Survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution
Hidden in a Sack: Joseph Schleifstein’s Miracle Survival in Buchenwald
10m
On April 8, 1945, desperate prisoners at Buchenwald sent a secret SOS to the approaching U.S. Army, pleading for rescue before the SS could destroy them. Three days later, American troops liberated the camp and found over 21,000 survivors — among them a 4-year-old boy with tear-filled eyes and a wooden scooter. His name was Joseph Schleifstein.
Smuggled inside the camp by his father in a sack to escape death, Joseph became the youngest known survivor of Buchenwald. His story of innocence amid horror, survival against all odds, and reunion with his family stands as a powerful reminder that even in humanity’s darkest hour, life could still prevail.
Up Next in Season 1
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