Synopses & Reviews
In this remarkable, never-before-told account of the Ovitz family, seven of whose ten members were dwarfs, readers bear witness to the best and worst of humanity and to the terrible irony of the Ovitz's fate: being burdened with dwarfism helped them to endure the Holocaust. Through dogged research and interviews with the youngest Ovitz daughter, Perla, the troupe's last surviving member, and other relatives, Israeli authors Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev weave the tale of a beloved and successful family of performers who were famous entertainers in Central Europe until the Nazis deported them to Auschwitz in May 1944. Descending into the hell of the concentration camp from the transport train, the Ovitz's--known widely as the Lilliput Troupe--separated from other Jewish victims. When Josef Mengele was notified of their arrival, they were assigned better quarters and provided more nutritious food than other inmates. The authors chronicle Mengele's experiments upon the Ovitz's and the creepy fondness he developed for these small people, even the songs he composed and sang to this family of singers, dancers, and klezmorim. Perla explains the irony of their survival in the hell that was Auschwitz: "If I ever wondered why I was born a dwarf, my answer would have to be that my handicap ... was God's only way to keep me alive." Finally liberated by Russian troops, the family returned to their deserted village in Transylvania and eventually found their way to a new home in Israel. They resumed their careers, overcame their handicaps, and became wealthy and successful performers. A unique book that is a powerful testament to the human spirit, In Our Hearts We Were Giants is a triumphant tale thatno reader will forget.
Synopsis
Koren and Negev tell the story of a family of dwarves who were separated from other Nazi concentration camp victims only to be subjected to Joseph Mengele's experiments and the creepy fondness he developed for them. Photographs are included.