Europa Europa

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I was born on April 20, 1925,|in Peine...

Germany, Europe...

the fourth child|of Azriel Perel...

a shoe store owner,|and his wife Rebecca.

I was born on April 20, 1925,|in Peine, Germany, Europe.

You won't believe it...

but I remember my circumcision.

My God,|God of our forefathers...

Let this child live...

...this child...

Solomon.

Solomon, son of Azriel.

I remember that my birthday|fell on the same day...

as that of the future Chancellor|of the Thousand-year Reich...

Adolf Hitler.

Maybe Father wanted to|shave his beard.

Not now he won't.

Come on, catch me!

Solly!

Hurry up!

What are you doing?

Come on out!|Is it your Bar Mitzvah or mine?

You have to cut wood.

Sure, right away.

Bertha was always jealous of me.|She wanted to be the boy.

Had I known,|I'd have leaped out of the tub.

Can't we close up?

In half an hour.

Out with the Jews!

Kathy!

What are you doing here?

And you?

I brought the beer.

They broke|all your windows, right?

Get me some clothes|from my house.

My father's forbidden|my going to your house.

Wait!

Here you are.

Isaac was looking for you.

My father was born in Lodz...

so we moved there.

He got us Polish passports|and said that now we were Poles.

I knew the Germans had|killed Bertha...

but I didn't want|to go to Lodz.

Police!

We lived above a movie house.|The cashier, Miss Basia...

made me her pet...

and let me in for nothing.

I wanted to be an actor...

Like Clark Gable|or Eugeniusz Bodo.

I wondered whether her hump|was flesh or bone.

When the war broke out,|I was glad.

Now the police would forget|about the bicycle incident...

and Father wouldnt get angry.

Don't open the door!

Please don't!

David!

Have you deserted?

I never even found my unit.

It's incredible. They didn't|even give me a rifle.

The can't spare any|for distribution to Jews.

The Germans will win.

In a day or two,|they'll march in here.

It's your fault!

You said|we'd be safe here...

and that they wouldnt dare|start this war.

Yes, yes, it's my fault.

The boys must leave.

Solly must not fall|into their hands.

Where should they go?

East.

As far east as possible.

They could have asked us.

It is written...

that a son never leaves|his parents in difficult times.

It is also written...

that the son|must obey his parents.

And it is also your duty|to watch over your brother.

And you?

Couldn't we all go?

Nothing will happen to us.

Stop it!

They can't lug|all these jars.

Come. We'll be back soon.

Isaac, my foot hurts!

Come on, Solek.|There's a war on!

Solek!

Wait for me!

Wait for me|on the other side.

Don't be afraid!

Where are you going?|The Bolsheviks are there!

The Russian army!

They invaded us|from the other side.

They made a deal!|Hitler has a pact with Stalin...

and gave him the East!|There's no more Poland!

It's the Soviet occupation.

Wait!|I'm coming back with you!

The Poles preferred Hitler|and wanted to turn back.

The Jews swam|toward the Bolsheviks.

And I...

Help!

Take it easy!

I was saved|by a Russian soldier.

The next day I sat on the bank,|waiting for my brother, Isaac.

But he never came.

They took me to the orphanage|in Grodno...

where I stayed two years...

with other Jews,|Poles, and Russians.

I was turned into a Soviet|patriot and a good Communist.

Young pioneers...

for the struggle in the name|of Lenin and Stalin...

be prepared!

Always prepared!

Long live comrade Stalin!

Long live...

the Soviet Republic!

From your father?

Yes. He's a prisoner|of the Russians.

Solomon Perel!

Thanks to the Hitler-Stalin|pact, I could receive letters.

My father wrote...

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