Solomon Perel, a Jewish boy, was born in 1925 in Germany. As the Nazi regime rose to power, Solomon's family fled to Poland, but he and his brother were forced to escape to the Soviet Union. After Germany invaded Poland, Solomon found himself a refugee again and was forced to hide his Jewish heritage. He joined the Vermont Army, claiming to be an ethnic German, and later attended a Hitler Youth boarding school. Despite the constant fear of being discovered, Solomon formed friendships and even fell in love with a young BDM girl. He survived the war and eventually learned the truth about his family's fate, including the tragic loss of his parents and sister in the Holocaust. After the war, Solomon reunited with his surviving brother in Palestine and later published his acclaimed autobiography, detailing his unique experiences during the war.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Solomon Perel was born in Pina, Germany on April 21, 1925.
2. Solomon's family was Jewish and lived in Germany during the rise of the Nazi party.
3. In 1933, Solomon was 8 years old when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.
4. Solomon's parents were forced to close their shoe shop due to Nazi persecution.
5. In 1935, Solomon was expelled from school due to the Nuremberg racial laws.
6. In 1936, Solomon's family fled to Poland to escape Nazi persecution.
7. In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and Solomon's family was forced to go into hiding.
8. Solomon's parents decided to send him and his brother Isaac to escape to the Soviet-Polish border.
9. Solomon joined the Russian army and later became a member of the Hitler Youth in order to survive.
10. Solomon spent two years in an orphanage in the Soviet Union, where he learned Russian and joined the Communist youth group.
11. In 1941, Solomon's unit was captured by the Nazis, and he was forced to hide his Jewish identity.
12. Solomon was sent to a Hitler Youth boarding school in Brunswick, where he spent three years.
13. Solomon was forced to attend indoctrination classes and participate in public showers, where he had to hide his circumcision.
14. Solomon fell in love with a young BDM girl named Lenny, but had to keep his Jewish identity a secret.
15. In 1943, Solomon visited the ghetto where his parents had been held, but was unable to find out what had happened to them.
16. In 1944, the outcome of the war was clear, and the Allies were advancing on Germany.
17. Solomon was sent to help destroy enemy tanks, but was captured by the Americans and released.
18. After the war, Solomon learned that his parents and sister had not survived the Holocaust.
19. Solomon's brother Isaac and his wife were alive and living in Munich, and his brother David had escaped to Palestine.
20. Solomon published his autobiography, which was later developed into the film "Europa Europa".