Following In Felix's Footsteps: Story of an Holocaust Survivor 

Thank you very much. My Father was a inmate at Muhlberg (Stalag IV-B). When the Russians Liberated the camp my Father was given food and water and told which way to walk to got "home" by a young Russian boy ,in uniform way to big for him. Father got "home" 3 years in Hospital he was very ill. Father got better....I'm here, and Father became a well know Doctor. Father never looked back on the war, He was a farm kid "doing my job I was needed for". Father is now pasted as most have from that time. WE MUST NEVER FORGHET ! THIS CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. Please World pull your heads out of your behinds and look around you, people want to be free and not ruled over by Murdering's fools.

My God. In all of my 46 years on this earth I have watched many different documentaries about many different things. Being Jewish, growing up and hearing stories from my grandparents, learning what most people learn over the years about the truths and the horrors of the holocaust, i always understood there was no way we could ever truly understand what they experienced, but at least we know about it to an extent. But nothing prepared me for what i would feel from watching this amazing man tell his story. This broke me down right to my core. I had to leave the room away from my wife and children, went to a separate room to watch from beginning to end, and absolutely lost it. Wept like a baby. This truly touches my soul. We can never possibly grasp the entire scope of what he and so many others endured. But i have a much better sense now than i ever did before. God Bless this man and every single one of those who survived this horror, and God bless all those who did not. Been a long time since anything has touched me so deeply. The man didnt shed a tear through this entire thing. Maybe he already shed all he had long ago. What a beautiful life he gets to spend the rest of his days living now. He will never forget. We must not either.

I would love to give this poor man a big hug and tell him how much we love him and feel for him. What a lovely man!

He went through all that and stayed a beautiful human being.

My stepfather lost his entire family on his first day, by the grace of God he survived,he told anyone that would listen to cherish family and why. Hearing about this horrific part of history from a survivor is heartbreaking

Thank you, thank you very much for spending part of your time to recall your bitter memories, essential in such troubled times. I would like it to never happen again, let's fight for it!

Thank you for telling your story. It is so important to remember. When history is forgotten or denied, history repeats. May it never be repeated. Yet even today, many of the same beliefs that led to such atrocities are unfortunately still with us. The retelling must still go on. This documentary is one way to keep this terrible part of history a part of the discussion.

The commandment "You shall not kill" ... exactly! It must be remembered eternally!

He passed away in 2017 at 98.❤️

Bless this man for sharing his story to honor those that were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. I will use this video in my classes each semester. May all their memories be a blessing.

I cannot even begin to imagine what that must have been like, to survive all that horror and then have to rebuild your life. God bless you Felix and may you and all the people who were lost during the Holocaust rest in eternal peace.

I absolutely cannot imagine how hard it would be to physically revisit these places. This guy is one of the toughest people I've ever seen. Hearing his story is so incredibly difficult. To be the one telling it would be unimaginable. Much respect and love.

The most love and respect to you, Felix. Thank you for telling us all this. On behalf of you and everyone who suffered through the holocaust, I will spread your message and I vow to stamp out fascism.

Thank you to all those that gave their lives for us… you will never be forgotten. This moved me even though years have passed since I visited and paid my respects at Auschwitz. Thank you Felix for articulating your life story so well. Bless you.

What a strong resilient man to be able to talk of the horrors he endured with such energy n at times even humor..." The best revenge is to live well".. this amazing individual seems to have not only survived but he thrived! I am in awe of this courageous gentleman!

Anyone that feels they need to complain about something needs to remind themselves of what this man has gone through. It will put everything into perspective

IF FELIX WAS ONE OF THOSE POOR MEN BEING LIBERATED IN 1945 WHOM I MUST HAVE SEEN 200 TIMES, WE HERE IN CANADA ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE SURVIVORS LIKE HIM BLESSING OUR COUNTRY WITH THEIR MEMORIES!!

I m from india and it's morning 3:50Am and i m watching this documentary and i also read Viktor E frankl book recently book name was the men search for meaning he also a survivor of holocaust i totally recommend that book to all

Very touching. My great grandmother and grandfather were there at the time. After she turned 90 years old she would have flashbacks of the war and she would take a broom and act like it was a machine gun thinking she was shooting our German neighbors with a machine gun. Our neighbors were never upset at this. They actually cried for what she went through to get this flashback and PTSD.

Thank you for telling your story. Everyone on utube needs to see this. Our world is so dangerous now. People need to Remember.

My ex-in-laws escaped during the march. They’ve both passed on now. May they, and all the others Rest In Peace.

Bless this amazing, kind, humble, beautiful man. After all of his suffering he can still bear witness.

Sir You are a good man,you live to keep the truth alive,people live threw you.

This old man is the toughest man I have ever seen.

One of the most incredible stories I have ever heard!!

Heart breakingly beautiful documentary. Felix….thank you for your bravery in telling your story with such grace and humor. ❤

Thank you for sharing your story. They should be teaching about the Holocaust in schools. We must not give voice to the current generation of haters. God bless Felix and his family.

What a heartfelt sharing. Thank you so much for sharing! It is our duty to realize (through remembering) what we humans are capable off when being ruled by somebody inhuman...otherwise it's bound to happen again!!!

I'm beyond words! How is it possible that Mr. Opatowski is so composed!

Heartbreaking, the poor starving children

God bless all those beautiful innocent souls, and thank you sir, for reliving your scarring memories, thank you, take care x

What a fantastic story I was blown away with the facts of what they had to endure I’m an ex Military Veteran of the RAF Regiment and know what it’s like to serve in a Campaign but Campaigns like this is an eye opener and I’m so glad that Felix and his wife are living the life they have always deserved God Bless Felix you are one Survivor of all time and was able to tell the story about the Evil People who Condemned your Religion and for this I applaud you !!👏 Best Wishes to Felix & his Family From Gary in Manchester UK

It’s unbelievable that he is talking like it happened yesterday. It was so traumatic that it’s embedded in his memory, his soul

This was THE BEST Documentary I have ever seen. Thank You for making it. Wow I'm in tears

This man is as tough as nails, and yet is humble enough to say “I was just darn lucky to have survived, and that is the bottom line.”

I’m not Jewish, but I’m crying for this awful time in history. How could they??

Thanks dear Felix and Regina for sharing your story of survival. Hats off to your courage. Wish you many more years of peaceful, happy life with your family and friends.

I'd love to hug this man and tell him how grateful I am that he's still alive today. He also moved to Canada and became a Canadian citizen. I think that's awesome.

He seems like he's got a great sense of humor. Very strong soul. You never know what you can survive until you have no choice. I truly enjoyed hearing his story.

This just breaks my heart the horrific things that should have never happen 😢Rip to all that have past on 😢🙏

My father was in Ghetto Riga and Concentration camp Kaiserwald. In Ghetto he met an Austrian girl Germans transported Austrian Jews to Ghetto Riga it was a young love but she did not survive. My father finished vocational school in woodworking and furniture making so Germans needed him when they made selections every 10th will die his supervisor would save him and instead someone else went.All his life he was suffering from feelings of guilt.His mother young brother and sister perished in Rumbala but my father his other brother and my grandpa were saved by Latvian Zanis Lipke after the war my father became an architect and took part in designing memorial for people who were killed by the Nazis and their Latvian collaborators in Rumbala forest near Riga. I don’t think he ever left the Ghetto he survived but it always followed him in his life after the war.

Thanks for sharing your story Felix, its so powerful and moved me to tears. Its something I've never been able to comprehend and your such an amazing man, I'm non Jewish and count myself as having no faith, thanks again

My grandpa escaped during the march of death. He walked back home he slept for 3 months straight. Ppl were just taking care of him and praying. He was the strongest yet most gentle person on earth.

My mother born in ausschwitz.very tragic story.

Many died, I’m glad this man survived with others to explain what can happen if the world forgets how evil works. There should be a monthly reminder so the world will not forget. So many lives.

World leaders should be made to see documentaries like this.

I just want to hug these survivors and say how sorry I am for what they suffered to endure. I would rather meet one of them than any famous person on the planet.

3 of the 4 stories I seen today are still alive, this is my 5 th video so far today, I feel History is repeating itself with different tactics.

If you don't learn from history then you are doomed to repeat it.

Très émouvant , merci Monsieur pour votre force et courage !! God bless you Sir

It looks like he passed away in Jan of 2017. RIP Felix.

Such a handsome man…sweet and kind hearted. His eyes are full of memories good and bad. It’s heartbreaking to hear his story.

I'm so thankful to this gentleman and the fact this account has been documented. Many who survived this atrocity are not here with us anymore. These events should never be forgotten. Rip the innocent souls that were taken.

It's very hard to watch the black and white video of those evil monsters hitting people and children with those whips. It's very infuriating that so many people saw this and did nothing at all. It's just hard 2 imagine watching this horror unfold and not hurt or move u to help. It's absolutely absurd that these evil monsters have the audacity to make a law against a religion or by what the persons look like. That should have never ever been given any thought or consideration. For hilter and his followers to have those unrealistic beliefs. They outta be very ashamed to be men and fought in world war 1. Then to come home and blame everything and what has happened on the jews. What a clown. Less of a man. More like bats out of hell. Monsters. Fools. And most of all a disgrace. May all the victims and survivors and living family members. May u find peace, love, and happiness. I'm so so very sorry that this happened. I'm so so so sorry for the people that allowed this 2 happen. I'm so so sorry not everybody helped when it was dire and needed. I'm so sorry that the Americans where I'm from didn't help when they should have. Eventually they did but what good was it when so much evil, pain, terror, have been done. So many innocent, helpless, lives taken.

Sending so much love to Felix and all the holocaust survivors. Never forget.

God Bless you sir. My heart and prayers are with you and your family forever!!! 😢💔😢💔😢💔

This is the most powerful statement given by a survivor I have ever seen.

Bless you Felix for your courage,will power and drive. Love your attitude,dry humor and all round approch to dealing with and sharing your experiances. Thank you ,sir.

When you see film of old people and children barely able to walk starving and been beaten you question everything humans stand for ...😪

Thanks again for this memory. We can never forget these heroes. And their suffering

YOU ALL ARE HELPING US TODAY TO SURVIVE IN CANADA HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO BE TOUGHER AND RISE UP THANK YOUUUU ❤️

Thank you for sharing this and in such detail so we can really and truly understand . I’m sorry you went through this

What a beautiful man, May God bless you sir and your family and your people. Happy Hanukkah

thank you for sharing your story this is so important no one can never forget what happened to so many people may they rest now in peace

Love and peace to Felix and his family.🍁🔯

Words escape me, nothing but sorrow. NEVER FORGET.

God bless Felix! My heart really hurts for everyone who died and the atrocities they suffered! Bless all the souls who perished during the Holocaust!

I am so thankful that Felix lived thru this very bad time in his life Blessings to you!A very brave man.This was so heartbreaking

Very moving. I just prayed for all these innocent victims. God bless them! It‘s unbelievable, incredible and nevertheless true! And the sad thing: it can still happen …

This man didn’t die after all of that.. he’s is amazing inside and out 💚

What's crazy is that every jew alive after 1945 is an holocaust survivor, even if he was living in South America or Australia....

Thanks Felix ❤ And thanks to those for all of your hard work that made this documentary available for us to see. It pulls hard at the heart strings. Felix, I'm sure has provided many with inspiration and hope by sharing survivor story in the many of ways that he has over these years. I pray that God reveals Himself to him and his wife so can gain their Salvation through His Blessed Son Jesus before they leave this world. I also pray that his and his wife's home was saved during the brush fires that's been burning in Canada for a month now. I live here in WV and the smoke has reached here as of yesterday and it's so bad people are being asked to stay in their homes and not to go out if they can help it. Felix, Big hugs to you. You truly are a HERO. ❤

I hope this sad story will not be repeated, and the world will be at peace

Thank you Shalom and peace to everyone

Omg, I'm in tears watching this and listening to Felix, thank you so much for sharing your life story with us. I don't think I fully understood what you and your people went through till now. On my I'm in Nova Scotia Canada. Thank you again for your story. 😢❤

Thank you for your story. Best wishes for you and your family.

Bless your soul you courageous, magnificent, awesome man!

Thank you. I couldn't imagine how hard this was you to do this. I know you have passed now I also the photographer took a picture of my family. The 17 year old boy in the bottom bunk. My family. Guess it runs in the family huh. Thank you. Xxx

Never forget ! Bless their souls !

What a gentleman, bless you

To have the physical and mental stamina to put a foot in front of the other minute after minute, day after day was super human. Story after story of heroism, of torture, of despair, of fate in favor or against. Felix had an indomitable spirit while surrounded by the most brutal hideous acts of fellow man. Today we complain about the most trivial things. We should be continuously aware of what our predecessors were made to endure and be grateful we were spared from a fate so wicked.

Thank you for telling your story

What a touching documentary

Just heartbreaking. Hard to imagine how this happened.

I can never get my mind to understand how any human being can kill (one) child is beyond my compensation. It upsets me so much. It touches a place inside my heart and soul that hurts. How could any god forgive these act's of evil against children, never., 😔☘️

I love this man

Felix you survived to tell the whole WORLD it can never ever forget xxxx As a Human being I am so so very Sorry.

What an amazing man, very humbling to listen to his story, these documentaries are very important for the future so that people don’t make the same mistakes again……hopefully 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Felix you are proof that the soul can never be exterminated. I am astounded by this man’s story, compassion, strength and insight. The Nazi’s tried to take your clothes, homes, dignity, mothers, fathers, children…but they could never take away you’re spirit. I pray and believe that those poor people who were ruthlessly murdered came into the presence of God immediately. I’m sorry Felix didn’t believe in God but I do. Man is capable of such evil and such goodness. This is proof that man has a choice. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!! God bless all those who perished and survived. 🙏❤️.x

Very touchy & emotional.....A survivor story that is unforgettable in the life of Felix....God Blesse him with good health & strength......😪😪

Sad but yet beautiful

Боже как страшно за детей, бедные беззащитные детки, ангелочки, я бабушка четверых внуков, как я их люблю, видя этих малышей сердце кровью заливается,один вопрос кто их этих чудовищ породил, господь почему не защитил ангелочков от извергов, почему...😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥

I'm glad u survived Felix u r a brave great man

People need to know their history or they are doomed to repeat it ! And now in this country they don’t want the bad history taught because it might make the kids anxious or sad ! People need to know history good and Bad !

Great documentary

Unbelievable what this kind gentleman went through & SURVIVED! Love & RESPECT to you, Dear SIR!

Felix what a brave man you are. I am sure God was with you...GOD bless you and your soul and spirit.

Your spirit, your strength to move forward and have a new life is amazing.from Oregon.

It’s amazing to see Felix who’s gone through he’ll be such an amazing man. Bless him. What sickens me is we now have sick people who say it never happened. My family thank G-d were all in America by the time WWII happened or I may not be here

Great. Thank you sir Felix and thank God that you are still with us. Your Story, almost heart touching, painful. God bless and protect you and your family. Amen !