“The word mensch in German means ‘a human being.’ In Yiddish, the language of the Jews of Eastern Europe, with German and Slavic roots, the word mensch denotes something a little more. It means ‘a special, ideal human being: a person endowed with the finest attributes by Our Creator, including charity, kindness, tolerance, honesty, and love of mankind.’ It is up to each individual to develop his or her Menschlichkeit to the fullest.”
Dr. Alexander Białywłos-White,
Holocaust Memoirs: Be a Mensch. A Father’s Legacy
Alexander Białywłos (“White Hair” in Polish) was born in Krosno, Poland on June 4, 1923. He was a member of a rather large family including his maternal grandparents, Chaim and Mala Platner, many uncles and aunts, cousins, and siblings: sister Mania, and brothers Solomon and Heniek.
His parents, Mendel Białywłos and Leah Platner Białywłos owned and operated a glass glazing business out of their store located across the street from their residence.
Alexander had a good and full life for his first 16 years, until that fateful day of September 1, 1939 when Nazi German troops invaded Poland. Since Krosno was located not far from German-controlled Czechoslovakia, and it contained an airbase and rich oil deposits and drilling capacities, Nazi troops bombed and invaded Krosno soon after crossing the Polish border.
Like many of the approximately 2700 Jewish residents, his family fled east, but finding no place to hide, many, including his family, returned home.
By 1942, Nazi troops had killed most of the Jews in the area including many members of my maternal grandfather, Simon Mahler’s, family.
Near Krosno, Alexander’s mother, Leah, and sister, Mania, were taken and shot to death. His older brother, Solomon, was murdered in the nearby town of Jaslo. His eleven-year-old brother, Heniek, the Nazis transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and gassed.
Except for a small number of remaining Jews whom the troops crammed into a small ghetto in Krosno, most others were transferred to Belzec and Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration campus where only a very small handful survived.
Having technical and mechanical skills in glass making and repair, Alexander and his father, Mendel, were sent to the nearby airbase where they worked repairing German airplanes until December 1943, when the Nazis cleared out the ghettos, which included my maternal great-grandfather, Wolf Mahler, and sent most of the remaining Jewish residents to Krakow-Plaszow concentration camp just south of the town.
On May 7, 1944, German soldiers forced prisoners into a “Naked Parade” for selection either to be sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, or for only a few, to be shipped to work details somewhere under Nazi occupation.
Alexander’s father, Mendel, was selected for Auschwitz-Birkenau. In his book, Alexander wrote:
“‘If you survive and I hope you do, be a mensch,’ were the last words that my father said to me before he was led to the death train and disappeared forever. We were standing on the Appelplatz assembly place in the Concentration Camp Krakow-Plaszow one early morning in mid-May 1944. Moments later, in complete clarity about his fate, he would be led off to the box cars of the train that was to take him, and others selected by the Nazi doctor, to Auschwitz. There he would be murdered in the gas chambers.
“I tried to give him the only thing I had — a small piece of bread I carried with me — as an expression of hope for his survival, even in Auschwitz. He said, ‘You keep it. I will not need it anymore. I do not care to live. I have lost everything, and if I live another ten years, I will eat another ton of potatoes.’ He pushed the bread back to me. It was the last time I saw him.”
Though he can only speculate how it happened, Alexander somehow turned up as #269 on a list of about 1,100 Jews transported to the factory of Oskar Schindler (what became known as “Schindler’s List”).
Beginning in October 1944, Alexander and hundreds of other Jews worked at Schindler’s factory in Bruennlitz, which is today part of the Czech Republic. He often remembers Emilie Schindler, Oskar’s generous and compassionate wife, giving the workers extra food to keep their bodies and their spirits alive.
Rescue came on May 8, 1945 when the Russian army freed him and the others at the factory. Alexander immediately returned to Krosno to discover whether any family members had survived, only to find that only he, his Uncle Sam Białywłos, and his cousin Joseph Fruman had lived through the horrors.
Once back in Krosno, Alexander walked to the house owned by his parents where he grew up, but Polish people soon confiscated it after Nazis evicted Alexander and his family. Talking then with the current residents, one angrily quipped to Alexander: “Oh, we thought you would be dead by now and the Nazis had made you into soap.” He knew that Krosno was no longer his home.
He moved to Munich, Germany and lived there between 1945 and 1950 where he completed his high school and medical degrees. On June 8, 1950, he immigrated on the ship General Sturgis to the United States. He completed his medical internship in New York City, and he eventually moved to Chicago to begin his practice. Before this, he joined the U.S. Army and became a citizen.
In Chicago, he met the love of his life, Inez. They married and had three children: Denise (who now lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area), Julie (who now lives in San Francisco), and Les (who remained in Chicago). Alexander and Inez retired to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1998.
Alexander Białywłos-White represents one of those individuals whose indomitable and perennially optimistic spirit, humor, warmth, and light radiate from his very being illuminating all in his presence. He traveled around the U.S. and in Poland when requested to share his experiences as a Jew under Nazi oppression.
Alexander was someone whom I consider one of those rare individuals who exemplifies not only a true survivor, but even more importantly, one who has consistently taken every hurdle he has faced in stride leading the way with grace and dignity.
Alexander fulfilled his father’s request in becoming a true, compassionate, and courageous mensch, one who served as a positive role model to us all. He has dedicated his life to serving and healing the bodies of his patients, and to healing our world from the horrors of the past.
My heart was broken this week as Les sent out the news of his father’s passing at the age of 99. My sadness over losing my friend seems insurmountable. I was hoping this time would never come.
Alex had such a profound impact on me and so many others around the world. I know for certain his memory will be a blessing.
A video of Alex speaking about his experiences can be found on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=alexander+b.+white%2C+the+lesson+of+the+holocaust
***
You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project
Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: iStock