EYE-WITNESS TO HISTORY:
A SURVIVOR'S TESTIMONY
I, Gabriel, the youngest of nine children, we were 6 boys and 3 girls;
born in a farm village in 1928. The village was located in central Poland,
the province was called the 'bread basket' of Poland. There was the most
beautiful river called Lyeviec which ran through the village; the water
was crystal clear, we drank it, fished, swam in it. The sand on the beach
was golden in color. Besides people, we also shared it with cattle and
horses. In the winter we skated and used blocks of ice to put in the cellar
for the summer to keep the food from spoiling. I loved the river, fished
any time I had to spare.
One time, before going to school in the morning, I went fishing; I thought
I would catch some before school and surprise mother but unfortunately,
the fish didn't bite so I forgot to go to school and tried to catch some.
In the meantime, my school teacher sent someone to my parents to ask where
I was. Imagine, my parents got panicky and started looking for me (remember
I was only eight years old). The whole family was looking for me. Finally,
when they found me about 12:00 noon, father took me by the hand, when
we got home, he put me on his knee and let me have it with his belt and
then told me not to do it again without telling someone in the family.
He said the punishment you got is not because I don't like you., it's
because I was happy to find you alive. School was located across from
our house. Before going to school, I whined a lot to mother that I was
hungry. Mother asked what would I like to eat, would I like eggs, milk,
bread, pancakes, cake, potatoes. I kept on saying no. Finally, mother
got annoyed and said eat stones, but when father showed up from the barn,
I started to eat everything. My father was very strict but kind and I
loved him and mother very much. They were the dearest people on earth
to me; the older I grew, the more I loved them and my brothers and sisters.
School started at 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. After public school I had
to walk five miles to the nearest town to Hebrew school. I never did like
going there because I was afraid to walk home in the evening. Secondly,
I never cared for the teacher because he was very strict. The teacher
had a leather strap and used it. I continued going to both schools until
1940. In 1940 I was expelled from public school because of my faith. Then
we had to give up our house and farm and small dairy business that we
owned. We had to move in with some gentiles as roomers. We shared one
room among all of us, three brothers and two sisters and my nephew, Leon.
My father had no trade. We had to depend on my brother Harry to provide
for all of us. I, myself, was hired by the landlord as a shepherd. It
was very hard work; I had to get up before sunrise to milk six cows by
hand, feed the chickens and pigs, then take the cows to pasture and make
sure the cows shouldn't get into the rye, or other grains. At noon I had
to bring the cattle back and milk some of them; then had lunch and had
to drive the cattle back to pasture and wait until sunset and when I drove
back to the barn. Then I had to feed the animals, straighten out the barn
and help the lady with some other chores. Then had to go home to my family.
I didn't eat at the farmer's house because my family was orthodox Jews.
After supper, I had to say bed time prayers. After prayers, mother made
the bed which was a wooden sofa which three of us could sleep on. I was
employed by the farmer until winter. So I stayed home until my older
brother, Harry, had a notice to report to the Germans for work, but I
went instead of my brother since he was a tailor and could support the
family. I was only 12 years old but taller for my age and stronger so
my parents sent me instead of him. I worked through the winter until we
had notice in 1941 to come to the ghetto, to the town of Wengruf. The
ghetto was all barb-wired; we shared two rooms with another family of
six.
In May, 1941, the Germans set up a Jewish committee to do their dirty
work and gave orders to the committee and the committee had to deliver
what the Germans wanted. When they needed so many men, the committee had
to deliver or else. The committee selected a member from each family;
according to age and build. My oldest brother, Harry, was selected. Since
he was the sole provider, my father went to the committee to spare my
brother, so I could go in his place. When the day came to depart, the
whole day my mother was catering to me. The whole family was very nice
to me as if they knew they would never see me again. When the big open
truck came around to pick me up, I had a small parcel with some food which
my mother packed for me and my father gave me his leather belt which I
used to get 'lickings' from and that was the belt I always wanted to wear.
For the first time in my life I saw my father cry and I could not say
good-bye; I couldn't even cry. My heart felt like it stopped beating -
it was a terrible feeling - it was full of sorrow and loneliness. For
the first time I knew I was going to be separated from my family, far
away and all alone among strangers. When the truck departed, all the way
to the labor camp I was crying, I could not help crying. When we arrived
in the camp we had to register. A fright came over me when I saw it, it
was located in the middle of a forest, barbed wire with guards standing
on top with machine guns. It was a huge place; it had big barracks in
large rows. We were assigned to certain barracks, each barrack had about
200 people, triple-decked so-called beds along the walls of the barracks.
They were just plain boards and one blanket. I picked my place on the
top row to sleep because I never liked to sleep underneath. They assembled
us outside and assigned us to certain duties. I was one of the youngest
boys in the entire camp. There were about 1000 men from all parts of the
province of Warsaw. They assigned me to work with old and weak men who
could not last very long. They used to pick out the ones who were no longer
useful and send them away to the crematorium camp. It took me a couple
of weeks to find out that I would not last very long in that group, not
because I was weak but because they never kept a person in the same group
too long. They used to send you anyway to the gas chamber because they
had new recruits. When I found out what was going on, I went to the foreman
and asked for a transfer to hard labor, which he laughed at me but I insisted
and he gave me a test and he was satisfied and transferred me to
hard labor. Our meals consisted of 250 grams of bread and a pint of black
coffee that had to last until supper time. Supper which was at 7:00 p.m.
we got a bowl of soup with some horse meat. The guards inside were formed
from our own men. We called them kapos and some of them were as bad or
worse than the S.S. They were inside and outside watching us that we do
our day's work which was to dig ditches about 5 yards long, 2 yards wide.
The place was muddy but under the mud was clay. They were used for irrigation.
If you didn't carry out your quota you were punished. We worked from sunrise
to sunset. You had to finish your quota. Some of us used to help each
other to finish before sunset.
We had to walk to camp in military form; it was two miles to camp. When
inside the camp first thing was to get in queue for supper. The queue
was very long, even though there were three queues. We were all starving
for some food. The meal consisted of horse meat, boiled in water and some
potatoes. After supper people gathered around in groups and talked about
what would become of us. Some went to look for food in the garbage pile.
Some of us had connections with the inside guards so they were able to
get extra food from outside the camp. That favor cost plenty of money
or valuables if you had it. I got some food during working hours. I would
sneak out to farmers in the district and beg for food or steal. Some of
the farmers were very sympathetic towards us and gave us gladly. The time
I was absent from work some of my friends covered up for me. For this
favor I would share the food with them. My friends were a father and four
sons. They accepted me as a fifth brother. I was very grateful to them
because they were tough guys and most inmates respected them and naturally,
they had the proper connections. I worked hard at finishing digging ditches
in time.
One Sunday, we were told to gather in the centre of the camp. We didn't
know what was happening. All kinds of rumours started. Then through a
loudspeaker they asked who was a farmer and to step aside. There were
approximately 20 in the entire camp that stepped aside. I was one of them.
A heavy-set man in a uniform came and looked at us and asked questions.
Since I was a farmer I had no fear. Fortunately, I was picked from the
20 men. I was informed that I would be working on his farm. I also was
told to get de-liced and cleaned up and receive new clothes. The next
day he took me to his farm. It was a couple of miles from the camp. At
the house I met his wife. She was rather small and nice-looking compared
to him. I also met the children; there were two girls, one was about five
years and the other looked. to me about three years. I was taken to the
hay silo and told this would be the place where I would be sleeping. My
chores consisted of whatever I was told to do like milking the cows
and some work around the house. I was treated very nicely. However, it
didn't last very long. Someone in the camp informed the camp director
about me and that was the end of my working outside the camp. Apparently,
there was a law that no Jews were allowed outside the camp. The farmer
was some official in the village. I was told by him that he tried to keep
me on the farm but he failed. Therefore, I had to return to camp and resume
my ditch digging. I worked in the field until October, 1942.
October was a terrible month for me and the Jewish people in the ghetto.
At the start of the Jewish New Year, the Germans started the liquidation
of the people in the ghetto in which my family lived. Most of them were
transported to the death camp of Treblinka or shot on the spot. Some were
lucky and escaped to the villages or forests; some were brought to the
labor camp where I was. The new arrivals told us some gruesome stories.
I inquired about my family and was told that my family was rounded up
like cattle and shipped by train to the death camp of Treblinka. Naturally,
I was very depressed and saddened and shocked, to say the least. I couldn't
sleep or work, my mind could not comprehend what was happening. I was
heart-broken and lonely and decided to escape and see for myself whether
this was true. I persuaded another fellow from the same town to plan our
escape. The next morning when we were marching to work through the forest,
we made a run for freedom. Some guards noticed our escape and yelled to
stop. One of the guards chased us for a while, fired a few shots. We didn't
look back, just kept on running in zig-zag direction until the firing
stopped. Then we found ourselves lost. We decided to go together in one
direction straight to our destination. As we went on our way, while walking
through the forest, we spied three men. They looked to us like camp escapees.
We approached them and had a little conversation regarding their plans,
and if we could join up with them. However, they said no! Too many people
are easier to spot and asked us not to follow them. Nevertheless, we did
follow behind them until they came to a railway crossing. We were about
200 feet behind, still in the forest; suddenly we heard shouts and then
shots. We didn't wait to find out; we knew there was trouble, so we started
to run in the opposite direction. Fortunately for us that they had refused
to take us along. We continued walking until we came across a river and
decided to follow it as it would take us nearer to our destination (which
was the village where I was born). We were very hungry and tired, the
only food was what we could pick from the fields, that was barely enough.
My only possession was a belt and a good pair of shoes. We decided at
the next farmhouse we would ask to trade the belt for food. However, before
we reached any farmhouse, some shepherds spotted us and caught up with
us and took away my belt and shoes. My friend didn't possess anything
of value. On top of taking away my things, we also got a beating. They
were contemplating turning us in to the police. Fortunately for us, they
decided to let us go. We soon forgot about our pain because of hunger.
At the next farm house I decided to go and beg for food but before I had
a chance to ask, the farmer knew I was Jewish and told me to leave immediately
without food, and screamed at me 'You are lucky I am not turning you in.'
Apparently, there was a bounty on all Jews dead or alive.
We continued to walk and pick whatever we could find in the fields to
eat. We tried to avoid the villages as much as possible because in most
places, there were police who were appointed by the Germans to do their
dirty work, like rounding up the few Jews that escaped from the ghettos.
But at certain places we had no choice that we could avoid the village.
Once in the village, we pretended to act as local boys, walking and whistling
but our hearts were pounding from fear that somebody might spot us and
turn us in to the police. Fortunately for us we made it through. When
we reached the end of the village, we sat down to rest and pray to G-d
for sparing our lives. We rested for one hour and deciding what road would
be best, we decided to stick with the same road from which we could see
a forest not far away. It didn't take long before we were confronted by
a forest ranger holding a gun and pointing it at us. He said he would
end our suffering and misery by shooting us. We begged him to spare our
lives but he said if he didn't kill us, someone else would. Besides he
could use the reward. We were on our knees begging him to let us go. He
had his finger on the trigger aiming to shoot when a farmer was passing
by the forest. The farmer stopped and asked the ranger to let us go. While
they were arguing, this was our chance to run away. What a wonderful human
being this farmer was to save our lives. This encounter with death will
always remain in my memory. It was an act of G-d, even though I had doubts
about the supernatural. After the Holocaust my religious upbringing was
shattered, to the point of being cynical about my faith. It was not easy
for me since I was brought up in a strict orthodox way. I am still tormented
regarding my faith. Many times when I am depressed or sick, my memory
would flash back to the experience in the forest with the ranger, when
the farmer appeared from nowhere like an angel who was sent to save
us.
It was a long and weary journey. It took us 4 days and 3 nights to reach
the outskirts of the village. Nearby was a summer resort which catered
especially to T.B. people. We were about 5 km. from the ghetto. It was
late in the evening and dark and cold. My friend Pasach thought it would
be best that I should wait here while he goes to see some old friends
of the family to get some food and find shelter for the night. I was waiting
for about 2 hours, getting rather cold and frightened and hungry and there
was no sign of Pasach. All kinds of thoughts were going through my mind,
some of them frightening. I could wait no longer. I feared to be found.
I changed places and got closer to the village and slept through the night
in a silo. The next morning I went back to the meeting place but there
was no sign of Pasach. Hoping I could find my friend but deep in my mind
I knew I wouldn't see him again, for it was easier to find shelter for
one rather than for two, so I went back to the village of my birth and
knocked at the door of a farmer whom I thought was a very good friend
of my father's. When the door opened and he saw me standing at the doorway
the whole family was shocked to see me alive, in disbelief. It took
a few minutes for the shock to wear off. I asked about my family's whereabouts.
They thought that everybody was killed or taken to the gas chambers in
Treblinka. Anyway, they offered me clothes and food but couldn't offer
shelter because that would endanger their lives. I felt as though I was
some criminal. Leaving the so-called family friend, I was surprised and
shocked. I felt that everyone had turned against me and most likely my
family, if anyone survived. But thank G-d, not everyone was against the
Jewish people. I was desperate and hungry and my own village was my only
hope for survival. I gathered some courage and went to another farmer
where I used to play with his children. I knocked at the door. It was
late in the evening, when the older man opened and. looked at me, he thought
he saw a ghost. He made a cross on his chest and head with his hand. 'Is
this really you, Gabriel?" I said 'Yes.' Immediately he asked me
in. He wasn't sure of me so he asked some questions about my family. After
that he was sure it was me. I told him and his wife and 2 children (the
girl was my age, the boy was three years younger) that I was hungry. He
looked at his wife and immediately they gave me all kinds of food to eat
and he told me to come back at night for he wished to talk to me. I spent
the remaining hours near the river which was very close to his farm. Many
thoughts went through my mind, thinking about my parents, brothers and
sisters, whether any of them have survived the liquidation of the ghetto.
While sitting on the river bank staring into the peaceful flow of the
water, I could see my entire childhood and environment of my family as
though nothing had happened. Nightfall arrived very fast; I got up from
my peaceful dream-like place and back to reality. I left the riverbank
so I could keep the appointment with the farmer who had news for me. As
I approached the farm which was cradled by many trees, I was very nervous
and many thoughts entered my mind. When I approached the house, the farmer
was waiting for me by the entrance of his home. He was a very stern-looking
man, however, he was to be of good character and honesty. He was well-to-do.
Inside the house he revealed to me that one of my sisters is hiding in
his cellar; also my brother Izzy is wounded and could be found outside
the village in a barn. I received from him some clothing and food. He
allowed me a brief visit with my sister, Ray. I tried to find out from
my sister what had happened. Was anyone else alive but she herself was
still in shock. I told the farmer I would be back in a few days to get
my sister. I had no difficulty in locating my brother, Izzy. We embraced
each other and cried with bitter tears. He was in a very poor condition
physically; a bullet had penetrated his right leg below the ankle while
jumping off the freight train to Treblinka, the death camp. The leg was
swollen and full of white puss in the wound. He had no medical treatment
since he jumped from the train. I went back to the village to get some
help for my brother; he was in terrible pain. I could see infection
was setting in; something fast had to be done.
On the way, I was trying to decide who would know about medication and
willing to help. There were no doctors or druggists in the village and
some of the Poles were not exactly friendly people toward Jews. As I remember,
the majority were indifferent to our plight. That doesn't make them less
guilty than the other ten per cent who took part in exterminating the
few remaining Jews who were lucky to escape the ghettos or camps. Saying
all that, I must say there were about ten per cent who would risk their
lives to help us in any way they could; otherwise, none of us would have
survived.
I remember when I was about ten years old, before the war, I would ask
my father 'Why do they throw stones at night in our windows' and in school
some of the boys used to call me dirty names, also say 'Go back to Palestine.'
My brother and I were the only Jewish boys in school; some of them were
bullies and mean; we had many fights.
I decided to complain to the teacher. I remember my parents used to
say nice things about him. It didn't help very much then but when I was
looking for somebody who could help my brother Izzy, I remembered the
teacher. When I knocked at the door, a boy about my age opened the door
and started to shout 'Gabriel is here! Gabriel is here!' .... like he
had seen a ghost. Everybody came running to the door to look at me. Finally,
they invited me inside and let me tell what I came for. The teacher told
me what to do about the infected wound and gave me all kinds of medicine
and bandages to treat the leg. After I cleaned his wound and bandaged
it, my brother felt much better, he could walk with a cane after. I moved
him into a barn upstairs where the farmer kept his hay for the cattle
to feed. It was much warmer and closer for me to bring food without being
noticed. The farmer expected to get paid for hiding Izzy on his premises.
I told him I would reward him handsomely. In the meantime, I was hanging
around the village figuring out where to hide and wait to see if anymore
of our family would show up. The nights were getting cold, especially
when I had to find shelter in hay lofts or barns. Everyone knew who I
was but very few would have anything to do with me, as though I had a
contagious disease. Food was very hard to come by. There was no price
limit that the farmer would ask for his food or shelter. Everybody knew
my father was very nice, so they wanted to benefit from our plight. Most
of our wealth was converted into yard goods and stored at some farmers
that my father trusted. Since yard goods was the most valuable commodity
to exchange for food or shelter, the most common advice was: Give yourself
up, you have no chance of surviving.... why suffer ... The majority sympathized
with us but that was as far as they went. The odd farmer was willing to
take a chance for a price.
It took about three weeks after the liquidation of the ghetto before
the rest of the surviving members of my family showed up. Harry, my brother,
two more sisters (Rachel and Hinke) and my nephew Leon plus Arthur, a
friend of Harry and Ray's fiance. Each one had their own unique story
of how they escaped the Holocaust; for instance, my brother Harry, hiding
under dead bodies until the German and Polish police left the cellar.
Then at night he fled to the village which was 10 km. My sister, Hinke,
also jumped the train bound for Treblinka, the death camp. Rachel lived
in a city called Yadow which was about 30 km. from our village. She posed
as a Polish woman visiting her parents in another village with her son
Leon. None of them looked Jewish and that was a great help for survival.
My youngest sister, Ray, was the first one to escape the ghetto by some
miracle and made it to the village. We reviewed our situation and planned
a strategy for hiding ourselves during the winter. Harry went scouting
for a farmer who would hide us for a price and one whom we could trust
and wouldn't betray us. We also decided to split into three groups; then
we would have a better chance to survive. Most of the villagers knew about
us being in the area but didn't know our hiding places. We also made it
known that if anyone of us was killed by the villagers, we would retaliate
by setting the entire village on fire; since all the buildings were made
of wood and straw roofs, it wouldn't take much to level the village. Therefore
it gave us a better chance of surviving and made the villagers think twice
before doing away with us, once we found the willing farmers whom we trusted
and negotiated a deal. Some of us were hiding in the cellar, others in
the barn underneath the ground, and in the attic. We got two meals
a day, one in the morning, the other at night. All activities were done
at night so as not to attract any attention. As I said, there were many
German collaborators who would inform on us if they knew where we were
hiding,
As a matter of fact, somebody did inform on our first hiding place.
One December morning, German and Polish police surrounded the entire farm
and started to search for us, first by questioning the farmer and his
family, but they held firm and denied that we were there. The police were
searching every building on the farm and screaming 'Jude kom raus!' -
Jew come out -. We heard all the commotion going on; we said to ourselves
this is it. We were terrified but decided not to come out until somebody
discovers our bunker underneath the stable. It was built strong enough
to hold two horses on top. The police were inside the barn and poking
with their bayonets and screaming in German to come out, but we stood
fast and silent. After a while they left empty-handed. The same evening
the farmer told us how they tortured him and his family to tell where
he was hiding us. The farmer and his family also stood fast and did not
reveal our hiding place, fortunately for us. But at the same time he told
us to leave so not to endanger his family. He thought some neighbour
must have spotted us at night. We got in touch with my brother, Harry
and he found for us a place in a building that the farmer stored hay for
the cattle; but there was a condition ... he would not supply any food.
We had to get our own food. This way he wouldn't be held responsible,
if we were found by the police, he could say he never knew we were there.
Our morale was still high despite the horrible shock we went through.
At the same time, we finally realized that mother, father, my niece of
four years old, went to the gas chambers of Treblinka; so did my married
brother Israel, his wife and three children, plus the entire Jewish community.
There were very few who escaped the claws of the Nazis and those who did
manage to evade the Nazis had little chance to survive. The environment
was against them, they had no idea how to survive in the forest or fields
since they were all city dwellers; so they wandered around the villages
until somebody informed the police and that was it. The fact of the matter
is that out of 30,000 Jews in that particular ghetto, and the surrounding
area, only 100 Jews survived the Holocaust. We prayed and hoped the war
would end soon, We believed that men and women all over the world would
get together and stop that evil man and his followers from committing
such atrocities to innocent people. The winter of 1943 was very cold and
plenty of snow and we had to move quite often from place to place, because
the neighbours used to find out and threatened to expose the farmer who
was hiding some of us. I guess they were jealous; some farmers were making
money from us. The ones who were exposed had to look for a new place.
Myself and my nephew, Leon, were hiding in the village alderman's hayloft.
It wasn't much of a hiding place but it was quite safe because no one
would suspect an alderman harboring Jews. We were treated very well; we
had plenty of food to eat, we stayed there for about two months.
One afternoon, a phenomenon happened which I cannot explain even to
this day. To me, it was very real. While I was sitting with my nephew
in the hayloft, all of a sudden, my mother appeared in front of me from
nowhere. She walked around me and my nephew as real as I always knew her
in life. Although there was no two-way communication, nevertheless, mother
started to talk to me in a low voice as she used to do and I could hear
her say 'Go out from here.' She repeated this sentence several times.
I began to cry and so did my nephew but he didn't see or hear anything.
I was shaking like a fish out of water; something strange was going on
with me. I told my nephew we must leave right away because mother was
here and told me that we must leave immediately. He started to cry and
was frightened to leave. He said if they see us in the day time,
they would kill us, but I insisted we go, for I was the older one and
he was to follow my decision. We left the hiding place and started out
across the village to the nearest forest which wasn't far away. The same
night, we went to meet my brothers and sisters so they could find a new
hiding place. I told them what had happened that afternoon and before
I had a chance to finish the story, my brother interrupted me and asked
us where we were when the police raided the alderman's hayloft and couldn't
find anything. Apparently, they turned the place upside down but there
was no trace of us. It was a mystery to the alderman and a miracle for
us. Nobody believed my story but to me it was very real and it will remain
real for the rest of my life. Afterwards, we spent most of the time in
the forest and fields during daytime. Night was our daytime, so some of
us could go to the village and buy some food for the rest of us. The reason
to hide in grain fields during late summer and autumn was that it was
the safest place; nobody would dare to trample the grain. The grain to
the farmer was more precious than life. He would inflict the greatest
injury to anyone who dared to trespass on his field, whether it be man
or animal. I have seen many fights among neighbours over a cow trespassing
and in some cases fights to the death.
We lived from day to day and moved around from field to forest so not
to be restricted to one pattern of movement, otherwise it would be easy
to track us down. We stayed in two's or three's together; this way we
had a better chance of not being wiped out at once. We learned this the
hard way; in the beginning we almost lost our lives when we were hiding
in one place. You may recall, the first winter when the farmer was raided,
but we were spared by some miracle; since then, we split into small groups,
The local people who tried to betray us and get the reward wanted to
get us all at once so as not to leave any trace, in case we would try
to retaliate against them. We made it known before that we would retaliate
if they would try to kill us one by one, and that is what kept them back
from killing us.
We had many elements to overcome; one was the weather, especially during
the rainy season; if anyone should get sick we had no way to get proper
medication. This was one of our biggest worries; then, there were occasional
raids from time to time by the Germans and that was terrifying. You never
knew who is going to be caught and killed by dum-dum bullets -- that's
what they used. I remember one time we were informed about a raid to take
place to capture us all in a certain day. One of the local policemen informed
us about it. We were very thankful to him and we rewarded him handsomely.
So we scattered far away from the village wherever we could find a safe
place to hide until everything was over. I chose the cemetery; it was
old and full of nice trees and shrubs. I stayed there for two days before
I came out. The time I spent in the cemetery I don't think I could ever
forget the terrible things that went through my mind, especially at night.
Every time a branch moved or firebug flew, my heart would jump out of
fear. I just closed my eyes and prayed after that particular raid. Fortunately
for us, no one was caught. We continued as before, hiding in the forest
or fields. The summer I experienced a strange dream. I was day-dreaming
during one afternoon or maybe I was in deep thought. Suddenly, a big German
shepherd dog appeared and tried to bite my throat. I gave a scream and
opened my eyes and realized it was a nightmare. Nevertheless, I was terrified
by the thought just the same.
The same night, I was supposed to go to the village to pick up some
cloth. I said to my sister Ray that I am afraid to go because something
terrible is going to happen to me. Ray said don't be a baby and stop believing
in dreams; nothing is going to happen to you. So when night approached
I started on my way. It was about three km walk. About one km was through
a guarded forested area. The rest of the way I followed the river so to
bypass the main village. Suddenly, a big shadow of a man appeared
on the water. I felt a terrible fright; I contemplated whether to go or
turn back. Before I had a chance to make a decision, a voice shouting
Halt! Halt! in German. I didn't wait to meet whoever it was ... I started
to run as fast as I could toward the village. I heard shouts and gunshots
but none of them hit me. I didn't turn around to look. I just kept on
running through the village, among the barns and houses until I lost him.
I didn't go back to our hiding place for fear of someone following me.
Instead I stayed in the village in an outside cellar through the rest
of the night and following day, hoping no one would discover me. The following
night I went back to the fields where we were hiding. My family was worried
to death; they thought for sure I was caught. I told them of my experience.
They were all happy to see me. We spent most of the summer and through
harvest time in the fields.
The winter of 1943-1944 looked very bleak for us. First of all, our
assets were dwindling down and we were not sure how much longer the war
would go on. We figured our assets should last for about six to seven
months; in the meantime, we had to secure some new hiding places for the
winter. My brother, Harry, and sister, Hinke assumed the roles of mother
and father - it was fine with the rest of us: after all, they were the
providers, in essence, we all pulled in the same direction, otherwise,
we could not survive. Everyone had a role to play no matter how small.
It took a month or so before we secured a couple of hiding places for
the winter. This time, we concentrated away from the village about four
km in a hamlet. The hamlet consisted of six scattered farmers. We knew
everyone and everyone knew us. Anyway, we made a deal with a well-to-do
farmer; he was well known and respected among his fellow farmers. He could
only accommodate six of us; the rest of us had to find some other place
to hide. The hiding place consisted of a bunker next to the cellar which
was built in the house. It was extremely hot and damp but it was no use
to complain. We felt rather fortunate to have this place.
At night we used to come up for fresh air and stretch our legs and relieve
ourselves. We were treated with dignity and well fed. There was one small
problem; the farmer had three sons, two of them young men. We were afraid
they might ask my sisters for sexual favors, because my sisters were the
most beautiful girls you could imagine. But to our surprise the farmer
sensed that something was bothering us, and he told my sisters not to
worry about his boys; they won't ask the girls for any favors he assured
us and that was a great relief for us.
The farmer said not to worry - nothing bad is going to happen to my
sisters, and promised to hide us as long as possible. We stayed there
the whole winter. In the meantime, Harry and Izzy were hiding in different
places and changing quite often. They also worked as tailors for different
farmers in exchange for shelter and food. It was rather an uneventful
winter. At the same time, we took in a woman and her 10-year old son.
They were let go by a city family after her assets ran out. Fortunately,
for her and her son that we found them wandering around aimlessly and
took them in as our own family and lucky for her that my brother, Harry,
took a fancy to her. He found a hiding place for her so they could spend
some time together. We also came across a man in his thirties; he too
joined our family. Unfortunately for him and my sister, Rachel. My sister
Rachel took sick in the spring of 1944. We had to find a better place
to hide for her; the bunker was no good for her respiration, so we found
a place in the middle of the village. The couple that took her in had
no children and were anti-Nazis and good friends of my brother Moishe,
before Moishe emigrated to Canada in 1936. The man and his wife were building
cement blocks and bricks. After a couple of weeks, my sister felt better
and was joined by the man whom we found in the spring. He had a grenade
on him and swore not to be taken alive. Unfortunately, somebody 'squealed'
on them and the next day, two Polish police surprised the couple and knew
exactly where my sister was hiding. The police dragged them out in broad
daylight and shot them dead. Fortunately for the police, the grenade did
not go off. The village people buried them outside the village near the
forested area. Most of the villagers were very upset about this incident,
They didn't want to be known as Jew-killers and most of all, reprisals
against them when the war will come to an end. As everybody knew, the
Germans were retreating on all fronts; it was a matter of time only.
The year 1944, we lost a brother-in-law (Haim). He was shot while coming
back from the village with my sister Hinke. They went to the village to
get some food for the rest of us. At that time, we were hiding in a forested
area about six km from the village. We figured the shooting was done by
a person who knew my sister and our family; it was a deliberate killing
of my brother-in-law (Rachel's husband) because he was an outsider. I
presumed so, otherwise, the killer or killers would have shot my sister.
The summer of 1944 people in the village were willing to help openly in
any way they could. Most of the people there were still collaborators
with the Germans; even those collaborators were starting to have second
thoughts. They knew the consequences when the Russian army would liberate
that part of Poland. The fact is when my sister Ray and her boy friend
Arthur were invited for dinner to the farmer, while they were eating two
chimney cleaners entered the house to tell the farmer they are here to
clean the chimney. Arthur panicked and jumped out through the window and
sister Ray was left alone. At the same time the chimney cleaners grabbed
my sister while she was trying to escape. They dragged her through the
village to take her to the city police to get a reward. Fortunately for
my sister, they went as far as the blacksmith's shop when a dozen villagers
surrounded the chimney cleaners and told them to leave her alone. While
they were arguing a woman shouted to my sister 'Run! Run!' Naturally,
my sister took her advice and ran outside the village and hid in a potato
patch until evening. The same woman went searching for her and found her
hiding in the potato patch, shaking from fear. The woman took my sister
by the hand and calmed her down and gave her some food to eat and assured
her that nobody is going to harm her. The same night, Ray came back to
our meeting place, still in shock and told us what had happened.
We spent most of the summer and through harvest time in the fields,
since this was the safest place to hide. Prior to our liberation, upon
hearing the march of the soldiers, we were sure that the arriving forces
were the remnants of the defeated German wehrmacht, thus insuring our
inevitable death upon discovery. We hid patiently in the stooks watching
the soldiers every movement.
Fear was in everyone's heart, until one moment when the army was nearly
upon us, one of my sisters screamed out. 'Die Russen zeinen du! The Russians
are here!" Never had I felt such ecstasy as at that moment. It was
as if I had been resurrected. Mere words cannot describe the sudden vitality
and flow of spirit that went through me. My every hair stood on end and
my blood tingled. The joy was beyond comprehension and until this day
I have yet to experience any mental or physical satisfaction as I did
at that moment.
During the time that followed, after we had been fed and clothed, only
one thought was present in our minds -- to get vengeance on the local
people and the Germans for the atrocities which had been committed; yet,
at the same time, none of us fully realized what atrocities had been done
and to what extent. We went back to our village to see what remained and
upon arrival, the villagers flocked to us like ants to honey, embracing
and expressing sorrow for what had happened. They all claimed to be friendly
and benefactors of the Jewish people but in reality, we knew them for
the collaborating informers and murderers that a great many of them were.
They offered to return our property but we refused for we knew that some
of the people of the village would come at night and finish us off. We
therefore, moved to the city with other survivors of Wengruf and the surrounding
area. We numbered about 30 people. About a week after we had settled there,
we once again moved away because of the hostility which we experienced
from the local population. They were afraid the people might try to reclaim
their property which the Poles had taken during the German occupation.
We were a constant living reminder of their sins and they wanted us out
so badly that they came at night and began to murder us one by one. After
a young man of about 20 had been murdered in cold blood one night the
entire group of about 30 Jewish people packed up their scant belongings.
Everyone went their own way but the final destination was common to all
- Eretz Yisrael. For there was not one person in his right mind who wished
to reside in a godless land with a prejudiced, corrupt and evil people.
I myself, plus Ephraim and Naphtali followed the Russians westward towards
Berlin. Each time the Russian army conquered a new city, we would follow
a day later. We looted, ate, drank and took revenge.
An experience we had in Danzig is very vivid in my mind. While occupying
a house with a German couple we met up with a Russian lieutenant. After
a few drinks and chit-chat, the lieutenant decided it was time for some
girls. We asked the lady of the house if she could recommend some friends.
She offered herself but we wanted young ones. I suggested we do our own
hunting. As nightfall had approached, I knew of a place where a few young
girls resided and since I spoke German, I proceeded to lead the rest of
them. We arrived at the house and since the doors were locked, my friend
gave a typical Gestapo knock ... a continuous rhythmic knocking of extreme
intensity. A few seconds later, someone came to the door and asked who
is this? I announced in German "This is the police, open the door
immediately!" When she opened the door, the three of us walked in
and announced that we were here to visit her girls, upon which the mother
began saying that they were sick and had syphilis. However, we were too
drunk to listen to reason. We went in, did our thing and left.
I travelled back and forth from occupied Germany to Poland in quest
of making easy money, mostly buying from the Russian soldiers and then
selling it on the black market. My main objective was to acquire some
wealth and go to Israel. Everything was going my way until I decided to
leave Poland for good. In the fall of 1945, my friend Tolek and I made
plans to go to Austria and from there eventually to Israel. All our wealth
was exchanged into U.S. dollars and cold coins, It was well hidden in
the heels of our shoes, in loaves of bread, in our clothing and so forth.
We knew the border crossing quite well. We thought we had it made. Unfortunately,
we had a rude awakening when we tried to cross the Czechoslovakia border;
we were caught inside Czechoslovakia about five km. from the border waiting
for a train. The border police asked us for passports; we had none so
naturally they took us to the police station, disrobed us naked and searched
every piece of our clothing. They even looked in the rectum; to our dismay
they found everything we possessed. All the gold coins and dollars were
put on the table in front of us. They gave us a choice; keep quiet and
you can go wherever you are going, or you can go to jail and be deported
back to Poland. Naturally, we kept quiet and proceeded to Austria, penniless.
I shouldn't say penniless; they provided us with some food and some money
-- enough to get to Vienna, Austria.
Once in Vienna we got in touch with a Jewish organization. They in turn
placed us in a youth organization who were responsible for the youth who
wanted to go to Israel. My friend Tolek and I were sent to Italy to join
a kibbutz called Gordonia which was located in Barrie near the Adriatic
sea. The kibbutz was a brand new experience for me. I met all kinds of
boys and girls from all over Europe. Most of us were very nationalistic
towards Israel. Most of us were eager to go to Israel and fight for our
homeland. However, the leaders had different ideas; we had to have some
military training before any of us could sail for Israel. In the meantime,
we had to learn Hebrew since most of us spoke the language of our country,
or Yiddish. Everybody had different chores to do. My friend, Tolek and
I had special assignments; we were assigned to go back to Poland and try
to recruit young boys and girls to come to the west like Vienna and from
there, eventually to Israel. The reason for choosing us to do that particular
assignment was because we knew most of the border crossings from Poland
into Vienna.
It was a life full of adventure and purpose; it was most gratifying
to know that you were doing something of great importance and some day
the Jewish people would have a homeland of their own. Most of us were
eager to go and fight for our homeland. The ones who had some military
training were sent by boat to Israel; unfortunately, not all got through;
some ended up on Cyprus, in camps. The British navy was patrolling the
sea and whenever they spotted a boat of Jewish refugees, they escorted
them back to Cyprus. I spent about two years in the kibbutz and decided
to see my family. Some of them were already in Canada, especially my two
brothers who left Poland before the war. My oldest brother, Joshua, I
couldn't remember and my brother, Moe, whom I remembered a little. Mother
used to tell stories about Moe, how adventurous he was; when he was home
nobody would dare to throw stones at our windows. Everybody in the village
knew how tough he was; he would catch the culprit and beat the daylights
out of him. While he was home, things were normal, but when he departed
for Canada in 1935, actually he didn't want to go but father made sure
that he went. Moe cried like a baby. I remember my mother took him by
the hand and gave him a hug and a kiss and both of them left to the city
to catch a train.
When my two brothers received my letter and a picture of myself prior
to my letter they didn't know if anyone of our family had survived. My
letter was the first to be received in which I informed them who had survived.
The funny part of the letter is that I did not know their address so I
marked the envelope 'Moe and Joshua Miller, Montreal, Canada.' Fortunately
for them letters without addresses went to a Jewish organization and they
traced the proper party. It took about three weeks before I had an answer,
also some money inside the envelope. We corresponded all the time and
I told them I am planning to go to Israel. They asked me to reconsider
and come to Canada and stay with them for a while and then I could make
a decision regarding Israel. My brothers were eager to see me and talk
to me. They went as far as making papers to come to Canada as an immigrant,
but I had different ideas. I wanted to see Europe; so I crossed the Italian
border and ended up in France illegally. While in France I took the train
and went directly to Lyon, because the train didn't go any further. I
had some money on me. My French wasn't too good, so the first thing I
did I went to the open market and tried to find some Jewish person who
I could communicate with. Fortunately for me, it didn't take long before
I met a Jewish merchant and he invited me to his house and I ended up
staying for one year, until I left for Canada in 1948,
While in Canada, my brother, Harry, my brother Izzy, and my nephew Leon
were already there. They arrived from West Germany a year before. The
same year that I arrived, two months later, my sister, Ray and her husband,
Arthur, and their baby daughter, Gita arrived. I could say life wasn't
easy for us; we had to start from scratch; my brothers, Moe and Joshua,
couldn't help very much. Joshua had three children to support, he didn't
earn very much as a tailor. Moe was single; he liked to help but unfortunately,
he barely made a living for himself. I had great aspirations before coming
to Canada. My aspirations were dampened when nobody could help me
financially. So my brother Moe took me under his wing and tried to teach
me a trade, since I had no trade. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
I worked as an operator in ladies' wear for about four years but I was
very unhappy; so I decided to quit and go into business for myself. I
didn't have much money to start, neither did my family; anyway, my sister
Ray and my brothers encouraged me to go ahead; I had free room and board
at my sister's place. I had saved up about $1000.00 and got a loan of
$500.00 and I was in business for myself as a custom pedlar. It was hard
work but it was rewarding. I made more money in one year than I made in
four years in the factory.
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