Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger’s Life
Not every hero who fights a war is an Eisenhower or Churchill. Many are simply ordinary people who serve anonymously in the shadows. Adolfo Kaminsky, whose story was brought to light recently by his daughter and biographer, Sarah Kaminsky, was one of those anonymous men. During World War II, Kaminsky was a brilliant forger who saved an estimated 14,000 men, women and children from certain death. Kaminsky began his career at the age of 17, when he joined the French Resistance. He and his team worked tirelessly forging passports, identity papers, and travel permits. After the war, his forgeries helped concentration camp survivors move to Palestine. Remarkably, Kaminsky took no payment for his forgeries, believing that it kept him incorruptible. He continued as a forger for almost 30 years, forging documents for activists fighting against tyranny. Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger’s Life is a gripping true story of an idealist who put his life on the line in service of others: “My life as a forger is one long, uninterrupted resistance… against inequality, segregation, racism, injustice, fascism and dictatorships.” Beautifully written, and highly recommended.
