Sobibor. From the Russian movie. Photo by Paul Goldfinger.

In 2019, Russian film makers completed their movie “Sobibor” about a Nazi death camp that took about 200,000 lives between 1942 to 1943.  It was one of a few concentration camp locations where courageous Jews planned and staged a revolt. Many escaped, but only about 50 managed to survive WWII. One who survived was Alexander Pechersky, the Jewish Soviet Captain who led the successful escape.

Escape from Sobibor from the 2019 movie. Paul Goldfinger photograph. Click to enlarge.

The movie Sobibor  is one of the best about the Holocaust.  It is powerful and tells a true story of a terrible massive crime against humanity. Amazon Prime.

This song , “Dona Dona,” was written by Shalom Secunda and is known in Yiddish and is generally interpreted to be about the Nazi slaughters of defenseless people.  The metaphor is a rural one–of an innocent calf being taken to slaughter.

Here is one translation:

“Calves are easily bound and slaughtered
Never knowing the reason why
But whoever treasures freedom
Like the swallow has learned to fly.”

Joan Baez had an English hit of the song back in the sixties when she was one of the  protest movement leaders.

SHALOM SECUNDA:   “Dona Dona” from the album Les Musique de Chagall.  Yiddish.