In March 1944, when the first Soviet liberator set foot on the grounds of Pechora — a Nazi death camp in Ukraine known commonly as the “dead loop” — 6-year-old survivor Aron Zusman locked eyes with the newcomer’s German shepherd. Zusman was sent to the camp at the age of four. Over the course of more than two years, Nazi guards had made a habit of sicking their own fearsome German shepherds on the young Jewish boy.
“One time, one of the Germans’ dogs locked her jaw around my neck. I was looking up at her, fearing that my mother’s heart would break,” Zusman told The Moscow Times in a phone interview on Monday. “Inexplicably, the dog then opened her jaws wide, letting me go. The Germans beat her horribly after that.” After all that he had been through, the sight of another German shepherd should have filled little Zusman with horror. It didn’t.
He looked up at the approaching Soviet soldier, and back down at the dog. He knew there was something different about this one. Zusman ran to the canine’s side, showering him with kisses and affection.
On Tuesday the international community honors International Holocaust Day. The holiday was established by the United Nations ten years ago, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi’s biggest death camp. This year’s commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation has so far been mired in political controversy, owing largely to diplomatic tension that appears to have inspired President Vladimir Putin to sit out this year’s memorial at the site of Auschwitz in Poland.
But Zusman’s story is a testament to the fact that personal conviction and courage in the face of insurmountable odds shine brighter than political tedium.
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INC News, 27/01/2015 - Via MoscowTime
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