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Flights of Spirit
Sixteen-year-old Elly Gotz hides with his family in an underground bunker in the Kovno ghetto in Lithuania, prepared to die rather than be found by the Nazis. After surviving three years in the ghetto, where thousands from his community have been murdered, Elly and his family refuse to be the Nazis' next victims. But there is no escape from the ghetto's liquidation in the summer of 1944, and Elly and his family eventually surrender, only to be separated when he and his father are taken to the notorious Dachau concentration camp. There, Elly's skills as a locksmith and metal worker—learned in the ghetto trade school—literally save his life and that of his father's. But as the Allies fly over the camp and the end of the war looms, Elly’s father weakens, and Elly fears his father will not live to see the day of liberation. After the war, fleeing from Europe and their past, Elly fights to regain his lost youth and his years of missed education. His motivation and enterprising spirit give him the determination to succeed and to, ultimately, find strength in flight.
240 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2018
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126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 10, 2025
This really is a three star book, ONLY because the audio production is either horrible or the narrator has a speech issue that causes random three second bits of what he is saying to not be said/skipped over. Sometimes I could figure out what was being said via context clues, but most of the time I was left to wonder what I missed. Which is a shame, because what he had to say was so incredibly interesting and important, not one syllable should be left out.
The content is four stars, so that is what I am going with. I'm hoping the audio issues are fixed in the finished copy.
I like to read about history including WWII and the Holocaust, not from wanting to hear all of the negative, but to see the candle in the dark that the darkness can never extinguish. It is also an incredibly important piece of not-quite-modern history that is, unfortunately, being repeated in other locations in the world. As humans, we can do better than this. We can also do worse, which is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that we aren't really as fantastic as we think we are and we NEED to do better.
I really appreciate this series that the Azrieli Foundation has put together, of the stories of so many different survivors of the Holocaust. Each one is different in its own way, though there are many similarities as well. This series should be required reading/listening for everyone.
4, for the content if not the production/audio issues, stars.
My thanks to libro.fm and Knopf Canada for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.
The content is four stars, so that is what I am going with. I'm hoping the audio issues are fixed in the finished copy.
I like to read about history including WWII and the Holocaust, not from wanting to hear all of the negative, but to see the candle in the dark that the darkness can never extinguish. It is also an incredibly important piece of not-quite-modern history that is, unfortunately, being repeated in other locations in the world. As humans, we can do better than this. We can also do worse, which is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that we aren't really as fantastic as we think we are and we NEED to do better.
I really appreciate this series that the Azrieli Foundation has put together, of the stories of so many different survivors of the Holocaust. Each one is different in its own way, though there are many similarities as well. This series should be required reading/listening for everyone.
4, for the content if not the production/audio issues, stars.
My thanks to libro.fm and Knopf Canada for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
I have had the privilege of hearing Elly tell his life story four times. I’ve never met him in person; he always did his presentations to my high school over Google Meet. Some of my classmates would get bored of hearing his story so many times, but Elly never tells it the same way twice. As he mentions in the afterword, schools only give him one hour to speak to students. He has to pick and choose which parts of his story to tell and which parts to skip, so the presentation is never exactly the same. Many of the stories I’ve heard from him are expanded on in this novel, as well as many more he’s never mentioned. This book was published in 2018, before I became part of his audience. Since the publishing, Elly has discovered more things to talk about in his presentations, and more little details to add to the context of his story, so some of the things I’ve heard him speak about are not mentioned here.
One of my favourite stories of Elly Gotz is when he and his father saved their personal collection, plus seven wheelbarrows of books, from being burned by the Nazis. Even with the threat of death, they collected as many books from the burn pile in the synagogue as possible. These books were Elly’s education and escape. His most important education however, came in the ghetto school where he learned how to make locks and work metal, skills that would make him very valuable to the Nazis in the concentration camp.
A moment that really stood out to me that I’ve never heard Elly talk about, was the musician commandant of the concentration camp. The musical prisoners of the camp and the commandant put on a concert where guests from outside the camp were invited. Elly was one of the prisoners who got to be in the audience. The fact that these guests came into the camp and sat with the prisoners who weren’t working at the time proves that the public did have an idea of what was happening. Some people even saw firsthand what was happening inside the concentration camps.
“In the early afternoon, the camp gates were opened, and the visitors began arriving – officers in uniform, with their wives or girlfriends; townspeople in dark suits and ties, the women in summer dresses, white gloves and large summer hats. What a strange sight these guests were to us! A touch of remembrance of normal life in this miserable camp…At the end of each musical number, the guests seemed uncertain whether it was okay to applaud. There was some hesitant, gentle clapping. Then the concert was over, and the guests filed out, throwing us prisoners sidelong glances.”
Surviving the Holocaust was, more or less, luck. There were few things you could control: how well you followed orders, how you treated your superiors and fellow prisoners, and what lengths you were willing to go to survive. Other than that, it was pure luck. Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, decided your fate. Elly and his family were almost unbelievably lucky. Elly’s liberation was always a little emotional for me to hear. The memory of his fear for his father was still evident even as he would tell us with such joy, what a relief it was when the Americans came to Dachau. As he repeats in this book, his moment of liberation was when his nearly dead father, upon hearing about the American arrival, simply asked “Do you have the bread?” He had his priorities.
Elly’s story makes the difficulties of the aftermath of liberation very clear. Yes, they were free, but what were they supposed to do with themselves now? First, the family needed to find each other again and recover their physical health, then find a place to live, find some financial support, and find a way for Elly to finish his academic education. They could not bear to stay in Germany, so Elly and his family travelled a long way to find a new home in what is now Zimbabwe. They came to Canada later, in 1964, as the tensions of the South African apartheid were only getting higher.
“Life after liberation really did feel like, So now what? After about four and a half years, the war was finally over for us. I had just turned seventeen, I weighed seventy pounds, and I owned a soup bowl and a spoon.”
Elly is an engineer, and as he says his wife pointed out to him, he writes like one. Weaving emotion into his writing is not his greatest strength. Though, at times, this reads more like a history book than a memoir, I still enjoyed it. It’s lovely to read about how Elly and his family took back their lives and forged their own future. Elly’s many business adventures make me laugh. He is literally always doing business! He can’t help it!
One of the events Elly’s always sure to talk about in his presentations is the ‘Great Action’, the mass execution at the Ninth Fort outside the Kovno Ghetto where the Gotz family were living. The fate of Helmut Rauca is briefly mentioned in the book, but Elly could never disguise his frustration to us that Rauca essentially got away with murder. He came to Canada in 1950, became a citizen in 1956, and happily lived as a successful businessman until he was 73. Finally the Canadians realized who he was and extradited him from the country, returning him to West Germany, where he died of cancer before his case could be brought to trial. And Elly could have found him in the Toronto phone book years before that. He’s still a bit angry at the government about that.
Elly always makes sure to talk about Holocaust deniers, specifically Monika Schaefer of Alberta. Denial of the Holocaust makes him extremely upset, and rightfully so. He lived through the Holocaust, nearly died during it, and people are going around saying it was lies created by the Jews. What the heck!? He always talks about this near the end of his presentation so we can leave remembering the dangers of denial and how important it is to be kind to others. He always ends the presentation with the old Cherokee tale about the two wolves. I'll leave it to you to look that one up. It's very thoughtful and is a great way for Elly to end his story.
“My dear ones, if you only knew how many deaths, and how many types of deaths, were stalking us every day for the last four years, then you might understand my excitement today. And then you would also understand how much luck was required to crawl out of this bloodbath with life intact.” Excerpt from one of (Elly’s mother) Sonja Gotz’s beautiful letters to relatives in Southern Africa just after her reunion with her son and husband.
One of my favourite stories of Elly Gotz is when he and his father saved their personal collection, plus seven wheelbarrows of books, from being burned by the Nazis. Even with the threat of death, they collected as many books from the burn pile in the synagogue as possible. These books were Elly’s education and escape. His most important education however, came in the ghetto school where he learned how to make locks and work metal, skills that would make him very valuable to the Nazis in the concentration camp.
A moment that really stood out to me that I’ve never heard Elly talk about, was the musician commandant of the concentration camp. The musical prisoners of the camp and the commandant put on a concert where guests from outside the camp were invited. Elly was one of the prisoners who got to be in the audience. The fact that these guests came into the camp and sat with the prisoners who weren’t working at the time proves that the public did have an idea of what was happening. Some people even saw firsthand what was happening inside the concentration camps.
“In the early afternoon, the camp gates were opened, and the visitors began arriving – officers in uniform, with their wives or girlfriends; townspeople in dark suits and ties, the women in summer dresses, white gloves and large summer hats. What a strange sight these guests were to us! A touch of remembrance of normal life in this miserable camp…At the end of each musical number, the guests seemed uncertain whether it was okay to applaud. There was some hesitant, gentle clapping. Then the concert was over, and the guests filed out, throwing us prisoners sidelong glances.”
Surviving the Holocaust was, more or less, luck. There were few things you could control: how well you followed orders, how you treated your superiors and fellow prisoners, and what lengths you were willing to go to survive. Other than that, it was pure luck. Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, decided your fate. Elly and his family were almost unbelievably lucky. Elly’s liberation was always a little emotional for me to hear. The memory of his fear for his father was still evident even as he would tell us with such joy, what a relief it was when the Americans came to Dachau. As he repeats in this book, his moment of liberation was when his nearly dead father, upon hearing about the American arrival, simply asked “Do you have the bread?” He had his priorities.
Elly’s story makes the difficulties of the aftermath of liberation very clear. Yes, they were free, but what were they supposed to do with themselves now? First, the family needed to find each other again and recover their physical health, then find a place to live, find some financial support, and find a way for Elly to finish his academic education. They could not bear to stay in Germany, so Elly and his family travelled a long way to find a new home in what is now Zimbabwe. They came to Canada later, in 1964, as the tensions of the South African apartheid were only getting higher.
“Life after liberation really did feel like, So now what? After about four and a half years, the war was finally over for us. I had just turned seventeen, I weighed seventy pounds, and I owned a soup bowl and a spoon.”
Elly is an engineer, and as he says his wife pointed out to him, he writes like one. Weaving emotion into his writing is not his greatest strength. Though, at times, this reads more like a history book than a memoir, I still enjoyed it. It’s lovely to read about how Elly and his family took back their lives and forged their own future. Elly’s many business adventures make me laugh. He is literally always doing business! He can’t help it!
One of the events Elly’s always sure to talk about in his presentations is the ‘Great Action’, the mass execution at the Ninth Fort outside the Kovno Ghetto where the Gotz family were living. The fate of Helmut Rauca is briefly mentioned in the book, but Elly could never disguise his frustration to us that Rauca essentially got away with murder. He came to Canada in 1950, became a citizen in 1956, and happily lived as a successful businessman until he was 73. Finally the Canadians realized who he was and extradited him from the country, returning him to West Germany, where he died of cancer before his case could be brought to trial. And Elly could have found him in the Toronto phone book years before that. He’s still a bit angry at the government about that.
Elly always makes sure to talk about Holocaust deniers, specifically Monika Schaefer of Alberta. Denial of the Holocaust makes him extremely upset, and rightfully so. He lived through the Holocaust, nearly died during it, and people are going around saying it was lies created by the Jews. What the heck!? He always talks about this near the end of his presentation so we can leave remembering the dangers of denial and how important it is to be kind to others. He always ends the presentation with the old Cherokee tale about the two wolves. I'll leave it to you to look that one up. It's very thoughtful and is a great way for Elly to end his story.
“My dear ones, if you only knew how many deaths, and how many types of deaths, were stalking us every day for the last four years, then you might understand my excitement today. And then you would also understand how much luck was required to crawl out of this bloodbath with life intact.” Excerpt from one of (Elly’s mother) Sonja Gotz’s beautiful letters to relatives in Southern Africa just after her reunion with her son and husband.
January 22, 2021
My Rating: 5 stars
"As the generation of Holocaust survivors and liberators dwindles, the torch of remembrance, of bearing witness, and of education must continue forward." - Dan Gillerman
- Usually in AP History for kids in my grade at my school, we have to read two books, since we're placed in the more advanced and quick-paced course. Due to the pandemic and our weird quad system, we've only been able to get one of them in (and only, like, half of our curriculum), and I'm sure glad that it was this one.
- This was such an inspiring book. Elly Gotz is a Holocaust survivor, put into Dachau when he was just 13. For five years, he was in a concentration camp, separated from all his family except for his father, just trying to survive. What amazes me is that, for the rest of the book, he maintained a fairly positive attitude about life. He even said at one part that he forgave the Germans, which is incredible to me. If I was in his position, I wouldn't have even come close to that.
- I cannot stress enough how good of a book this is. It's not too long, and it's not difficult to read, and although some parts are absolutely horrifying, it's not a gruelling read. It's pretty easy to fly by, and I was able to read a lot of it in small chunks of time.
- I still can't believe that I have the honour of meeting Mr. Elly Gotz tomorrow. He's truly inspirational - a hero. I'm very excited to meet him and hear more of his stories. And I'm truly amazed that he survived to tell them!
---
TW: anti-semitism, racism, homophobia, gore (not overly described), Nazis, the Holocaust, war, death, fighting
"As the generation of Holocaust survivors and liberators dwindles, the torch of remembrance, of bearing witness, and of education must continue forward." - Dan Gillerman
- Usually in AP History for kids in my grade at my school, we have to read two books, since we're placed in the more advanced and quick-paced course. Due to the pandemic and our weird quad system, we've only been able to get one of them in (and only, like, half of our curriculum), and I'm sure glad that it was this one.
- This was such an inspiring book. Elly Gotz is a Holocaust survivor, put into Dachau when he was just 13. For five years, he was in a concentration camp, separated from all his family except for his father, just trying to survive. What amazes me is that, for the rest of the book, he maintained a fairly positive attitude about life. He even said at one part that he forgave the Germans, which is incredible to me. If I was in his position, I wouldn't have even come close to that.
- I cannot stress enough how good of a book this is. It's not too long, and it's not difficult to read, and although some parts are absolutely horrifying, it's not a gruelling read. It's pretty easy to fly by, and I was able to read a lot of it in small chunks of time.
- I still can't believe that I have the honour of meeting Mr. Elly Gotz tomorrow. He's truly inspirational - a hero. I'm very excited to meet him and hear more of his stories. And I'm truly amazed that he survived to tell them!
---
TW: anti-semitism, racism, homophobia, gore (not overly described), Nazis, the Holocaust, war, death, fighting
November 19, 2024
Had the incredible opportunity to hear Elly speak. What a wonderful soul. His storytelling skills are phenomenal in this as well as in person.
June 10, 2021
- gives great insight as to what the Jewish community lived through during WW2
- really touching, because although Elly had lived through so much terror and violence he still found the will and energy to try and live his life to the fullest, which I think he achieved
- shines light on the fact that the people who suffered most during the war were not soldiers or politicians, but THE PEOPLE
- "To hate is like taking a poison and hoping the other will die."
- also there was an analogy about wolves at the end of the book:
"There is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. One wolf of anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is good. It's joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness and truth. Which wolf will win the battle, the good or the bad? The wolf you feed."
- really touching, because although Elly had lived through so much terror and violence he still found the will and energy to try and live his life to the fullest, which I think he achieved
- shines light on the fact that the people who suffered most during the war were not soldiers or politicians, but THE PEOPLE
- "To hate is like taking a poison and hoping the other will die."
- also there was an analogy about wolves at the end of the book:
"There is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. One wolf of anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is good. It's joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness and truth. Which wolf will win the battle, the good or the bad? The wolf you feed."
November 5, 2025
A touching story of a Elly and his father in a ghetto to a concentration camp. With amazingly humanizing jokes and emotional experiences that make the book a breeze to read.
Just for everything to crash as he leaves Europe and just brags about his ability to make buesniess, which really amounts to "you just have to scope out the local business, and give a strong handshake".
Just for everything to crash as he leaves Europe and just brags about his ability to make buesniess, which really amounts to "you just have to scope out the local business, and give a strong handshake".
October 6, 2021
What an inspiring memoir! Should be mandatory reading for all high schools. Teaches so much about resilience, overcoming adversity, living a life focussed on positives and not revenge.
December 15, 2022
Fascinating, surprisingly funny and insightful, Gotz' work helps to explain a world tragedy while instilling hope.
November 14, 2024
Well written memoir. Fast paced, easy to keep up with, well written, was never bored. A beautiful story of Holocaust survival, suitable for anyone who is interested.
March 8, 2024
Reread this because it was so impactful. Elly Gotz is an inspiration.
May 7, 2025
Beautifully written and an incredibly impactful read. I had the pleasure of Meeting Mr. Gotz and hearing him speak live. He is an amazing man with an amazing mission and outlook.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews