William Skobac’s life was a journey of resilience, survival, and perseverance. Born in 1928 in Wolomin, Poland, he was raised in an upper-middle-class Jewish family. His early years were marked by a comfortable life, but everything changed with the German invasion during World War II. Forced into the Wolomin Ghetto, young William experienced firsthand the horrors of Nazi occupation, smuggling food to keep his family alive. As the war progressed, he was separated from his family, many of whom perished in the Holocaust.
Surviving against the odds, William lived under a false identity, endured forced labor, and navigated the war-torn landscape of Europe. Eventually, he made his way to Italy, where he played a role in assisting Jewish refugees on their path to Israel. His time in Italy was one of his more positive memories, marked by purpose and determination.
After the war, William immigrated to the United States, where he built a new life, married, and raised a family. He remained a hardworking and optimistic man, deeply devoted to his wife and children. Though he rarely spoke about his past, a trip to Poland in 1990 with his son Ed opened the floodgates of memory. This journey, meant to honor his lost family, helped William finally share his story.
His legacy lives on through his children and the stories they now preserve, ensuring that the sacrifices and resilience of Holocaust survivors are never forgotten
Timeline of William’s Life
Anti-Semitism
“I definitely felt antisemitism since I’m five years old.”
William Skobac attended a secular public school where about 80% of the students were Jewish, while most Gentile children attended Catholic schools. Despite being part of the majority at his own school, Skobac experienced antisemitism from Gentile kids in his neighborhood. Starting as young as five years old, he faced verbal abuse and physical attacks, forcing him to defend himself using items like yardsticks and backpacks, and often having to rely on his running ability to avoid harm.
The Germans Attack
“I was aware of the war, at the third day of the war, right away. And our house burned down.”
William vividly recalls the onset of war when incendiary bombs were dropped on his town, including his family’s house and mill. These bombs intensified when doused with water, requiring sand to extinguish—a fact many didn’t initially know. As their home burned, William and his father ran to put out the fire but were targeted by a German fighter plane. They narrowly escaped harm by lying down beside a fence, shielded partly by tall trees. The plane’s bullets struck so closely that sand sprayed into William’s eyes. Although their house was lost, the bomb that fell into their mill never exploded, sparing it from destruction.
Life in the Ghetto
“I was the only link that they had until we left the ghetto to
bring the food to my house.”
William describes how his father secretly built a small flour mill in an attic within the ghetto, illegally producing flour from grain William smuggled in. At age 12, William bravely carried up to 50 kilos of grain from outside the ghetto at night, at the risk of being caught and killed. He also smuggled in bread and butter, becoming the crucial lifeline for his family until they eventually left the ghetto before its liquidation.
William’s Father
“Wednesday morning I went out to get some food and I came back and he wasn’t there… Never saw him again.”
On November 1st, 1942, William and his father Yitzchak learned that Germans were rounding up Jews from neighboring towns. Hoping to escape, they hid in an underground potato storage pit in a forest near Zembrow. After three nights of hiding, William left one morning to find food, but upon returning, his father was gone. William waited, hoping his father had temporarily hidden from Germans, but ultimately, he never saw his father again. Included is footage taken in 1990 during his trip back to Poland.
The Pig Slaughtering
“I quietly felt, maybe, there is a God.”
William recounts overhearing a conversation involving his employer - a farmer, and the farmer’s brother-in-law, who was openly antisemitic, celebrating the absence of Jews in town. William quietly listened, careful not to reveal his true feelings. He also shares an incident involving the farmer’s brother-in-law illegally slaughtering pigs in the forest. Due to mishandling, the pig’s screams attracted the attention of nearby Germans, creating a risky situation.
The Train Station
“And all of a sudden, I’m sitting on this bench. And I said, ‘I got to get out of here. I got to get out.’ And I can’t get up.”
William was waiting for a train to Warsaw when he witnessed a horrific scene. A train from Warsaw arrived with several passenger cars and many cattle cars. Through a small window, he saw hands reaching out, begging for water. Guarded by men in green uniforms, the train doors were suddenly opened, and a soldier, wielding a bayonet, began brutally stabbing people crammed near the entrance. Blood covered him as he carried out the attack. Frozen in fear, William realized he needed to leave but found himself unable to move, his legs paralyzed from shock.
German Spy Accusations
“How they could’ve thought that I was a German spy is beyond my belief… I was 14 years old, very small and very thin.”
William and his friend Sam Newmark were traveling back to Wolomin when they were arrested by Russian soldiers who suspected them of being German spies. Despite explaining that he had false papers to survive the war, the soldiers didn’t believe him, likely due to antisemitic bias. They wrote a report and demanded he sign it, but William refused.
Getting Revenge
“Scare the living daylights out of him.”
William recalls his childhood friendship with Elik, a neighbor who lived across the street and played with him for years. However, during the war, Elik betrayed him. Seeking revenge, William later returned to his town at night and went to Elik’s house to intimidate him.
The Truck Breaks Down
“Don’t ask any questions. You get yourself out of here and don’t ever come back here.”
William recounts a near-miss with fate. He was on his way to retrieve signed papers from cousin Naftali and uncle Mordechai Rostker but was delayed when the truck he was traveling on broke down. Arriving a day later, he found a crowd gathered and learned that his uncles Yitzchak and Mordechai had been taken away and killer. A local man warned him to leave immediately for his own safety.
Revisiting Treblinka
In 1990, William and his son Ed revisited Treblinka where William’s family may have perished. They went to William’s hometown, and explored the different parts of William’s childhood and where he his during the war.