Holocaust survivor Paul Argiewicz shows students at Riverview School his concentration camp tattoo number.
Paul Argiewicz, a Paddock Lake resident and Holocaust survivor, shared his story of survival and living by his wits with upper grades students at Riverview School in Silver Lake on Tuesday faternoon.
Also appearing was Deanne Joseph Ebner, author of the book Number 176520: The Story of Paul Argiewicz—A Teenage Holocaust Survivor.
Argiewicz told a compelling story of how he survived as a Jew in Poland by using his wits, making friends with the right people and lying about his age several times when his very life was at stake.
(For videos of Argiewicz telling his story from an appearance in 2010 click here.)
After telling his story for nearly 40 minutes, Argiewicz patiently answered questions from the students on a variety of topics.
Here are some of the highlights of what Argiewicz said:
On waiting the end of World War II: “I prayed for only one thing — for God to bring this to an end.”
On death marches his German captors forced him and others to take as the war began to turn against them: “When you couldn’t walk, you were shot.”
On hunger during the march and while in camps: “People became cannibals. They were eating bodies to survive.”
On the German SS: “They weren’t soldiers, they were just plain murders. with no humanity…”
On why he kept searching for family members right after the war ended: “I had a feeling in my heart that somebody had to survive.”
On seeing his sister Lucy (who now lives in Sheboygan) when he found her in the eastern zone of Czechoslovakia: She looked straight in my face. I knew she didn’t recognize me. After a while I said ‘Honey, I am you brother’ … I can’t describe to you the feeling.”
On eventually coming to the United States: “You don’t klnow the feeling, coming to America, what it means standing in front of the Statute of Liberty.”
On his feeling for the United States: “A lot of people say how bad it is here. I say, where is it better? I love my country.”
His advice to the students: “Don’t follow the losers … rub elbows with the achievers.”
Deanne Joseph Ebner (left) who wrote the book "Number 176520: The Story of Paul Argiewicz—A Teenage Holocaust Survivor" appeared with Argiewicz Tuesday at Riverview School.
This is one powerful piece…..what an education for those children (and anyone who reads the story)! Very moving to read the part about his reuniting with his sister, who didn’t recognize him.