Hiding in the Open

a young fugitive in Nazi-occupied Poland

Plot

This is the story of Zenon Neumark's experiences as a Jewish teenager in Nazi-occupied Europe. He escaped from a forced labor camp in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, and lived under a false Polish Catholic identity, first in Warsaw and later in Vienna. It is a story about betrayal by friends and rescue by strangers; about a constant fear of being recognized as a Jew; the struggle for lodgings, work and blending in with the local population; a story of a double life working for opposing Resistance groups; and opportunities to help others survive. The story ends with his recapture in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and deportation to a camp in Vienna, where, after another escape, he was liberated by the Soviet Army. Neumark is a recipient of the 2016 Wybitny Polak Award given by the Foundation Teraz Polska to outstanding Poles living abroad.