Sammy: Child Survivor of the Holocaust

by Samuel R. Harris

“In sharing your personal testimony as survivor of the Holocaust you have granted future generations the opportunity to experience a personal connection with history. Thanks you for your invaluable contribution, your strength and your generosity of Spirit” –Steven Spielberg, Director of Shindler’s List.

“Sammy Child Survivor of the Holocaust is the remarkable story of a child who was saved because of the persistence of his sister and the cooperation of so many who wanted to enable at least one child to defeat the German plan to destroy all the Jews. What gives the story its remarkable poignancy is that the child’s voice has been preserved, the innocence of his perceptions, the simplicity of his emotions and the acuteness of his sense of danger. Sammy did know pretend to know more than he knew or see history in all its complexity; rather the child is our guide to a world than even the most sophisticated of adults could not understand. The book is both haunting and humbling.” _ Michael Berenbaum, has previously served as president and as director of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and project director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is the author and editor of two books, including: The world Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as Told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Genres: Holocaust, Memoir, Nonfiction, History

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short book, less than 150 pages, which I read pretty much in one sitting. Sammy was one of the relatively small number of children who survived the Holocaust. This is because the children would be killed when they were brought to the concentration camps, as the Nazis only wanted adults who could work; the elderly, the sick, and children were killed when they arrived at the camps. Sammy was able to hide himself in the camps--he was extremely lucky ( he believed he had a guardian angel!).
The story takes us from Sammy's childhood in Poland to his life in the Jewish ghetto of Deblin, Poland, then in the concentration camp at Deblin, and then being shipped to the camp at Czestochowa, and then liberation. With a small group of other survivors, Sammy was able to return to his hometown of Deblin. But, in Poland, the townspeople threatened the Jews who were trying to return to their homes and killed some of them. Sammy was placed in an orphanage but had still not found safety, as Polish boys often taunted him and beat him. He was smuggled out of Soviet-occupied Poland to Austria; he considered his escape from Poland to be his "second liberation."
Sammy just may have had a guardian angel watching over him as he was able to go to America. From New York, he was sent to Chicago. He was adopted by a couple in Northbrook, Illinois. He found his new home there and a new family at last.
Incredibly, to me anyway, rather than be traumatized by his past life, he adapted very well to American life, becoming a successful student. He went on to to get married, have a family, and be a successful businessman. At first, he never spoke of his horrific experiences in the Holocaust and afterward in Poland but he was finally able to face up to his past and talk about it. He went to a world reunion of Holocaust survivors in Israel. He even returned to Poland. And he was instrumental in establishing the Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Illinois, in Skokie, Illinois ( just north of Chicago). I have been there and it was an overpowering experience to visit the museum and reflect on the terrible extent of man's inhumanity to his fellow man ( and woman).
Sammy has spoken to many classes in the Chicago area so that memory of what happened will not be lost. I just want to conclude with Sammy's final message: "When I, as a Holocaust survivor, tell of what happened, the brutality is always obvious. It is true that the most horrendous and cruel crimes were perpetrated on the Jewish people and others during the war. I want to remind everyone that not all Germans or Polish or Ukrainians ( some of the guards at the camps were Ukrainians) were bad people. There are, and always have been, many people in every nation who are good."

[Vicki G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just disgusting. In fact, it makes me want to lie and say I was never German. I'd like to pretend from here on out like I have no genetic link whatsoever to Germans, much less as direct a one as I currently have.

I don't understand why nobody ever told me that the Nazi soldiers killed young Jewish children immediately after they got to the concentration camp, b/c the soldiers considered young children useless. They couldn't work in the camps, b/c of being too young, so the soldiers killed them.
That's the most disgusting thing I've heard about what happened in WWII. I didn't expect that I was going to hear that, but someone had to have known that and I wish they would have told me.

And there are people, mostly online, who proudly call themselves "Hitler supporters."
I WOULD mention this book to them, but they're so obviously a lost cause that I refuse to waste time doing it.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult topic to write about, done well by Sam. He writes in a manner that makes this book good for children to read as well. I read this with my son and we had great conversations during the read.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful account of the Holocaust from a child’s (Sammy’s) point of view.

[Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

A riveting story. Written so awkwardly that it was a distraction.

[Olivia]

In 1945, Samuel Harris’s battle for life in concentration camps has just ended, but as a boy of only nine years old he is just now starting life over again. Although the World War II is over there is still much antisemitism in Europe, which Samuel and his sisters struggle to deal with. Samuel’s eldest sister, Rosa, decides to make the ultimate sacrifice of sending Samuel and his other sister, Sara, to be adopted in America. The book Sammy Child Survivor of the Holocaust by Samuel Harris tells the story of Sammy being adopted and assimilating to life in America. Throughout the story the author tries to make the story as relatable as possible. To do this Harris uses child like things to connect it with like a bully on a playground.

The book Sammy Child Survivor of the Holocaust is a very good book. Harris does a very good job of relating the book to lives and using pictures to help support the book. One of the times he relates the book to other situations is when he is speaking at a school and says “ [I] noticed your beautiful playgrounds. On those playgrounds you will se bullies pushing other children around. Hitler was one of the worst bullies”(99). By relating Hitler to a bully on the playground everybody can connect with that. Also, Harris uses pictures to show you an example of what he is talking about. For example on page 58 the picture of Harris’s belt shows the reader what he is talking about looks like and in this case to show the “broken off buckle” and the duck tape holding it together (58). Sammy Child Survivor of the Holocaust is an overall great book.

[Jenny]

This book was amazing. It was very "kid friendly" yet it showed the deep stories of the Holocaust. It was much less graphic and intense that "Night" by Elie WIesel, yet I kept wanting to read on. It was a great read and made me happy and joyful.

This book shows the life of Sammy. Sammy survived tha holocaust. He was able to escape to America. He tried to forget his past and did for many years. This book not only shows his experience in the Holocaust, but his life afterwards and how and why he decided to speak out about his journey to freedom.

I can relate to this book because I am studying the Holocaust. I can almost picture how Sammy was. He got many luck breaks and had a difficult experience. He was strong though and was thankful for all the good things that happened to him. It was a very inspiring book.

[Rosy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acabo de terminar este libro. El libro es una autobiogarfia pero lo mas inpostante es que realmenet tiene la voz y la ingenuidad de un niño de poca edad. Todo lo que le pasa esta narrado de una manera unica y sencilla. Tambien es muy interesante su historia despues de la guerra y como termina en los Estados Unidos.

[Jesse8/9]

it was cool