THEIR BROTHERS' KEEPERS

Pogroms against Jews under the Third Reich called forth both heroism and ingenuity in rescue minded Christian saboteurs. (The author's wife, daughter and sister were among 50,000 Polish Jews who were purged.) Those extending succor contended not only with Nazi wrath but with anti-Semitic informers, who bartered knowledge of the hiding places of the refugees for 10 pounds of sugar and a pint of vodka. Redeeming their avarice were the works of humanitarians like Anna Simaite, the Lithuanian woman who requested permission to retrieve books borrowed by incarcerated Jews. Thus she gained admittance behind the barbed wire of the ghetto at Vilna to arrange rescue, concealment and forged documents. Protestant and Catholic clergy denounced the methodical extermination of 6,000,000 people. Children were concealed in garbage pails. Often the rescuers themselves were on short food rations. If a ""guest"" were will, died or gave birth, concealment became more difficult. Introduction is by Rev. John O'Brien, S.J. This is the record of a phalanx of Christians in Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, France, Italy, Hungary and Eastern Europe who defied Gestapo truncheons to be their brothers' keepers. Fully documented addition to material which has not been treated before in this way.