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Evil Encounters

Two outstanding programs
at the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival

HMC to make a video about vet's
experiences in Nuremberg.

Monday, April 28, 5 p.m.

Reporting on The Times:
The New York Times and the Holocaust

Berl Falbaum
I Special to the Jewish News

Inspired by the bestselling book Buried by The Times, this
film considers the role of the press, identity, power and
the Holocaust.

The Upside Down Book

Filmmaker Hinda Mandell goes in search of the original
owners of her family's copy of Mein Kampf, a decision that
will turn her life upside down.

■ Followed by a dinner and panel discussion with film-
makers Emily Harrold and Hinda Mandell, moderated
by Cheryl Chodun.

Monday, May 5, 5 p.m.

No Place on Earth

In a cave in Ukraine, explorer Chris Nicola finds a comb and
buttons. This leads to his uncovering the remarkable true
story of a group of Jews who hid there, for more than 500
days, in an effort to escape the Nazis.

NO PLACE ON EARTH

■ Followed by a talk-back with Chris Nicola.

TICKETS

Monday, April 28

Film screenings, dinner and panel discussion: $28

Film screenings only: $12

Advance registration for films + dinner/discussion
package required by April 25.

Monday, May 5

Film screening and talk-back: $12

To purchase tickets, please visit theberman.org or call 248.661.1900.

Box office service charges included in prices.

JP.A i3
THE CENT- ER

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
6600 W. Maple Road • West Bloomfield, MI 48322
www.jccdet.org

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14 April 24 • 2014

Di

W

W II veteran Dr. Henry
Malec of Plymouth has an
interesting story to tell,
and the Holocaust Memorial Center in
Farmington Hills plans to videotape it for
posterity.
World War II was barely over when
19-year-old Pfc. Henry Malec found him-
self guarding the most notorious mass
murderers the world had ever known.
Malec's military trek had taken him to
the front lines, where he was wounded in
the Battle of the Bulge. After he recovered,
he was sent back to the front before being
attached to the 26th Regiment, Company
B. When Germany surrendered, he was
assigned to guard duty at the Palace of
Justice, the Nuremberg prison taken over
by the Americans after their victory over
Germany. That prison housed many close
confidantes of Adolf Hitler.
"I was young but I knew these were
important prisoners:' said Malec, who
is now 88. "I concluded that when I got
home, no one would believe that I guard-
ed these men. I needed proof, so I decided
to get their signatures.
"I knew these guys had big egos and
probably would not object. And I was
right. I gave them German money —
paper money — which was worthless for
them to sign:'
Indeed, each of the prisoners responded
without a word of protest, and Malec now
has five signatures which he realizes have
historic significance. They include:
• Karl Donitz, a Nazi naval leader,
known best for his command of Germany's
submarine force, and the highest-ranking
Nazi tried at Nuremberg. Hitler named him
his successor in his will.
• Hermann Goering, commander of the
Luftwaffe (air force) and the second-high-
est official to be prosecuted at Nuremberg.
• Franz Joseph von Papen, chancellor
of Germany in 1932 and vice chancellor
when Hitler took control in 1933.
• Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodi, chief
of operations of the Armed Forces High
Command.
• Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von
Ribbentrop, foreign minister from 1938-
1945.
Malec emphasizes that he did not ask
for their autographs but their signatures,
recognizing that seeking an autograph
implies some kind of admiration.
Once Malec was discharged from the
Army in July 1946 and returned to the
U.S., he became a chiropractor and put his
wartime experiences behind him, forget-

Henry Malec and the signatures
he collected

ting about the signatures. It wasn't until
he told his story to other veterans that he
realized their historic value.
Stephen M.
Goldman, the
Holocaust Center's
executive director, said
the HMC was interested
in Malec's story because
it gives "additional
incontrovertible evi-
dence that this — this
Steven M.
history — took place.
Goldman
"From the perspec-
tive of our center and other such historical
institutions:' he added, "it is important to
continue to gather permanent records that
tell us what happened and continue to
create a record from which our children,
our grandchildren and future generations
can learn:'
Reflecting on his past, Malec, who is
not Jewish, said that while he recognized
the power these Nazi officials wielded, he
did not know much about the Holocaust.
"Slowly, I started to learn about what
they did:' Malec said. "Once, I saw a U.S.
sergeant, who was crying, telling a story
to other soldiers about what he had wit-
nessed while liberating a concentration
camr
He said his duties as guard involved
watching the prisoners in their cells. He
tells the story of how Goering, a pipe
smoker, was given a pouch of tobacco
from his lawyer.
"I inspected the pouch, but found noth-
ing; Malec said. "Later, after I returned
home, I read that Goering had committed
suicide by taking a cyanide pill [the night
before his scheduled execution], and I
wondered if the next guard did not check
the tobacco pouch:'

❑

A veteran West Bloomfield journalist and

author, Berl Falbaum teaches news writing
and media ethics at Wayne State University.

