Story of doctor who went willingly with children to Nazi death camp should be heard by all

The car journey was very beautiful and later I learned that when most children from the Warsaw ghetto were shipped to Treblinka, they believed they were going on holiday to a relaxing summer camp.

Upon arrival, I looked for remnants of the Nazis’ killing machine, created to exterminate the Jewish people along with Roma gypsies, homosexuals, and others. There was nothing except thousands of small rocks, inscribed with the names of the hometowns of those who perished there.

Perhaps that is why, when I witnessed Jonathan Salt’s theatrical triumph, Confessions of a Butterfly: An Evening with Janusz Korczak, I was so deeply moved by his portrayal of the doctor who was in charge of the medical care of hundreds of children at an orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto.

Korczak, who had no children of his own, became the “Papa” to his young patients and was responsible for their well-being until the Nazis marched them to their deaths, with Korczak gently holding their tiny hands. He had refused offers of sanctuary from the Polish underground, saying "You do not leave a sick child in the night, and you do not leave children at a time like this".

Actor inhabits good doctor’s soul

The play is set in the doctor’s sleeping room and the props create an ambience of turmoil, struggle. Yet the doctor finds small moments of comfort from something as simple as his tiny vodka ration. As Korczak, Salt does not portray the doctor, rather he inhabits his soul in such a profound manner that the audience feels as though they know this complex man intimately.

Throughout the performance, red flashes for gunshots and the recorded sound of children’s voices leave the audience silently gasping as they recognise that they are not only witnessing a dark moment of history but may also be experiencing a small moment of hope through the bravery and dedication of the good doctor.

The play reminds us that as Korczak and his children walked to the trains that would take them to their inevitable deaths, many others simply watched and did nothing to stop the evil they were witnessing.

Love and understanding

I shall not return to Treblinka in my lifetime, but as riots continue in towns in England, its grim memory remains important. This play should be seen by every high school student as an example of how one individual with integrity and conscience may leave a lasting impact upon the world they inhabit.

Thanks in large part to Salt’s talent and this inspired production, we in the audience were elevated to a higher level of awareness and compassion. I believe that seeing this play has deepened and strengthened my soul’s capacity for love and understanding, qualities so important in the fight against the forces of evil in our troubled world.

Joe Goldblatt, a member of the Jewish people, chairs the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and is emeritus professor of planned events at Queen Margaret University. His views are his own.