Ep 9. Never Forget to Lie

In the Frontline season 31 episode 9, titled "Never Forget to Lie," viewers get a glimpse into the lives of Jewish children who survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight. The documentary focuses on the stories of child survivors from Poland, who were forced to conceal their Jewish identities and adopt new personas to survive the Nazi regime's atrocities.

Through interviews with survivors and their families, as well as archival footage and photographs, "Never Forget to Lie" illustrates the challenges and dangers faced by Jewish children who were forced to live with non-Jewish families. Often, these children were separated from their parents and siblings and left to fend for themselves in a hostile and dangerous environment. They had to learn new names, religions, and customs to pass as Christian and avoid detection by the authorities.

The documentary showcases poignant and heartbreaking moments as survivors recount their struggles to survive under such conditions. For example, one survivor, Ester Goldstein, who lived with a Polish family in Warsaw, talks about how she was forced to deny her faith and pray to a picture of the Virgin Mary. She also remembers the day when her father came to visit her but didn't recognize her because of her disguise as a non-Jewish girl.

Another survivor, Aviva Slesin, tells the story of how her mother managed to save her and her sister by bribing a Polish family to take them in. She remembers the constant fear of discovery and how her mother warned her never to speak about their true identity, even after the war. Aviva's sister, who was only three years old at the time, was too young to understand the danger they were in and often gave away their secret unintentionally.

The documentary also sheds light on the challenges faced by survivors after the war. Many of them had to cope with the trauma of losing their families, homes, and identities. They had to rebuild their lives from scratch and often faced discrimination and indifference from their non-Jewish neighbors. Some survivors even chose to keep their Jewish identities hidden, fearing reprisals or rejection from society.

"Never Forget to Lie" is a powerful and moving tribute to the resilience and courage of the child survivors of the Holocaust. It underscores the importance of remembering and honoring their stories and the lessons of the past. As one survivor says in the documentary, "Never forget to tell the truth, but never forget to lie, because sometimes lies were saving lives."