Episode 5 of "We Were The Lucky Ones" unfolds with Sol's poignant elaboration on Rosh Hashanah – "Rosh Hashanah marks a season of introspection. It is a period where we humbly seek forgiveness and endeavor to forgive others, albeit the path to such reconciliation seems elusive in our present circumstances. In this shroud of darkness, I fervently pray that our family becomes our beacon of light." Meanwhile, Mila dashes amidst German gunfire, her heart pounding, until she reaches the truck where Felicia awaits. After bartering her wedding ring, she is granted refuge within.
Returning to her parents, Isaac, a friend of the Kurcs, expresses his heartfelt regret for the ordeal Mila endured. Their conversation reveals Isaac's involvement in the Judenrat, a Nazi-installed administrative body comprising Jewish members who mediate between their community and the Nazi regime in European ghettos. Sol sternly emphasizes the Judenrat's complicity, disclosing that the lists intended for safe passage to Palestine might be a deceitful ploy, used by the Germans to prey upon the Jewish people.
Days later, Mila visits Isaac, who is on patrol duty, and learns that his family might have perished. With compassion, she offers him a place to stay, but he remains uncertain.
In Siberia, Herta selflessly volunteers to breastfeed other infants whose mothers are facing difficulties. When Genec learns about the German onslaught against the Soviets, he realizes their captors have lost their reason to keep them imprisoned. Soon, all prisoners are deported to Uzbekistan. Along the way, they are surprised to learn they will serve in the Polish army for the Polish cause, bringing a glimmer of joy to Genec's heart. They are treated with hot bread and coffee, a luxury they haven't experienced in ages.
While in Uzbekistan, Genec tries to enlist in the Polish infantry but is discouraged by the sight of a man being rejected solely because "the Polish army does not accept Jews." Upon his return to Herta, a disagreement arises, with Herta insisting that Genec must serve in the army for their family's survival. She urges him to set aside his pride and toughen up. In response, Genec seeks help from a fellow inmate to convert to Catholicism – the only path he believes will allow him to join the army and save their family.
Meanwhile, in Lvov, after enduring days confined in the basement, Halina, Jakob, and Bella finally emerged into the light. Halina, urged by the news that Adam had returned to search for her, made her way to Adam’s place, while Jakob and Bella headed to Anna’s house, Bella’s sister’s abode. There, they stumbled upon a chilling note indicating that Anna and her husband had been captured and sentenced to death. Bella was overwhelmed with grief and longed to search the forests for any sign of them, but Jakob and Halina insisted that they must flee Lvov. With the Underground's covert assistance, they devised a plan to discreetly depart the city for Radom.
As they joined the Underground members, Halina encountered a fellow prisoner who had narrowly escaped from a labor camp. She questioned him about Adam, and he seemed to recall a man using the alias Adam Brzoza. Meanwhile, as Jakob and Bella were preparing to leave, Halina made a heartfelt decision to stay and search for Adam. Utilizing a clever trick with a boiled egg to transfer the official seal, Halina forged papers and ventured into the labor camp. She posed as an anti-Semite whose husband had been mistakenly imprisoned as a Jew and offered her family’s silver as a bribe.
Jakob and Bella safely reached Radom, where Sol and Nechuma greeted them with joy. However, Bella and her family were plunged into despair by the news of Anna’s demise. Despite Sol's invitation to celebrate Rosh Hashanah two months later, Bella and her kin declined, though Bella’s mother encouraged her to attend. During the gathering at the Kurc’s, Sol received a message from Halina, reassuring them that she and Adam were safe. While the family rejoiced, Bella, still heartbroken over her sister, announced her intention to leave and live near the AVL factory, a location outside the town. Jakob tried to persuade her otherwise, but Bella was resolute in her decision.
Elsewhere, Addy, Eliska, and her mother found themselves stranded on a different island instead of the port of Rio. Denied visa extensions, they were detained. Addy learned that even the ambassador could not assist them, as he had been forcibly retired. The repeated detention took a heavy toll on Eliska. After enduring two months of captivity, Eliska delivered the joyous news that they had been granted amnesty. They were the last Jewish refugees allowed to enter Rio, despite Brazil’s ban.
Addy was devastated by this turn of events, as his plan had been to settle in Rio and smuggle his family out of Europe. A heated argument erupted between Addy and Eliska, with Eliska accusing Addy of dwelling in the past rather than celebrating their present victory. Nevertheless, Addy, Eliska, and her mother entered Rio, where Eliska reunited with her uncle’s family. When Eliska offered Addy a place to stay, he falsely assured her that he had money and would be fine. In reality, he was homeless. Fortunately, Giorgio, a representative of the Jewish Benevolent Association of Rio, offered him shelter and invited him to spend Rosh Hashanah with his family.
By the episode's conclusion, Halina had successfully rescued Adam from the labor camp. They lived in the woods with the Underground members until Adam recovered, and then relocated to Warsaw, where they solemnized their union without formal ceremony. In a letter to her family, Halina pleaded with them to make their way to Warsaw and join her and Adam. Reading Halina’s letter, Mila made the heartfelt decision to leave.
