At just 12 years old, Herman Rosenblat lived a life of hardships. A Jewish boy in Nazi-occupied Poland, his life and his family dissolved around him each day. He was forced to leave his home with his family and live in a ghetto. Soon thereafter, his father fell ill. The doctor they snuck into their dwelling was unable to help; Mr. Rosenblat was dying of typhus. Before he passed, he said something which Herman never forgot: "If you ever get out of this war, don't carry a grudge in your heart and tolerate everybody." It was hard advice to remember in the coming months, when the rest of Herman's family would be sent to labor camps and he would be separated from his mother forever.
In Schlieben, Germany, nine year-old Roma Radziki posed as a Christian with her family to escape persecution. The Radzikis lived near a labor camp; Roma walked passed the chain link fence every day. Once, she caught the eye of a handsome boy on the other side. Asking herself what she could do to help him, Roma threw the boy an apple she was carrying. It was the beginning of a daily ritual that would last until Herman was scheduled to be transferred to a different camp. He told the strange girl he wouldn't be back at the fence the next day. "I won't see you anymore," she said. "Right, right. Don't come around anymore," he replied. Years passed, Herman's camp was liberated, and the two children forgot each other.
Herman eventually moved to New York, where ran a television repair shop. One night a friend offered to set him up on a blind date. Herman was not enthusiastic about meeting a strange girl, especially without knowing what she looked like, but he agreed. The strange girl was Roma.
After dinner, the two of them got to discussing their wartime experiences. Roma told Herman about the handsome boy who used to catch the apples on the other side of the fence, and Herman was astounded. "That was me," he said. He proposed that night. Roma thought he was crazy. But, two months later, she agreed. This summer, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
To read the full story, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/10/13/holocaust.love.story.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Showing posts with label holocaust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holocaust. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Brother and Sister Hollocaust Survivors Reunited After 66 Years
The last time Irene Famulak and her little brother Wssewolod Galezkij saw one another was 1942, as he fidgeted while she tried to kiss him goodnight. It may have been long ago, but the memories are painfully acute: it was later that night the Nazis would come into their home in the Ukraine and take the 17 and 7 year old siblings to German labor camps.
Famulak flew to the Ukraine after she was contacted by the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, with news that her one surviving sibling had been located. Galezkij, who had to be taken to the hospital after the emotional shock of learning his sister was alive in the US, was filled with joy as he clutched her on the tarmac after 17 years of searching and over six decades of wondering. "I don't believe anyone has ever known such happiness. Now, I truly believe I can die satisfied."
Linda Klein, the director of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, reports that the group has reunited 1,500 families since it began work in 1990, and over 50 families this year alone... all for free. They also help families find information about loved ones who died during the Holocaust. She says the searches can be like "looking for a needle in a haystack... When a connection is made, there are just smiles all around."
for the heartwarming photos and more details about Irene and Wssewolod, here is the original link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/11/holocaust.reunion/index.html
If you have questions about how to volunteer, contact Gabriel Kabik at the.simulacra@gmail.com
Particularly if you are able to translate Polish and other Eastern European languages, contact Jessica Duvall Wodarczyk at 410-624-2092, or mailto:Wodarczyk410-624-2092jduvall@arc-cmc.org
Special thanks to Gabriel Kabik for alerting the GNG to this amazing story.
Famulak flew to the Ukraine after she was contacted by the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, with news that her one surviving sibling had been located. Galezkij, who had to be taken to the hospital after the emotional shock of learning his sister was alive in the US, was filled with joy as he clutched her on the tarmac after 17 years of searching and over six decades of wondering. "I don't believe anyone has ever known such happiness. Now, I truly believe I can die satisfied."
Linda Klein, the director of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, reports that the group has reunited 1,500 families since it began work in 1990, and over 50 families this year alone... all for free. They also help families find information about loved ones who died during the Holocaust. She says the searches can be like "looking for a needle in a haystack... When a connection is made, there are just smiles all around."
for the heartwarming photos and more details about Irene and Wssewolod, here is the original link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/11/holocaust.reunion/index.html
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If you'd like to help create more happy endings (and more good news!) please feel free to contact the volunteer group which facilitates reunions like this one.
If you'd like to help create more happy endings (and more good news!) please feel free to contact the volunteer group which facilitates reunions like this one.
If you have questions about how to volunteer, contact Gabriel Kabik at the.simulacra@gmail.com
Particularly if you are able to translate Polish and other Eastern European languages, contact Jessica Duvall Wodarczyk at 410-624-2092, or mailto:Wodarczyk410-624-2092jduvall@arc-cmc.org
Special thanks to Gabriel Kabik for alerting the GNG to this amazing story.
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