The story of Mala Zimetbaum is not just a tragic account of the Holocaust; it is a story of courage, intelligence, and unwavering resilience in the face of the most brutal circumstances. Guided by fate, Mala, a talented young woman from Antwerp, arrived at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, where she became a legend—the only woman known to have successfully organized an escape from the camp.

1. Peaceful days in Antwerp and the approaching shadow

Before Nazism destroyed the lives of millions, Mala was a young woman with a promising future. Her family moved to Antwerp, Belgium, when she was ten years old. There, her talent became evident: she was an excellent student, particularly strong in mathematics, and fluent in at least six languages ​​– Flemish, French, German, English, Yiddish, and Polish.

Due to her family’s difficult financial situation (her father was blind), Mala had to leave school and work as a seamstress. She joined the Zionist youth organization Hanoar Hatzioni, which strengthened her national spirit and her hope for a Jewish homeland.

2. The fateful turning point: From Antwerp to Auschwitz

Hitler’s rise to power in Germany marked the end of the old world. On September 11, 1942, Mala was arrested during a roundup of Jews in Belgium and deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on the 20th transport from Mechelen.

In this hell on earth, Mala’s linguistic talent became her weapon of survival. She was employed as a “runner”—a messenger who carried out orders between different sections of the camp. This position afforded her a rare freedom of movement, which she used not for herself, but for the benefit of others. She became a “guardian angel,” risking her life to smuggle medicine, food, and vital information.

3. The historical escape and the tragic end

In the summer of 1944, Mala and her lover, a Polish prisoner named Edward “Edek” Galiński, planned their escape. On June 24, they succeeded in escaping from Auschwitz, disguised as an SS officer and a prisoner.

But on July 6, they were recaptured while trying to buy bread. Edek was executed. Mala, however, made one last defiant act of resistance on her way to her execution. According to survivor testimonies, she pulled out a razor blade, slashed her wrists, and shouted to the SS guards, “I will die a heroine, and you will die like dogs!” She died that day, but her indomitable spirit became a beacon of hope for those who remained in the camp.

Mala Zimetbaum never saw the promised land she once dreamed of, but her courage and determination have become an immortal legacy. She is a testament to the power of the human spirit to maintain dignity and compassion even in the darkest of times. Her story remains a timeless lesson in resilience and hope.