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The Invasion
The Germans invaded Budapest. Budapest is a Prep School in the capital. Elli's brother, Bubi was staying. -
Bubi Leaves ....
Bubi leaves for school today, It's always sad seing him go every summer. He leaves for Budapest, he is a student at the The Jewish Teachers' Seminary, it's my dream to go there. -
Hitler invades Budapest
The headline roar: HITLERS GLORIOUS ARMY IS IN BUDAPEST!. News reached us.... all the jews were sent on freight trains to be sent to god knows where. Tonight father says he is leaving to bring Bubi home. -
My Education has been taken away
My school is closed as of now, for our best interest. -
Bubi
Early in the morning, after father had left to bring him home, he arrives at home. Several hours later, father returns. We all spend hours crying and just holding on to eachother. We though we were going to lose Bubi and Father. -
My Yellow Bicycle
All the Jews were ordered to appear at the town hall for Liquidation. We were ordered to deliver all our valubles. Including my brand new Yellow Schwinn bicycle! I had just gotten it, I was going to wait untill summer to ride it. -
The Dreadful Yellow Star
As of 8 a.m this Tuesday morning, all the jews must wear a yellow staron the left side of the chest on all outside clothing. Its ugly, it has six points. Plus, this horrific shade of yellow makes me look sickly. -
The Class Honor Scroll
Since school ended, for our ¨best interest¨, our last report cards and our graduation papers had to be mailed home. I got The Class Honor Scroll! On the other hand, I found out there will be no year book, no graduation, not anything. -
The harshness sets in
Todays town crier announces that Jews are forbidden to have intercourse with a christian. Jews are to be arresed if caught greeting, acknowledge greeting from, speat to, correspond with, recieve or deliver anything from Christians. -
No more shopping
Later on, Jews are to be immediately arrested upon entering public places, this mean no more cafes,stores,schools,parks,cinemas,library,city hall or the post office. -
The Ghetto
All Jews of Somorja, are to be removed and moved to the Nagymagyar Ghetto. I had read all about hte ghetto, a horrible and filthy place. Jews used to live there in the Dark Ages. We have 5 days, only 5 days to pack and decide what I am going to take. -
Just One last time....
Just before moving into the Ghetto, me and mother went for one last walk to the cemetery. I just wanted to pray at my grandmothers grave one last time before I leave my hometown forever.... -
Starting a new life...
Tonight we arrived at the Nagymagyar Ghetto. It's so packed here, there's over 500 families in one yard at the moment. They took everyones belongings and put it in a heap in the middle of the yard. We get assigned 2 rooms and a small kitchen to share with another family called the Blumenfelds. -
At least we're Together
Father, Aunt Serena anf Bubi arrive and wake us up. Mother and I cried and hugged them tight as we fell back asleep. -
Learning to like the Ghetto
Living with this family feels like it was ment to be. Washing up before going to bed, eating tother at one table, being funny filled with laughter, it just feels like home now. -
Poetry Book
This morning I recieved my very own poetry book. Mother said it's my own way to cope with all the things that have been happening to us lately. Will I be able to keep this forever? Or will it get taken like everything else? -
A Miracle ...
My friend Márta Kálmán ran up to the gate of the ghetto and brought my family and I a few things. It was a miracle they even found me, let alone brought my family and I food. That was the last time I ever saw her. -
Daddy... How could you?
It's 5 a.m and soilders come to pick up almost all the boys in the entire ghetto. Including Dad. Who is going to be dad? Everyone is crying, -
My Book isnt going anywhere
All the books were supposed to be burned, I wasnt going to let that happen with my poetry book. There are over 200 poems in my book. I hid it under my dress, I couldve been killed if one of the guards found it on me. -
AUSHWITZ
We are forced to leave the ghetto, no one knows where we are going yet. There are rumours about how we are getting handed over to the Germans. Everyone is cramped in the wagon, and we are waken up by the awful clatter of sliding doors being thrown open and being told to get out. -
The Riot
The first night, everyone is awaken by a girl screaming, ¨Gas! I smell gas. They're exterminating us!¨ We all run for the door, everyone closest to the door got shot. The SS screamed at us telling us to get back in bed. A woman told us we will be sent to the gas if another riot happens again. What the gas? What gas? Are these horrific runmours true? -
Arbeit Macht Frei
They stripped us of our clothes,hair,humanity and beliefs. They cut off my two long braids. Any little food they gave us i threw it up because I'm not used to it. Mother has been crying since we got here. Our whole familky is here, all my aunts, nieces. -
The Dawn of a New Hope
We are ordered to march. We are passing all of the building with barbed wire lined at the top. The train station comes into view. A long line of cattle dogs and SS soilders just barking. We are getting transfered to Camp Plaszow... one of the most notorious, forced-labor camp in Poland. -
Sickness
A diarrhea epidemic sweeps the whole camp. Within only two days, it reduces us to raglike dolls that can barely walk. Everyday, march to work, work for twelve hours, -
Being Loaded like Animals
One hundred are shoved into a cattle car, just as we thought it couldn't get more crowded, a SS soilder shouts thirty more to each car! Breathing is difficult, no one speaks, you either sit or stand with your mouth open, eyes half closed. You dont breathe, you simlpy take in short gasps of air. People fainting around me, mother is sweating profusely, I amscared to fall asleep for the fact that I don't know if I'll be waking up next to mother. -
I'm so sorry mother...
Me and mother share a tiered bed, I'm on the top and mother is on the bottom. I wake up to screaming, I think it's far away, but it's really right underneath me. The top bed collapsed and landed on Mother! I'm pulling her leg but she isn't responding, She thinks I'm pulling on something else. A doctor comes in and tells me to find something sharp. I had a needle from when mother used to sew, he pricks her and she doesn't respond. He says she is paralized, and I should be strong and ready. -
Leaving Hell
Me and mother made it past the selection, we passed together! We are leaving Aushwitz together! However, mother can barely walk without support. We are going to get stronger, there is only going up from here. -
Ausburg
I have slept over 24 hours in the box car. Rays of sun force their way through the cracks on the sides of the car. These officers are looking confused, he said ¨We expected 500 women from Aushwitz¨, they couldn't tell we were women? He asks about luggage, reminding me of my poetry book, Where did it ever go? One of the officers ask for mothers name, she begins reading her number. He stops and says ¨No, your name. This is the first sign of respect we have seen in ..... one only knows how long. -
Cleanliness
These officers, handed us soap, and clean towels, they smelled like lemons! I didn't believe they were real, i just couldn't. I threw the soap to make sure it wasn't plastic. Several girls began to weep. Tears of joy, however. After showers, we get real food in real dishes, and after we even got a second course of dumplings. This must be heaven. -
America, Will you be my home?
We got seperated, pulled apart, bruised,beated,abused,emotionally stripped and was caused to be morally confused. But, finally, we are getting transfered. A soilder busted through the doors in my bunker. Everyone got up, thinking it was an SS soilder, but he then informed us he was American. Everyone was speechless, we were crying. We are now Homeward, America here we come.
