This compelling book traces the quest for the truth about the Holocaust in Lithuania by two ostensible enemies: Ruta a descendant of the perpetrators, Efraim a descendant of the victims. Focusing on the central role played by ordinary Lithuanians, they expose the efforts of past and current Lithuanian governments to hide these crimes.
Sixty years after the end of World War II, not all those who were faithful to the Third Reich are dead - some members of the Nazi party and their collaborators are still alive, and increasingly difficult to track down. Time is rapidly running out, but Efraim Zuroff won't give up. Launching Operation Last Chance in 2002, he spearheaded a vast public campaign to locate and bring to justice the worst suspected Nazi criminals before ill health or death spare them from potential punishment. Despite the passage of many years, the reluctance of many governments to cooperate, and even death threats and a price on his head, Zuroff's project yielded the names of over 520 hereto unknown suspects in 24 different countries and led to dozens of murder investigations, as well as several indictments and extradition requests currently pending. Combining the thrill of a detective story with the inherent poignancy of the history of World War II and its aftermath, Operation Last Chance delivers the important and moving story of one man's heroic efforts to honor the victims of the Holocaust.
The organization began when converging German and Soviet forces pushed Polish rabbis and yeshiva students into Lithuania, but eventually widened its scope to rescue any Jews threatened by the Nazis and became the official rescue and relief agency of American Orthodox Jewry during the Holocaust. Zuroff, who coordinates Nazi war crimes research worldwide for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, describes how the group helped rescue hundreds of refugees, mostly through the far east, and helped the students continue their Torah studies and their lifestyles in exile. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)