Jacob's Rescue facts for kids
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| Author | Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin |
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| Publisher | Yearling |
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Publication date
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1993 |
| ISBN | 978-0-440-40965-6 |
Jacob's Rescue is a children's book from 1993, written by Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin. It tells a powerful true story set during The Holocaust in Warsaw, Poland. The book is about a brave Polish family who risks everything to save Jacob and his brothers from the terrible dangers of the Nazis. It shows what life was like during one of the hardest times in history. The story begins in the present day when Jacob's daughter asks about the Holocaust, making Jacob remember his past.
The author, Michael Halperin, discovered this amazing story from two brothers who survived the Holocaust. A kind Catholic Polish family, the Roslans, kept them safe for over four years. They hid the brothers from the Nazis and from people who might have helped the Nazis. After World War II ended, Jacob and David were reunited with their father. He had moved to a place called Palestine.
Jacob later earned a high degree from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. David also earned a high degree in math from the University of California, Berkeley, and then returned to Israel. The Roslan family, Alex and Mela, were honored for their bravery. They have a garden planted in their honor at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
Contents
The Story of Jacob's Rescue
The book tells the story of Jacob Gutgeld, a young boy struggling to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto. This was a part of the city where Jewish people were forced to live by the Nazis. One day, a Polish family, the Roslans, bravely rescue Jacob from the ghetto.
Life with the Roslans
Jacob faces many challenges while living with the Roslans. He is later reunited with his uncle, who can pass as non-Jewish. Jacob's uncle asks the Roslans to take in Jacob's younger brother, Sholom. Sholom has been badly treated and is very weak and thin.
Soon after Sholom arrives, the family gets scarlet fever, a serious illness. Jacob and the Roslan daughter, Mela, get sick but recover. However, the Roslan son, Yurek, becomes very ill and has to go to the hospital. Sholom's condition is also very serious because he is already so weak. He cannot go to the hospital because he might be discovered as Jewish. Jacob's uncle, who is a doctor, does his best to treat Sholom at home.
Facing More Dangers
While Jacob and the Roslan children recover, Sholom's health gets worse. His body starts to shut down. One night, he wakes up with a very high fever. After getting some water, he sadly dies in Alex Roslan's arms.
Not long after, Jacob gets a bad ear infection, a side effect from his scarlet fever. The Roslans are forced to sell their apartment to get money. They need this money to pay for a life-saving surgery for Jacob.
New Arrivals and Tragedies
After the rest of Jacob's family dies in the ghetto, his uncle brings Jacob's other brother, David, to live with the Roslans. The uncle believes it is only a matter of time until he is caught by the Nazis. He wants to make sure David is safe with the kind Roslan family.
Later, news of a Russian counterattack against the Germans reaches the Roslan home. Yurek, the Roslan son, rushes out to celebrate. Sadly, he is killed by a German sniper.
Escape and Freedom
Eventually, Warsaw becomes too dangerous. The Roslan family decides to leave the city. They go to live with Mela's brother in the countryside, a place where there are no Germans. They stay there for the rest of the war until Poland is freed.
Near the end of the story, Russian soldiers march through the town. One soldier enters the house where the family is staying. He and Jacob hug each other. They both realize they are Jewish.
After the War
After the war ends, the family travels to Berlin. They hope to find any surviving family members for Jacob and David. They find their father, who had fled Poland for Palestine before the war. Jacob and David are sent to live with him. Even though they prefer the Roslans, who took care of them during such dangerous times, they go to live with their father.
