Historical Notes From “The Boy From Block 66”
The 2021 book THE BOY FROM BLOCK 66 by Limor Regev — told as a first-person account from child survivor Moshe Kessler — included many historical facts that may not be widely known.
Here are some notes:
- “The annexation of the Sudetenland by Germany in 1938 prompted Hungary to take action and it demanded to take back sovereignty over the territories taken from it in World War I. In the arbitration agreement that took place in Vienna, they made a decision to return Carpatho Russia and other territories to Hungary.” (Page 47)
- “In early 1939, unimpeded, Hungary annexed one-third of the area of Czechoslovakia, including Carpathian Russia — our area — and regained all the territories it had lost in World War I. Without a single bullet fired, the Czechoslovakian country in which I was born disintegrated and virtually ceased to exist.” (Page 48)
- “In 1941, the [Hungarian] authorities conducted a census. In 1942, based on the census date, the Hungarian authorities required the Jews of the area to show documented proof that their forebears had been residents of Hungary in 1855. Those who did not possess such proof were subject to deportation to the east — to Poland.” (Page 51)
- “Sundays in all the Auschwitz camps were days off form work, and every Sunday we would go through the nightmare of hair removal with scissors, dull razors and various hair clippers. They made sure to remove all the hair from our heads, face and entire body. When the ‘rest day’ was over, they had us line up to present our ‘Auschwitz Shaves.'” (Page 116)
- “At the end of October, the prisoners’ uniforms were exchanged for ones from thicker cloth, and old, worn sweaters and jackets taken from the Jewish suitcases were distributed. Unfortunately, in the fall of 1944, at the period when we were incarcerated in Buna [Auschwitz 3, known as Buna-Monowitz], no distribution of winter clothing was made because the warmer uniforms were completely worn out and unsuitable for use. We had to remain with the summer uniforms even during the freezing cold winter. Only a few inmates managed to provide themselves with a slightly warmer sweater or jacket.” (Page 118)
“On the day of the liberation of the [Buchenwald) camp, I was 14 and a half and weighed about 35 kilograms [approximately 77 pounds]. I felt like I had been born twice. The first time on September 21, 1930. The second time on April 11, 1945. Along with me, another 903 children were reborn: my friends in Block 66.” (Page 163)