The Süddeutsche Zeitung published today the remarkable story of Alex Kurzem, a young Jew from Belarus.
On October 20 1941 the Germans conquer Alex Kurzem’s village. They start killing Jews right away. His mother urges the then 5-year-old Alex to run away.
That night he decides to do exactly that.
For months he manages to survive on his own.
Finally he is betrayed and he is lined up in front of a school, together with others, to be executed by the SS.
Alex says to one of the officers: “Before you are going to kill me could you give me some bread.”
The officer takes him away, checks if Alex is circumcised and whispers: “Not good, not good.” (Nicht gut, nicht gut.)
Then this officer tells his fellow officers that Alex is a Russian orphan.
Maybe because Alex looks quite Aryan, maybe because of other reasons but they believe him.
The SS'ers give the young Alex a uniform, and even a weapon.
The “Wochendienst” –- a German news show on television -- describes Alex as the “youngest Nazi”. He comes in handy for propaganda purposes.
Later Alex is also used to calm down Jews before their deportation to Auschwitz or Majdanek.
He hands out chocolates to them before their departure.
I apologize to those of you who cannot read German; the link to the "Süddeutsche" is not going to be of much help, but the book by the son of Alex Kurzem, Mark Kurzem, about his father will be soon available in English: “The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood".