פפיצ'ק: הוא לא ידע את שמו

by Yossi Sarid, יוסי שריד (Author's Hebrew name)

יוסי שריד ממלא בספר זה את תפקיד השליח, שליחו של פטר (פפיצ`ק), חברו ובן גילו. כאשר אמא של יוסי הוליכה אותו אל גן הילדים של הגננת רבקה המלאכית במושבה רחובות, הוליכה אמו של פטר הקטן אותו ואת אחותו התאומה אל גן הילדים המעונים של ד"ר מנגלה, מלאך המוות מאושוויץ ' בירקנאו. פטר-פפיצ`ק היה בן 4 כאשר ננעלו עליו השערים של מחנה ההשמדה, ובן 5 כאשר שבו השערים ונפתחו. הוא לא ידע את שמו, לא היה לו מושג מנין הוא בא ולאן הוא הולך. הספר הזה מתאר את מסעו הארוך של פטר אחר זהותו, שנמשך יותר מ-40 שנה, וספק אם כבר הגיע אל קיצו.

54 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Yossi Sarid (Hebrew: יוסי שריד‎) was an Israeli politician and news commentator. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment, Ratz and Meretz between 1974 and 2006. A former Minister of Education and Minister of the Environment, he led Meretz between 1996 and 2003 and served as Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. Known for his determined moral stance and his willingness to pay the political price for that determination, Sarid was often referred to as Israel's moral compass.

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of one of Mengele's twins in Auschwitz. He was only four when he entered the camp and later in life he could not recall his true identity. For less than 70 pages, this book packs a lot of power. In addition to "Pepiczek" it contains some testimonies from other camp survivors who knew him. And the author, Pepiczek's good friend, pitches in his own perspective as well.

[Richard Lowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pepiczek is an extraordinary and hauntingly rare account, offering a glimpse into a story that almost vanished with history. The book is a hidden gem, its scarcity a reminder of the devastating truth that so few children survived Auschwitz. Pepiczek’s survival, due to the fact that he was a twin and thus subjected to Josef Mengele’s experiments, is both horrifying and miraculous. What makes this book even more astonishing for me is the unimaginable odds of finding it—a story that Kalman himself had referenced many times but which I never thought I would encounter in such vivid detail.

Reading Pepiczek was an emotional experience. It not only highlighted the inhumanity of Mengele’s experiments but also gave voice to a four year old child’s perspective of the Holocaust—something so rarely preserved. The book carries an intimate, personal weight because of its connection to Kalman's recollections, bridging the gap between his memories and the larger, incomprehensible tragedy of Auschwitz. Pepiczek’s story is not just a testament to survival; it is a reminder of the fragility of memory and the importance of preserving even the most obscure narratives. For me, finding this book felt like discovering a missing piece of a puzzle I never thought could be completed. It’s a story that deserves to be shared, remembered, and honored for the unique insight it provides into a child’s survival amidst unimaginable darkness.

[Avital Gertner-Samet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unedited true account of the youngest boy on the notorious Mengele's barrack. Jozef Kleinman (Peter Greenfeld/Greenberg) was only 4 years old when he got separated from his mother, Helena and his twin sister, Marta, as he arrived at Auschwitz in April 1944 and taken to the barrack. This book is set to put his story on paper so we never forget the 4-year-old who was brutally exploited as a human lab-rat.

The book was quickly put together after the author's passing so it lacks structure and many details, yet it generally captures and conveys the main story.

This is a must read just so we never forget.