NOTE: The book uses the modern spelling of Kolomyya; however, during the Holocaust period the more common spelling was probably Kolomyja.
This is a review of the book written and published by Ariah Suchman on the Holcaust in Kolomyya from about September 1941 to March 1945. Mr. Suchman is a Holocuast survivor and provides the opportunity to learn about the times in Kolomyya. His lessons are vibrantly given from testimony of other survivors interviewed by Mr. Suchman and accompanied by many photographs of survivors, those who perished, homes and scenes in and around Kolomyya. Pictures of those who were the executioners, later labeled war criminals, are also included. The book describes one instance where such a war criminal escaped immediate detection after the war, lived another life completely in the open, and when finally identified as a missing war criminal, was too old to be prosecuted. Photographs and stories are included about a Gentile brother and sister who harbored 16 Jews in a bunker on their property during the Nazi occupation at great risk to their own lives. These two were later designated Righteous Gentiles by Yad Vashem.
The book consistes of 228 pages of text, photographs, and sketches. Pictures and discussions of the three ghettos that were setup in Kolomyya and how the Nazis set fires to destroy them are included. In addition to survivor testimonies the book contains a discussion of the Hassidic movement which originated in Kolomyya, and how some Kolomyya Jews survivved by taking on Gentile identities. The book describes how these Gentile-Jews lived and worked among the Germans.
The book also discusses how Communisim set out to destroy capitalism in Kolomyya. Many of the richest Jews were deprived of their properties and were sent off to Siberia. This action as terrible as it was, actually served to save the lives of these deported persons from later Nazi executions.
To make inquiries about the book, contact
Mr. Ariah Suchman P.O. Box 148 Ramat Gan 52101 Israel
Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006 Alan Weiser