Until recently, the story of the children of the Holocaust was rarely told. This
on-line guide recounts the war-time experiences of three child survivors: 5-year-old Lili, who
was separated from her family and hidden in a convent; 7-year-old Krystyna,
who lived for 14 months in a sewer, never seeing the light of day; and 14-year-old Alexander, who
learned about death on a fateful day in the ghetto. These survivors speak for their
friends and siblings -- the one-and-a-half million children who were murdered during the
Holocaust.
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Beyond Secret Tears
I was 4 years old and my brother was 5-1/2 years old when
we were first separated from our parents and placed in a Protestant orphanage in Belgium.
I was a depressed and confused child, but with the passing of time, I began to believe
that all children lived away from their parents. |
Krystyna's Story
When Daddy found out that there would be a liquidation of
the Ghetto, we hid in the cellar. I was 7 years old then and I knew about everything.
Later we headed for the sewer. It was very wet and dark. |
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My First Kaddish
At lunch time, I sat at the roadside with Willy, the other
Jewish carpenter. A passing Ukrainian peasant warned, "They are killing the Jews in
town. Why aren't you boys hiding?"
"Killing Jews? What are you saying?" I asked in disbelief.
"Look, there," he said, "see for yourself." |
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