Acts of Resistance by Dominic Carrillo; Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press; © 2023; ISBN 9781595-801197; 233 pages; $12.99.
SAN DIEGO – Too bad much of this book is fiction, although it is said to be based on a true story. If entirely true, it would identify more people who helped to save the Jews of Bulgaria from extinction, so they could be honored as Righteous Gentiles at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
The book portrays the heroism of the real-life Metropolitan (Archbishop) Stefan in denouncing plans to round up Jews by the fascist, German-allied government of Bulgaria. It also identifies Alexander Belev as the willing partner of the Nazis who wanted to send all the Jews of Bulgaria to the death camps. Real-life figures identified in the successful effort to protect Bulgaria’s 50,000 Jews include King Boris III (to a point), MP Dimitar Peshev. and Rabbi Daniel Zion, whose conversion from normative Judaism to Messianic Judaism (believing that Jesus was the true messiah) went unmentioned in this novel.
The novel revolves around two teenage boys and one teenage girl. Peter and Lily are Christians, whereas Misho (Michael) is a Jew being hidden by Archbishop Stefan inside the grounds of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Sofia. Peter, having grown up with a Jewish friend, decides to leave home in order to fight against the Nazis in any way possible. Lily works for the satanic Belev, and is so horrified by Belev’s role in the murder of the Jews of Macedonia and Thrace (both of which had been annexed by Bulgaria) that she decides to tip off the Jewish leadership about the planned roundups of Bulgarian Jews.
While Michael and Peter are fictional characters, Lily is based upon the real-life Lilliana Panitza, who worked in Belev’s office as a secretary.
Author Carrillo’s version of the story is fast-moving, suspenseful, and possibly the makings of a good movie. You’ll admire the passion of the fictional teenagers as well as the decisiveness of Lilliana, who, according to the novel, became a mistress of Belev only to protect herself, her family and her access to information that could help the Jews. Unlike the Metropolitan Stefan, Panitza has not been recognized as a Righteous Gentile by Yad Vashem, her actions and overall role being ambiguous.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com