a death camp during WWII. His story gives a graphic inside look into how these camps operated and his unlikely escape. His story of surviving in hiding after his escape is unbelievable with numerous close calls and barely livable conditions. Toivi's escape follows a "The Fugitive" on the run type pace as he dares to trust some while trying to elude betrayal. Just another remarkable story.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for class. I had to drag myself through the rest of the reading in this class, but this book I read with gusto! Blatt is not necessarily a writer, so the writing is simple and to the point. At times it kind of reads like fiction, and I found myself needing to reel myself in and remember that these atrocities actually happened to actual people, but it tells its story effectively.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author of this book during the course of my job. Having the personal contact with him in mind when I read the book made it that much better. It is such an amazing story of survival and is truly inspirational.

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading. It's not only a story of another extermination camp, but also presents the life after the author's escape from this place of terror. It's hard to believe that a single person could be in so many dangerous situations and that close to death and survive.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abruptly ends, but a great memoir.

[Saraelizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok...so I am going through a Holocaust phase. Another amazing story, and it's just unbelievable to read how he managed to survive.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Vivid and disturbing.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely intense. This is an amazing story of survival and the horrific things humans are capable of doing to each other.

[ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ends so abruptly. An epilogue about the author's immediate post-war life would've been nice. Also would've liked to know what happened to his friends.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for research...this is a rare book worth reading.,..

[Kien Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is extraordinary and terrifying in the first wave, Thomas 'Toivi' Blatt successfully described how tough for a Polish Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. My favourite part of Thomas'story before he was deported to Sobibor was when he tried to cross the border to Hungary, the sight of fire in Belzec extermination camp and when he was revealed to be a Jew, just the thought of it would send chills down your spines!
At the second part of the story, when he described the time when he was in Sobibor, I was quite disappointed that he did not mention his last good-bye to his mother, which although I understood the pressure of writing such a sad part of his memory, it caused me a little confused because he also did not explain how he was selected and spared from death! The bestiality of the German and Trawniki throughout his 6-months stay at Sobibor really questioned the viewers of just how depraved a human being could behave to others. Thus, when the uprising in Sobibor and the escapes of 300 Jews happened, I was very happy for Thomas and other prisoners for avenging the Germans for what they have done and escaping such an inferno!
The last part of the story, Freedom-The Illusion, was mixed from my experience. It was quite a disappointment for me when the leader of the uprising, Alexander 'Sasha' Pechersky, left the group along with other Soviet POWs to the Ukraine, leaving the remaining 50 Jews to their fate! But the saddest part of Toivi's story was when he along with his 2 friends were shot by a farmer habouring them a such a close time to liberation from German persecution. Also, the story of Schmul Wajcen, Toivi's friend who has been hiding with him, buying time for him to sneak away when the German were chasing is very heart-wrenching to read. Schmul has been Toivi's closest friend, the nearest thing to a family, so after their last seen (Toivi will never see his friend again), you can see just how depressing and world-weary of him. The last 100 pages of story is basically like that, Toivi became less willing to live. One of the rare optimism of Toivi's life was also in these last pages, though short-lived! It was when Toivi fell in love with a Polish girl called Kasia, the girl intrigued him and she also liked him also. The two made love in a tobacco barn but when Kasia realized that Toivi was a Jew, he quickly apologized to her and left the barn, despite her soft whisper assuring she would never betray him and her love gesture towards Toivi. As far as I know, Blatt never met her again! After the Soviet pushed the German out of where he hid, Toivi still could not live in his hometown due to anti-Semitism in Izbica and had to get to Lublin for his safety! Overall, the last pages brought me dissatisfaction of never explaining to us the fate of Kasia, how Toivi reunited with Schlomo Szmajzner and pretty much everything happened after the war. Unfortunately, we will never know because of Thomas 'Toivi' Blatt died in 2015, carried with him the story of his life!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to describe this book plainly as haunting and chilling, but it is so much more than that.

This was an assigned book for my History of the Holocaust class and while this entire class has moved me in ways I could have never imagined, I will never forget the words of this book.

We knew our fate. We knew that we were in an extermination camp and death was our destiny.

I want to tell you to read this book. I want to tell you that learning about an extermination camp from someone who survived will humble you and make you appreciate life with a new vigor. I want to tell you that what you think you know about the Holocaust is really just the tip of the iceberg of what actually happened. Truthfully, I want everyone to read this book.

Toivi weaves together his story in a way that reads not like a novel but more like a conversation over a hot cup of coffee. His fear and then his hope is palpable and while yes, you could pick it apart to find inconsistencies, I urge you to focus on the humanity side of his story. I had learned about Auschwitz and Dachau but I knew little about Sobibor until this class and this book and it has changed me in ways I can't even describe.

You will cry and be afraid during this book. There were so many times I wanted to put the book down and walk away because the onslaught of emotion was just too overwhelming, but I'm so glad I finished this book and I think that if you give it a chance you will be, too.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Toivi Blatts skill in telling his story of survival and telling the story of sobibor is unique and drew me in from the first moment. There is something so intimate and special about this book. You don't read his story, you feel his story and it will destroy your soul at times.

I believe everyone in Europe should read this book, to understand the ground that we walk on and what happened on this land before us. This book really pierced through my heart, its a tough read because it is real and honest and as a reader you quickly realize that most of the time during the those years, hope was in vain.

Most importantly though, this book -to me- is an incredibly powerful memoir of a small moment in time when evil was defeated . Its the memoir of a few men who never lost their their spirit, their hope and hunger and fought against all odds. By doing so they have left behind, somewhere hidden in history, a mark which only to most noble of men can ever wish to leave behind.
I might be rambling but I just cannot explain what reading this book did to me. It tore me down and build back up.
I am very thankful that I finally picked it up and read it, after seeing it for almost a decade on my moms shelf. And I am beyond thankful for Mr Toivi Blatt for sharing his incredible valuable story with the world.

[Szymon Minojć · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książę czyta się jak powieść przygodową czy kryminalną., wciąga od pierwszych stron. Groza i ciarki przechodzą gdy kolejny raz uświadomimy sobie, że to nie fikcja, a historia życia nastoletniego polskiego Żyda.

Z postacią Toiviego Blatta spotkałem się w rewelacyjnym reportażu Rafała Hetmana "Izbica, Izbica". "Ucieczka z Sobiboru" rozszerza i pogłębia temat, choć opowiedziana została przez tylko jednego bohatera. Książka jest autobiografią Toiviego. Obejmuje okres od początku okupacji, przez łapanki i wywózkę tysięcy Żydów z Izbicy, po obóz śmierci w Sobiborze, bunt i ucieczkę z niego i w końcu długą walkę o przeżycie już "na wolności". A wszystko to w przypadku autora, składa się na jego młodość czy raczej jej brak - wojna kończy się gdy Toivi ma 18 lat. Niestety kolejny raz Polacy zostają odarci z mitu powszechnej pomocy Żydom, choć ciężko osądzać sytuację, w której się nie uczestniczyło.

Całość wieńczy wyciskający łzy wywiad autora z Gustavem Wagnerem - jednym z brutalniejszych komendantów obozu w Sobiborze, przeprowadzony kilkadziesiąt lat po wojnie. Konfrontacja oprawcy i ofiary oraz tragizm ich obu ujęty w formie rozmowy.

Tragiczna karta historii ludzkości, wciąż niepojęte wydaje mi się całe to zło i groza holokaustu - od pomysłu przez urzeczywistnienie. Bardzo mocna, porażająca lektura.

[Urszula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niesamowita! Jest to rzeczywiście historia ucieczki, historia tułaczki nie do wyobrażenia, opowieść, która odcukrowuje wizerunek bohaterskiego Polaka pomagającego ocalić Żydów z zagłady. Kolejna, niezwykle ważna osobista opowieść o jednym z najtrudniejszych momentów polskiej historii. Tym razem dowiedziałam się bardzo dużo o tym jak wyglądało życie po wydostaniu się z obozu - tułaczka od jednego miejsca ukrycia, do drugiego. Strach i niechęć Polaków, aż do grożącego śmiercią antysemityzmu, łapanek, czy wydawania Żydów w ręce Niemców za pieniądze. Naprawdę rzadka chęć pomocy bezinteresownej i wypierająca ją pomoc za mnóstwo złota i dóbr, która również mogła się zakończyć wydaniem, gdy osoba nie miała się już czym odwdzięczać. Podziwiam każdego bohatera i bohaterkę, którzy to wszystko przeszli i nie poddali się w dowolnym momencie, a takich momentów było mnóstwo. Cieszę się, że jest tak wiele książek - świadectw. Każda pokazuje inne dylematy moralne, każda historię mrożącą krew w żyłach. To duży przywilej móc je poznawać, bo pisanie/mówienie o tym musi być naprawdę bolesne. Bardzo doceniam i cieszę się, że się je wciąż wydaje.

[Sarah Gatewood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book. If you have read or seen Escape from Sobibor than you know about this author. Toivi arrived to Sobibor and was separated from his family. He was taken to be a worker within the camp. He was part of the plan for the escape and did himself escape and stay alive until liberation. His like so many others is a sad story of so many family members that perished during The Holocaust. Good read, but I was disappointed that the author didn't tell about his life after liberation and his speaking about The Holocaust to prevent it from happening

[Emily Sherrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly heartbreaking story about survival and determination. Was recommended to me by my husband after he read it for an assignment in college. It is written like a storybook, a fictional novel, which made the reality of it even harder to comprehend that this many horrible things actually existed. The details the author remembered even after losing his diary is impressive and should be noted while reading.

[Sierra Mason]

A holocaust memoir not well known, but should be. As moving as Night by Elie Wiesel, but what is so unique about a holocaust survivor's memoir is that everyone's story is uniquely different. Sobibor may not be as well-known as a camp like Auschwitz, but its history and 'deadliness' should not be ignored. Thomas Blatt recounts his life so vividly, and it is an amazing piece of genocidal history.

[Katy Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed the last 100 pages, but wow. what a story.