Last Sobibor survivor reveals buried Nazi atrocities
Yaakov Biskowitz embodied heroism both as a Holocaust survivor from the death camp in Poland and later as an Israeli police officer.
JNS - Jewish News Syndicate 1:40 PM
Yaakov Biskowitz’s remarkable story, a tale of survival and resilience, is now fully revealed through a virtual reality exhibit by the Israel Police Heritage Center and an upcoming academic article by Chief Inspector Dr. Yossi Hemi and archaeologist Dr. Yoram Haimi. As a young boy, Biskowitz endured Sobibor, one of three death camps established under “Operation Reinhard” to exterminate Polish Jews. Arriving in 1942 at age 15 with his family, he lost his mother and sister to the gas chambers immediately. His father, a carpenter, was selected for work, but Biskowitz witnessed his execution after typhus weakened him. Biskowitz himself survived an extraordinary one year and four months in the camp, far surpassing the typical two-month life expectancy.
On October 14, 1943, Biskowitz participated in the Sobibor revolt, later depicted in the film Escape from Sobibor. Jewish prisoners, anticipating the camp’s closure and their own elimination, organized a daring uprising. They lured SS officers with crafted items, killing 16 with axes and knives, including one stabbed by Biskowitz. The guards retaliated, killing hundreds, but Biskowitz miraculously escaped. Hiding in a shooting pit until midnight, he fled through barbed wire under gunfire, becoming the last Jew to leave Sobibor alive.
After escaping, Biskowitz joined the partisans, then the Polish army, where he faced antisemitism and a death sentence for desertion, later reduced to four months in prison. In 1947, he attempted to reach Palestine but was detained by the British in Cyprus. He immigrated to Israel in 1949, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and joined the police in 1952. His police career included roles as a patrol officer, traffic policeman, and embassy guard. In 1959, he heroically saved a man attempting suicide in Tel Aviv, suffering severe injuries himself.
Biskowitz kept his Holocaust experiences private until the 1961 Eichmann trial, where he testified in his police uniform. He presented a meticulously drawn map of Sobibor, which became the most detailed documentation of the camp and a key tool in exposing Nazi atrocities. This map later guided Dr. Haimi’s 2007–2021 archaeological excavations, which uncovered gas chambers, crematoria, and 220,000 artifacts, including jewelry and teeth, validating Biskowitz’s account.
Biskowitz married twice, had two sons, and retired from the police before passing away in 2002 at 76. His map’s significance emerged posthumously, aiding Haimi’s excavations and confirming Sobibor’s horrors. The Israel Police Heritage Center’s virtual reality exhibit now honors his legacy, while the forthcoming article, “Reassessment Based on Archaeological Excavations and Documentation as Tools for Reconstructing Sobibor Camp,” highlights his testimony’s impact. Biskowitz’s story, from surviving a death camp to shaping historical understanding, stands as a testament to courage syoung boy’s courage and the enduring power of memory.
Image - Police officer Yaakov Biskowitz testifies at the infamous Eichmann trial. Photo courtesy of the Israel Police
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