The Diary of Samuel Golfard and the Holocaust in Galicia

The Diary of Samuel Golfard and the Holocaust in Galicia presents the wartime writings of a Jewish man in Nazi-occupied Poland between 1941 and 1943. Golfard documented daily life, persecution, and resistance from his vantage point in the town of Peremyshliany. Lower combines Golfard's diary entries with historical context and research to create a complete picture of the Holocaust in this region. The work includes photographs, maps, and archival materials that establish the broader circumstances surrounding Golfard's personal account. Through Golfard's observations and Lower's scholarship, the book reconstructs Jewish community life before and during the Nazi occupation of Eastern Galicia. The text examines relationships between Jews, Ukrainians, and Germans, as well as the mechanisms of genocide at the local level. This work contributes to Holocaust scholarship by presenting both micro and macro views of the genocide - from intimate daily experiences to systematic destruction. The diary format captures the immediacy of events while revealing universal themes about human nature under extreme conditions.

Readers value this book as a firsthand account from a Jewish lawyer in Nazi-occupied Poland who documented daily life under German occupation until his murder in 1943. Reviewers note Lower's thorough research and context provided through annotations. Readers appreciate: - Detailed documentation of relations between Jews, Ukrainians, and Germans - Clear translation from the original Polish - Historical maps and photos included - Scholarly notes that explain local references Common criticisms: - Some find the academic analysis portions dry - A few readers wanted more background on Golfard's pre-war life Ratings: Goodreads: 4.5/5 (11 ratings) Amazon: 5/5 (2 ratings) Online reviewer comments highlight the diary's value as a Holocaust record: "Provides insight into the complexities of survival and resistance" and "Important addition to Holocaust scholarship documenting experiences in smaller Eastern European towns." Due to its niche academic focus, the book has limited reviews online but is cited frequently in Holocaust studies.

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🔷 Samuel Golfard wrote his diary on scraps of paper while hiding in a false wall in Peremyshliany, Ukraine during 1943, documenting both his personal struggles and the broader destruction of Jewish life in Galicia. 🔷 Author Wendy Lower is a prominent Holocaust historian who serves as the director of the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights at Claremont McKenna College and has written several acclaimed books about Nazi Germany. 🔷 The diary provides rare firsthand accounts of the complex relationships between Jews, Poles, and Ukrainians during the Holocaust, including both acts of betrayal and instances of rescue. 🔷 Before the war, Peremyshliany was home to approximately 5,000 people, nearly half of whom were Jewish; by 1944, only about 20 local Jews had survived the Holocaust. 🔷 The original diary was preserved by a Polish woman named Maria Strutyńska, who rescued Golfard's writings after his death and eventually deposited them with the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw.