Simon Malkes talks about Karl Plagge — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

Simon Malkes, who survived the H.K.P.camp in Vilna, with the assistance of Major Karl Plagge the camp commander, talks to Gilad Halperin in a radio interview about the "Vilna Schindler" who saved his life.

Hannuka at Beit Vilna

Last Monday, the 7/12/2015, a Hannuka party was held at Beit Vilna; the chief objective of the event was a memorial to Karl Plagge, A Righteous Among the Nations. The first part of the program was a get-together of members of the Association, many of whom are survivors of the Vilna Ghetto, together with the descendants of former residents of Vilna who came to live in Israel before the Holocaust. Mickey Kantor barely managed to find seats for everybody.  Then we lit the Hannuka candles and the Association's choir gave an enthusiastic rendition of Hannuka songs.

The second part of the program was a lecture by the guest of honor, Simon Malkes who survived the ghetto and was one of those rescued by Karl Plagge; he spoke in Yiddish about Karl Plagge and about what happened to him, personally, in the Vilna Ghetto.

Fifty-three years after his death Karl Plagge, a major in the German army during   World War Two and a member of the Nazi party, was recognized as A Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem.

Simon Malkes, who lives in Paris, wrote a book about Plagge and his own personal story while imprisoned in the ghetto. The book was written in French and translated into English and German. He travels the world telling his story and this time he came to Tel Aviv to tell his story to the members of the Association at Bet Vilna. A slight problem arose because Malkes spoke in Yiddish since he does not speak Hebrew. It was resolved when one of the older members sat with two younger members who do not speak Yiddish and simultaneously translated for them.

Malkes and his father managed to hide in one of the melinas in the H.K.P. However, his mother took ill and Plagge took her to hospital where she stayed until the city was liberated by the Red Army.

Written by Yossi Regev