Inspired by a real boy and real events, David Tabatsky’s new book, The Boy Behind the Door: How Salomon Kool Escaped the Nazis, shares the story of a Dutch teenager who survived World War II by eluding the Nazis time and time again as German forces occupied the Netherlands.
The Boy Behind the Door opens in 1940 as Sal is about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. Amsterdam is invaded, and after the Nazis make life more and more impossible for its Jewish residents, he finally must hide behind his bedroom door while German soldiers barge into his home and take away the last two members of his family.
Sal is left to his own devices to evade the Nazis over and over again. With the help of resistance fighters and brave non-Jews, Sal barely survives the war. When he returns to Amsterdam as a young man, he eventually finds out that his entire family, including his parents and three siblings, have perished in concentration camps.
The rest of the story follows Sal as he navigates the aftermath of the war. The Holocaust has changed his life forever, along with his beloved hometown, and the world will never feel the same for him and so many other survivors.
Tabatsky’s storytelling brings this significant time in history to life. “This is a powerful story, powerfully told,” says Michael Berenbaum, director of the Siri Ziering Holocaust Institute at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.
According to Tabatsky, “Sal’s story is a moving document of a period in world history we must never forget.”
It can be difficult to find Holocaust literature that will interest and enlighten young readers, especially boys, but The Boy Behind the Door is appealing and accessible to emerging adults of all reading levels.
About the Author
David Tabatsky is a writer, editor and performing artist based in New York City. David’s two passions have driven his career as a performer and writer. He has performed as an actor, clown and juggler around the world, in venues such as Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, throughout Europe and Japan, and most notably at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Tabatsky is the co-author of several books about cancer, and the author of Write for Life: Communicating Your Way Through Cancer. He was the consulting editor for Marlo Thomas’ bestseller The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2: Your Turn. Tabatsky released his memoir, American Misfit, in 2017.
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