In the spring of 1943, all of you are arrested and deported to the labor camp at Plaszow, where you are required to work twelve hours a day to make clothing for the German army. Others slave in the limestone quarries; you are glad that you are, at least, spared that horror. To be assigned to the quarries is to be condemned to death.
The guards, some of the worst human beings imaginable, criminals and maniacs, take pleasure in whipping and torturing the prisoners for no apparent reason. Hunting Jews is their recreation. Some of them let vicious dogs attack inmates and laugh while the animals tear the men and women to pieces. Amon Gett, the camp commander, rides through the camp on a white horse, picking out people for execution as casually as if he were selecting fruit in a market. One day, he shot your father and eleven other men just for target practice — and you had to stand at attention and watch.
Although making clothing for the army is, of course, better than working in a quarry, conditions at Plaszow are still awful. You don't know how much more brutality you can witness without going mad. Escape seems the only possible solution. Then, you weigh the personal dangers you would face if you tried to escape. You also realize that escape means that Amon Gett will take brutal revenge on those who remain behind. You cannot take that responsibility. Yet you must consider your alternatives and make a decision.
If you decide to escape from Plaszow, continue to page 44.
If you choose to stay in the camp, continue to page 45.