The Dead Years by Joseph Schupack is a harrowing and hugely important read. It details the life of Joseph Schupack, a Jewish man who lived in Poland for the duration of his childhood and faced antisemitism. The Second World War and German invasion of Poland only served to heighten this antisemitism, forcing him to constantly flee. A series of events occurred which eventually led him to a number of concentration camps, including Auschwitz. It is here where the descriptions became even more disturbing and saddening than they already were. When the war eventually ended, Joseph was freed and re-visited his childhood home in Poland. He detailed the continuing presence of antisemitism and made sure to tell his story of survival to remember all of those Jewish lives lost. I think it is vital that this voice is read. The Second World War is rightly remembered for the inhumane crimes against those who were Jewish, yet Schupack also draws attention to the fact that the war only heightened the existing antisemitism amongst a lot of the Polish population, which, at least for me, was something I didn’t know about, but I feel was effectively highlighted by Schupack through descriptions such as how the Jewish community where he lived, which was in Radzyn-Podlaski, were even scared to leave their homes in fear of being attacked or murdered. Then, post-war, even after all the atrocities that had occurred during the war years, there was still a continued presence of antisemitism in Poland, to the point Schupack had to flee when he re-visited the place he had lived during his childhood. This for me was especially shocking; to continue to inhumanely persecute a group based on their identity and religion, with all the bloodshed and devasting events of the war. It was still going to continue, despite the renewed hope the Jewish survivors had. It meant he had to leave Poland and start a new life elsewhere, as did others who were Jewish, which is hugely saddening. I have always believed that history is important to learn about. Holocaust survivor voices, like Schupack’s, are vital to keep alive. We need to always remember the atrocities that occurred throughout history. Schupack made sure that we do this, by giving detailed insights into the history of his life during these years of antisemitism and persecution, whilst providing rich information on place names and the names of important people in his life, as well as the truly awful concentration camps. The whole book was hard-hitting, especially to hear of the constant pain and devastation inflicted on Jewish people, losing their family members, their friends, and their lives. As I have said before, the most uncomfortable points for me as a reader were during the times where Schupack was in the concentration camps and experienced repeated violence and starvation. Yet even when I was uncomfortable, I knew I had to continue to read, because this voice had lived through, and was a victim of, these inhumane circumstances, and his voice of survival deserved to be heard. If you are wanting to learn more about antisemitism in Poland and the story of a Holocaust survivor, then I would really recommend this book. It taught me a lot through Schupack’s powerful testimony and accounts of his experiences from memory. To read about a man who lost his whole family, faced the worst circumstances anyone could experience, yet still had a determination to live and to write his story, is truly inspirational and marks why we should all be reading it. As we read, we should feel discomfort and sadness, but we still need to read about this survivor who made it against all odds, unlike the six million Jews that unfortunately didn’t. This story is for them.

Clear, concise and horrifying in its simplicity, Joseph Schupack's memoir is a must read. The Holocaust could happen again. It is imperative to remember...the present is not immune from the past. Authentic experience and relevant ideals are passed from one individual to another. In this memoir, I am reminded of why the integrity and sovereignty of the nation of Israel must be held sacrosanct.

A heart wrenching book to read. The language and characters were a little difficult to follow at times. Mr.Shupack's strong will to live and his faith pulled him through,when many others may have given up. The fact that he survived several camps is amazing,and that he had such a good memory after such deprivation. He is a testament to how the spirit can endure over horrible hardships.

Probably the best Holocaust account ever! "Unlike any other Holocaust narrative I have ever read! Poignant without being overtly emotional, factual without being detached, and clearly cathartic for both the writer & the reader. While the writer could not for obvious reasons not cover the slaughter at Auschwitz, Majdenjek & the other locations of the Nazi death machine, the writer seemed more concerned with exposing the individual personal struggles faced on a daily basis than overindulge on the massive scale of the sheer murderous horror. A unique perspective from a survivor that is essential reading for anyone seeking a greater understanding of one man's vision of satanic hatred being visited on a sector of humanity purely because of its race, and the ultimate cost in lives paid by both the racial victims and the military participants on both sides."

How this young man made it through the Holocaust is yet another testimony of the human will to fight and survive. Joseph experienced tremendous losses, including his entire family, which he shares in great detail. Joseph describes his experience, in a way that makes you feel like you are experiencing what he experienced. Its absolutely horrifying that the human race is capable of such brutality and can be so incapable of empathy and compassion for other human beings. It's really sickening. I am thankful men like Joseph found the strength to write about it so that each of us can be aware of our treatment of others and be guarded against thoughts and ideas that put us against one another. It's scared to think we may all vulnerable to such behavior.

Devastating, eloquent, descriptive, profound, the memoir proves a gem in Holocaust literature. Schupack relates the tragic loss of his family, the loss of his friends, and details the loss of many years of his life, he labeled, The Dead Years. The author begins the memoir with experiences from his childhood, of which quickly turned to the realms of war. Born in 1922, in Radzyn, a small city in central Poland, Schupack describes the machinations of early WW II as Poland fell between the clutches of two armies, first the Russian, then the German. Schupack, then seventeen years old, clearly depicts the German invasion and the anti-Semitic policies immediately enforced. The author reveals his experiences during the war, the constant hunger, the endless privations, the fear of death, the round-ups, the murder of his family, and finally the horrid conditions in the death camps. Schupack also relates his experiences after the war, and of the virulent, relentless anti-Semitism, which permeated throughout Poland, even in lieu of the Holocaust.

The Dead Years: Holocaust Memoirs is the personal story of Joseph Schupack. Joseph Schupack describes his life from when he was transported from Radzyn-Podaski to Treblinka and then on to other concentration camps, including Auschwitz in World War II. He tells a frank story of how he fought to stay true to himself, to his own humanity, throughout a long period of brutality, humility, and degradation. His story tells us of life in 1930s Poland, and then life in a concentration camp. This is his witness statement, a statement that tells us when, where and who, a statement that declares Schupack’s work for the Polish Underground Movement and his loss through the bloody murder of his family and friends. We learn how people drew together, shared their last scraps of food amongst each other, and then we learn how Schupack struggled to get back his possessions when he was released, of the hatred against Jews that he continued to face long after the concentration camps were gone. This is the true story of a Holocaust survivor, a story that means we can never forget the atrocities of war. The Dead Years: Holocaust Memoirs by Joseph Schupack was a deeply moving book. This isn’t the first memoir I have read about life in the concentration camps, but it is one of the first that goes into so much detail and one of the first to describe the troubles that the Jewish people still faced after the life in the camps. It is a story told from the heart, incredibly descriptive to the point where it brings it all to life in front of your eyes; I almost felt as if I had been transported to Treblinka along with him. This is a very poignant story, a heartfelt reminder of something that so many prefer to forget ever happened and something that we should never forget. I would recommend this to any person who has an interest in the war and the Holocaust and who wants to read the truth. Thank you for committing your memories to paper, Mr. Schupack, and may God rest your soul in the peace that you deserve.