The Boy From Block 66: A WW2 Jewish Holocaust Survival True Story

by Limor Regev

He has endured more than any child ever should, but now he must survive Block 66.

January, 1945 . 14-year-old Moshe Kessler steps off the train at Buchenwald concentration camp. Having endured the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, lost touch with his entire family, and survived the death march in the freezing European winter, he has seen more than his share of tragedy.

Moshe knows only one thing about Buchenwald. Everyone knows it.

If you want to survive, you have to get to Block 66.

The Germans are cruel and determined – but they are not prepared for Buchenwald’s secret resistance, which rises up with one mission only: to protect the camp’s children from harm.

This is the incredible true story of Moshe Kessler and Block 66 – the children’s block that was at the forefront of one of the most shocking and inspiring stories of Holocaust survival.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, History, World War II, Book Club, Memoir, War

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[Christine Carrier · Rating 5 out of 5]

True stories should always receive 5 stars. Especially stories told from the people who lived through and survived the Holocaust. My heart goes out to all of them for all they had to endure.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very moving and heartbreaking story of a boy growing up and the war’s effect on him both on the outside and inside of a concentration camp. I’ve read a lot of WWII books and always learn more with each one. We all need to understand our history and not try to erase it, but learn from it, for f we don’t it will repeat itself, as you can see with the Ukrainian/Russian atrocities going on now.

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I’ve been reading today is called “The Boy From Block 66” written by Limor Regev. Astonishingly, this book will stay with me for a long time. This author is a dedicated friend to Moshe and his family. This book and the movie are based on the first-hand accounts of the Holocaust. Moshe and his cousin Shani have survived three concentration camps by their wit and will and sometimes incredible good fortune. Antonin Kalina, he was a Czech Jew, he was a prisoner was involved with the underground movement, who they nicknamed him “Czech Schindlers” and Kalina manages to save 903 children from the block 66 from death marches. He was recognised name for Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. He died from cancer in 1990 at the age of 88. It was very emotional reading through the pain of Moshe, and other victims of other children, who lost childhood, loss of faith, & the countless losses too numerous to detail. I believe young, teens and adults should be required to read this in schools. Today, in our societies and communities, a lot of youth are so pampered and spoiled and it would be good for them to see how bad things can be and how good they have it. It shows what a human can endure and get through and still come out able to have a good life. As a result, what happened to him, Shani, and their families survived? You can decide

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understanding how the war impacted before and during the concentration camp for this young boy. “We were free but captive to the terrible sights we witnessed” I had never heard of this story until it popped up in my KU, it will stay with me a long time.

[Marianne Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another tragic story of a holocaust survivor who somehow managed to move forward with his life and prosper. Although the story is sad and touching, it’s not well written in that there are many times where things are repeated, and the story doesn’t seem to flow real well.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping story about how even in the presence of much evil, good shows up in unexpected places. I had never heard of Block 66, the place where 900 Jewish boys were saved from certain death during World War II in Buchenwald concentration camp. A Czech prisoner of war, Antonin Kalina, took a great risk in protecting these young Jews by forming this special block. A powerful quote near the end of the book throws light on this, "It was there I saw how the good in man defeats the evil, and how one person’s courage can affect the fate of hundreds of children."

Moshe Kessler, one of the young rescued boys, shares his story and the horrors that he saw. He reflects after his release, "We were free but captive to the terrible sights we had witnessed, which would accompany us all our lives." But in amazing ways these boys, girls, men and women rebuilt their lives.

At times Kessler opens up about the doubts that arise in his heart about his faith. How God could allow these atrocities to happen? When Kessler grew up de didn't quite abandon his faith but he also didn't embrace it either, until years later when his mother passed away. He writes, "I realized that the only way I could preserve the memory of my childhood home - my father and brother, and now my mother as well - was to keep alive the embers in whose light I had initially grown up. I went back to praying in the mornings, going to synagogue on Saturdays and holidays, and believing in the importance of keeping the commandments. I felt I was coming home."

While I was reading this book I was also reading, The Handbook on the Pentateuch, by Victor Hamilton. In his insightful book he reflects on the unusual structure of the book of Numbers. One can't help but notice that inserted in the middle of the narrative in Numbers are the laws about the daily sacrifices, weekly sabbaths, monthly special days and yearly festivals. Then the narrative continues after this break. What is going on? Hamilton explains that this arrangement offers a powerful message. In the middle of the narrative of our lives is an anchor for us. As we encounter God in the daily, weekly, and monthly holy days we find where we belong. Kessler called it "coming home."

[Jill Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me glued to the pages to find out what he went through. The beginning of the book talks a lot about his life and family, which is important for the background of his story. I have never read a book that had so much detail about this boy's harrowing experiences in different parts of the camp. The detail of his accounts had me turning page after page and imagining what his horrible experience was like. He is lucky to be alive....

[Kristen Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for every high schooler. Limor and Moshe took me on a journey full of emotions. While this is an incredibly heavy subject, it is a beautifully written true story of survival and overcoming real oppression. Moshe is an inspiration, and his story will live on as long as we continue to share it with our younger generations.

[Gladys Drybred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though you think you know about the Holocaust you really know nothing until you read this book. It is well written and easy to read. Very memorable and will not be easily forgotten

[Rebecca Stapleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any Holocaust survivor story is a moving story and this is no exception.

[Ieva Valentinavičiūtė · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is both heartbreaking and informative—definitely worth the read! It tells the true story of a 13-year-old Czech Jewish boy and his fight for survival. The narrative follows his life before, during, and after World War II, highlighting not only the physical consequences of the Holocaust but also the deep psychological impact and the immense challenges he faced.
While the book could have been edited slightly better, the story itself is powerful.

[Eloïse Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking reality of a boy who survived the Auschwitz concentration camps. This is a must read, educational book about the heartbreaking history of Europe…

We learn about the war in school and I have visited Auschwitz myself but it is hard to fully understand and wrap your head around what happened in these camps. This book allows the reader to connect to and visualise the reality. It educates the reader towards the build up to the war, living through the war as a Jewish boy and continuing with life after the war.

[Tripp]

[Julia Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a harrowing story of a thirteen-year-old boy's experience of the Holocaust. Moshe's survival in Auschwitz and Buchenwald tears at the heart, especially as he's separated from his mother and younger brother. This story is not as graphic as some I've read and I think Moshe did this on purpose. I believe his aim was to tell the human side of the Holocaust; of loss and grief and how a person can never really recover from such trauma. Since I have a grandson of Moshe's age when he entered Auschwitz, it did make me catch my breath. He describes the courage of those in the camp who risked their own lives to save others and he also describes the disdain and cruelty of lifelong neighbours who turned on his family.
A well deserved five stars.

[Anne Barclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried reading this book how could people treat other human beings so cruelly and all because of their religion.

[Casey Rioux · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

[Michael Hoelke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, great personal journey, narrative format wasn’t for me.

[Andrea Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel horrible rating this 2*, because the story is obviously horrible. The book isn’t well written and things are repeated multiple times.

[el_paraiso_en_letras Fani. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Durante los últimos meses de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Moshe Kessler, un niño judío de catorce años, llega al campo de concentración de Buchenwald tras sobrevivir a Auschwitz y a la marcha de la muerte.

Allí es enviado al Bloque 66, un barracón especial donde un grupo de prisioneros organiza una red secreta para proteger a los niños del exterminio.

Basada en hechos reales, El niño del bloque 66 es una historia sobre el horror, pero también sobre el valor, la esperanza y la humanidad que resiste incluso en los lugares más oscuros.
·
Nos encontramos con otra historia más de la segunda guerra mundial pero contada desde un punto de vista que no conocía y que incluye la resistencia secreta de Bunchenwald que tenía como objetivo proteger a los niños.

Hay una fuerza especial es esta lectura: no se trata solo del horror vivido, sino de niños obligados a crecer antes de tiempo. Me estremecí en las páginas, sintiendo la ira, el frío y la valentía de quienes no tenían derecho a decidir su destino. Y como siempre que las historias hablan sobre niños todo se vuelve más duro y te rompe por completo.

Las vidas que aquí se cruzan (las de Moshe y las de los que lo rodean) se convierten en retratos de lo que puede hacer el ser humano cuando se aferra a la vida con uñas y dientes. Esta novela no deja que olvidemos que quienes son útiles, viven y que quienes pierden su utilidad, se hacen prescindibles.

No es un libro fácil de leer. Exige que abramos los ojos y que recordemos. Me parece un libro muy necesario.

ENCONTRARÁS:
🕯️ Coraje
🌍 Inocencia perdida
📖 Historia de supervivencia y memoria
💔 Un testimonio necesario

Si buscas una lectura que te remueva por dentro, que te recuerde que la vida, aun en las peores circunstancias puede brotar de la esperanza, este libro es para ti.

[Vanessa Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moshe is the most inspiring person I have ever read about. He made a last minute decision to separate from his mother and little brother that he would later learn saved his life as a 13yr old boy. He then experienced a whole year and half of horrific living conditions, abuse, labor, and starvation in three different concentration camps. All while never knowing his other family members fate. I can’t even wrap my mind around how he ever mentally survived this. This author wrote his story so well and it will be one that stays with me for a long time. I loved all the pictures that were included to help make it more real. The two that made me the most emotional were the one of his kids and grandkids going back with him to the gates of Buchenwald camp when he was 91, and the final picture of him and his best friend Shani in 2020 and their ID numbers tattooed on them upon entering camp. At the end the author wrote how as of 2024 Moshe was 93yrs old and swims twice a week. 🥹🥹🥹 Angel. What a hero!

“75 years after the end of the war, we still bear the ID numbers the Germans tattooed on our forearms. Two teenagers with two numbers that have joined us in a bond forever. A-4913 / A-4914”


“Although my mind has recovered, one wound remains open: the forced, quick and cruel parting from my childhood and my innocence. From the warmth of Mother’s protective embrace on the pier in Birkenau, I was thrust into an altered, adult reality. It was almost impossible to preserve the belief I had held as a child, in God, in the world, and in humankind. Over the years since the war, I have had to call on strong mental reserves to deal with the deep sense of deprivation of having my childhood stolen from me.”

[Joy BookLover · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️

Leggo libri su questo argomento da anni: attraverso questi libri e queste testimonianze la voce delle vittime e dei sopravvissuti non sparisce nelle pieghe del tempo.
Purtroppo è la prima volta che non ho apprezzato del tutto il libro, forse la modalità di scrittura, a volte ripetitiva, a volte poco profonda e poco dettagliata non mi ha permesso di gradire la testimonianza preziosissima di Moshe.

“I nazisti erano riusciti a sopprimere il desiderio innato di indipendenza nella psiche umana e a spegnere dentro di noi l’impulso a reagire e a batterci per la libertà. Avevamo tutti sviluppato la tendenza alla passività, lottavamo fondamentalmente solo per mantenerci in vita, corpo e anima.”

“I tedeschi erano riusciti a fare comportare molti di noi come bestie e non come esseri umani, nella lotta per la sopravvivenza.”

““Io non sono più capace di piangere” bisbigliai, un pó a me stesso, un pó a lei.
Non riuscivo a ricambiare l’amore che mia madre voleva così fortemente da me. Le mie emozioni erano morte là, sulla banchina di Birkenau, nel momento in cui ero rimasto solo, unico responsabile del mio destino.”

[Valeria Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We were free but captive to the terrible sights we had witnessed, which would accompany us all our lives." This is Moshe Kessler's story. A boy growing up in Hungary (and back and forth as Czechoslovakia), an observant Jew surrounded by a large loving family. In 1944 Hitler had all Jews removed from Hungary to concentration camps. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, Moshe at 13 and 1/2 is immediately separated from his family. Moshe survives Auschwitz and then Buchenwald. When Buchenwald was liberated he weighed 77 pounds. Moshe's struggles after liberation are very honest and compelling - loss of family, loss of country, loss of faith.
His trauma is very well told in this unflinching and forthright story. A friend of his daughter, Limor Regev got Moshe to tell his story.
Told in an unembellished way, Block 66 is as heartbreaking as you would expect. The hatred, violence, brutality, and viciousness of the Nazis we have come to know. It is the hatred and apathy of neighbors, their willful blindness to what was happening exposed in this book that is so disturbing. It isn't that Hitler ordered 6 million Jews to be murdered; it is that Germans and others thought it was ok to do so.

[Mermaidka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kniha vypráví (spíše) dukumentární formou cestu Mošeho během 2. SV a holocaustu. Zvěrstva nacistů z pohledu třináctiletého chlapce, kterého při první selekci na rampě v Birkenau zachránila lež o jeho skutečném věku. Nečetlo se mi to dobře, a tentokrát to nebylo jen díky tématu, ale také z toho důvodu, že mi kniha a její písemná forma nesedly, ale cítila jsem, že je potřeba se tímto "svědectvím" prokousat. Jelikož tyhle silné a hrůzné příběhy by se měly číst a jejich "odkaz by se měl předávat dál.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first 70 or so pages was full of historical content and it also explained Moshe's memories and traditions as a young boy. But when I got to the part when he was deported to a concentration camp, it got so much better! The best part of the book was when Moshe and his friend Shani hid under the floorboards of Buchenwald, and hid there for days until it was liberated. I think this is a helpful book for people who want to understand World War 2 more - like me!😂😀

[Lingling Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always feel a little off rating first hand account Holocaust stories but I just wanted to say this was a really powerful one.

It showed hope, courage, faith, and kindness while also describing the great and vast horrors of the Holocaust and camps. It also expressed the importance of the state of Israel after.

This was my first time hearing of Kalina’s children and I loved his impact. It was also a tear jerking surprise to hear that Moshe prayed on Passover because of a prayer book smuggled into the camp by Eli Weisel…Kalina was responsible for the survival of now two of my favorite Holocaust survivor stories. I recommend this to everyone

[Nicki Thoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a harrowing read, but well worth reading. This follows Moshe's story through world war two. After everything that he experienced, he still remained resilient and survived the traumatic experience.

[Connie Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty heart wrenching. I skimmed a lot. It was memoir and it was a little slow. His memories of Auschwitz started at 13 1/2 when he was hauled away with his mom and brother. His narrative of the trains and the camps…. So awful he was in his nineties when this was written

[Andrea Volinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Ellen bransford · Rating 5 out of 5]

one man’s story

This was a quick and informative read of the life of Moshe Kessler before, during, and after the Holocaust. He is a strong and brave man and I am glad to have met him through his inspiring story.

[Kelly Kathleen]

I feel like I can’t rate/review true stories. Wow, what a story.