Study title

The Nazi Germans used Izbica, the Polish village where Philip Bialowitz was born, as a transitory ghetto for Jews on their way to the destruction camps in Eastern Poland. In Izbica Philip Bialowitz survived a fire squad as a young boy. He was deported to Sobibor in 1943 and selected for forced labour upon arrival. Philip's elder brother, Simkha, took care of him wherever possible. Philip was involved in the revolt and was assigned by its leader as a messenger who had to draw the Germans' attention and bring them to a place where they could be killed.After the revolt Philip, who was almost eighteen by then, managed to flee and to find a hiding place with a Polish family who hid him and his brother in a barn. He did not want to stay in Poland after the war because of anti-Semitism. He emigrated to the United States after having stayed in two refugee camps (for Displaced Persons) in Germany.Philip feels obliged to keep the reality and horrors of Sobibor in remembrance. He often gives lectures and he told the story of his life in a book, "A Promise at Sobibor: A Jewish Boy’s Story of Revolt and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Poland."Please go to the interview on Getuigenverhalen.nl by following the link in 'Relations'. Here you will find the interview with extra functionalities like subtitles and a search engine.--- Description in Dutch ---De geboorteplaats van Philip Bialowitz, het Poolse plaatsje Izbica, wordt door de nazi-Duitsers gebruikt als doorgangsgetto van Joden naar vernietigingskampen in Oost-Polen.Philip Bialowitz overleeft als jonge jongen een vuurpeloton in Izbica. In 1943 wordt hij gedeporteerd naar Sobibor en bij aankomst geselecteerd om te werken. Philips’ oudere broer Simcha ontfermt zich waar mogelijk over hem. Philip is betrokken bij de opstand en wordt door de leiders aangewezen als boodschapper om de aandacht van Duitsers te trekken en hen naar plekken te leiden alwaar ze gedood kunnen worden.Na de opstand weet de bijna achttienjarige Philip te...