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Golda's Stories of the Holocaust Part I - Time Section 3 – The Working Camp Chapter 7 - In the cement factory The Germans capture me, decide to execute me,
but I trick them. One woman, Frimchu
Goldstein, requested from me to bring a package to a gentile named Lehman. He
had in the city a factory of concrete products. At the same opportunity,
another woman requested that I will go to be informed about her son, who was
placed by the gentiles, and see that if he needs money, I will give it to them.
Usually I went out
for such operations being disguised as a young man, dressed in man's clothes.
For that need I had short hair and adapted manly language and manners. The clothes belonged to my brother Benjamin.
These were expensive clothes and we sold them one by one. Eventually I was left
without any manly cloth to wear. I had my pretty coat. I dressed properly like
a girl and went out for action. I went out this time
not in the night but in the morning. It was Sunday morning, about a month
before Passover. I arrived at the yard in which the boy had to be resided, and
didn't found anyone. The house was closed. I entered the neighbors to ask.
There was a cobbler's workshop over there. A family was there: a man, a woman
and a young guy around age twenty. They said that this
family moved out from the place and they don't know to where, and where is the boy. I said to them: "Thank you very much"
and went out to the street. Apparently the family
members decided between themselves that I am a Jew. The guy went out
after me. He shouted to all over: "Jude! Jude! Jude! Jude! Jude!" There was in the
street a patrol of two Germans from the garrison. Except of them the street was
totally empty of people. The street was so quiet, that I heard them going. Earlier, I felt, that
this family suspects that I am a Jude, because they whispered between them:
"Jude, Jude". Therefore, when he
shouted, I pretended that it's not intended for me. I went on walking pretty
calm. But I saw that the
Germans are running after me, and I started to go a little more quickly, pretty
quickly. This was not far away
from the factory of Mr. Lehman. I knew that behind the factory there is a road
to the forests. I thought that I will find a short cut and run away. I went to the gate
and knocked on it as hard as I could. The guard approached,
and I requested from him desperately: "Open for me! Rescue me! Open for
me! Rescue me!" At first he didn't
want, but lastly he opened it. They started to beat
me forcibly. They asked:
"From where are you? What do you have in the package?" I apologized: "I
am from the saw-mill. I went to panhandle from house to house. I collected
several things, in order to have for us something to wear in the camp, because
we don't have". They didn't believe
that I am from our camp. They thought that I am a spy from the partisans. They
beat me very hard. I was very strong, and didn't fear from it. But I sensed
that here will be my end. They promised:
"Tell us from where is the package, and we shall not beat you any more and
shall release you". I said to them once
again: "I am from the saw-mill". They insisted:
"You are from the partisans". They beat me strongly
more and more, and in the course repeated on their promise: "If you will
discover us from where is the package, we will release you". I wasn't able to
overcome more of the distress, and told them lastly whose it. Mr. Lehman, when he saw me with
the Germans, almost fainted. I was well-known in our town. My father was an
honorable man, and in certain time was head of the Jewish council. We had a
furniture store in the main street, and everybody respected us. Mr. Lehman organized five
gentiles from the town: One lived opposite us. He was the
shopkeeper of "Bata's shoes", a very honorable man. Second was the pharmacist, the
owner of the pharmacy, who also was our neighbor. Third was the senior priest of
the city, Parola, who was a very nice man. Fourth was a house owner who had
a Perfumery. The Fifth was also an honorable
gentile. They were some of the most
honorable people in the town, credible and pure for Poland, and without filth
in their heart. They started to talk with the
Germans: "It is not worth for you to do a business from this girl. She
came just to request several things, in order to have in the camp what to wear, and that is all". They collected between them one
Hundred thousand Zlotys. They wanted to give the money to the soldiers, in
order that they will let me return to the camp. The soldiers came and knocked
powerfully with their rifles on the gate. The keeper opened for them, and they
caught me. Me they locked in a room
separately. All the windows of the room were closed and coverd with flowerpots,
in a way that it wasn't possible to move them in order to jump from the window.
About every ten minutes entered
the room alone one of the Germans and beat me. They beat me in the face and in
the back very strong hits. So many hits, that I already got
used to them, and did not cry. Now and then, when it was
possible, one of the gentiles entered the room and updated me with the
situation: "Listen, we want to give to them one Hundred thousand Zlotys,
in order that they will release you, but they don't want. We do all the efforts.
You know which trouble will come on us if they will surrender you to the
Gestapo. The Germans will kill in the town ten gentiles, because we gave help
to the Jews. But they do not want, under any circumstances, to release you.
They are very bad, and nothing helps us". When they caught me it was eleven
o'clock in the morning. The situation continued until ten minutes before eight
o'clock in the evening. With the beating, the trouble, the
fear and without food. With the honorable gentiles who
liked me, and made an effort to do me a favor. But the Germans did not
want anything, except to surrender me to the Gestapo. In ten to eight came one German
to the room, and brought me a bowl of food. In the bowl where
quite a big portion of potatoes' puree, and above it an omelet of two eggs.
He brought also a big glass of vodka. He ordered me: "I want you
to eat now, and not be hungry, because at 8 o'clock we are going to kill
you". I do not know the accurate reason
for the decision to kill me. Apparently the gentiles decided between themselves
that instead of handing me over, it is preferable that they will kill me
themselves, and so they will have quiet. I raised the glass vigorously,
and called in contempt: "I drink this glass in order that we shall be released
from the suffering that we have from you"! At the moment that he heard this,
the German started to beat me hard blows. I apologized: "What? Why do
you beat me? I wanted to wish that the war will be over. That there will not be
a war anymore, and we shall not suffer". He stopped to beat me and told me
in anger: "Eat"! I wasn't able to eat, but he
forced me to finish. To the room entered once more the
gentile from "Bata's", Globatski. He whispered to me hastily:
"Amiable, nice girl. We did all the efforts in order to rescue your life,
but they did not agree. I say to you - escape! Run for your soul!" At 8 o'clock the Germans ordered
me: "Go out! Take with you also the package!" I had in the pocket the money
that I wanted to deliver for the boy, on which they didn't know. They took me through fields
straight to the forest. All the time one of them held a
gun and aimed it to me. At the time that they lead me to
the forest, they investigated: "What does your father do? Where do you
hide your money? Where did you live? Were you rich? We will not kill you. Tell
us". I answered: "We are poor. We
had nothing. My father is a carpenter, worked in carpentry, not more than that.
We don't have money, and we don't have a cache". We entered the forest, and the
moment of execution arrived. Suddenly, a short delay occurred.
They started to debate who will shot me actually. One said: "You will be the
man who will kill her"! The other answered: "No, you
will kill her"! They argued three times. I got an inspiration. I
remembered from life, that anybody who is going to be executed has one last
request. No one is unwilling to refuse it, because this is the last moment. I requested from them: "I
want to pee". They permitted me in
arrogance:"Please, do what you want". I made myself ashamed from them.
I was dressed in a girl's coat, and held the package. I had to raise the heavy
coat and to lower the trousers and the underpants. For about five minutes I
acted as if I am ashamed. I want, and simply am embarrassed. They felt my bashfulness. So they
went aside and turned their heads. As they turned, I grasped myself with all my
forces, and ran into the forest. They reacted immediately, and
shot after me. The balls whistled around me. But I was courageous and strong and
I received an upper force, in spite of being after Typhus disease. I didn't run
straight, but in zigzag. I escaped deep to the heart of the forest, where the
Germans had never approached. From so much running I fell down,
without ability to stand. I hid under a pine tree. I closed the branches on me
and froze. I folded myself like a ball, a fist. Even pee I did there seating,
and did not move from the tree. In the night I wanted to hear
partisans go, thiefs, or people speak. But over the night, entirely folded
under the tree, I didn't hear but several foxes whine: "Hu hu, hu, hu, hu,
hu". At dawn I wanderd: "What is
this? Partisans didn't come, theives didn't come. I am alone in the forest. I
will not get along here alone. I will return back to the camp. I know the way.
I have there a father and mother, and there isn't something better for
me". But I feared to return the same
way I came. I chose a direction through another forest. I had to cross also the
river Kamiena, a big river. The time was early in the
morning. I crossed swimming the Kamiena. The clothes were in a bunch on my
head, in order that they will not get wet. Later I continued to walk. I
crossed a gentile's cemetery and a Jewish cemetery. When I arrived at the main
road, where there were not any more forests and fields and inhabited area, I
took off my shoes and walked barefoot. In all the roads, night and day,
there were constant patrols of soldiers' quades from the garrison. I was
cautious. When they were near me, I hid in the roadside until they passed. When
they walked in my direction, I followed them. In this way I arrived to the
camp. Our camp had a fence in a height
of six meter. When I exited to the night actions, I had never a problem to pass
over it. I used to climb it and jump. Nothing, even once, happened to me. I was
agile and skillful. I was athletic a little, and jumps were not a problem for
me. When I arrived at that night, I
climbed on the fence with the remainder of my forces and jumped to the camp. I
was already in the camp, and I needed to arrive to the dwellings, a distance of
kilometer. But I wasn't able to go. I wasn't able to stand. I wasn't able to do
anything. I was totally exhausted. Lying, I crawled with my hands,
and overcame slowly the great distance, until I arrived close to the dwellings. Around the dwellings there was a
fence of one meter. I wasn't able to pass it. I wasn't able to climb over this
little fence and enter. I wasn't able to stand at all. Suddenly, I saw someone familiar
descends the staircase from the second floor of one of the buildings, and go to
the facilities. This was laser Weksler, who was a carpenter and worked at our
workshop before the war. I whispered, trembling entirely,
unable to talk, in a faint voice: "Laser, Laser, it's me, Laser". He, when he saw me on the ground,
crossed the fence and took me in his arms. My head dropped back from the
fatigue. He shouted with astonishment:
"Golda'le, you are alive?! Every body said that you were killed,
Golda'le". I whispered: "I am alive, I
am still alive, Laser". He took me in his arms and
brought me to my dormitory. The entire dormitory was in a
deep sleep, except my father. He sat, dressed in a pajama, on a long bench. His
high boots were beside him. Laser brought me and suddenly shouted,
awakening everybody: "Golda'le is alive, Golda'le is alive!" Everyone in the place was
awakened at once. My father took a boot, and wanted
to throw it on me. Laser stopped him, begging:
"Rabbi Yeheskel, don't beat her, Golda'le is alive". Thereafter the dwellers put me in
my bed. We had to go to work in seven
o'clock in the morning. Somehow, with the little strength left in me, I dressed
in work clothes and went down in time. I stood in my post, beside my
working table, as if nothing happened. I left on Sunday morning, and returned
on Monday morning. On Sunday nobody worked in the factory, except special
workers. But the gentiles, on the same day
that I was caught and there were efforts to save my life, informed it to Novak
the bastard, our cruel foreman. Gentiles from the entire city, who knew that
I'm going to be killed, told him. Novak, immediately when he saw me
at work, approached me and asked angrily: "How are you here? We heard that
you were killed". I answered numbly: "I am
here". He beat me hard blows and
shouted: "Who do you think you are? You want that the Germans will kill
you!? I can kill you too"! On this day my face was black and
shapeless. Only the eyes could be seen in it, nothing more. I was in such a
hard condition. He barked: "Go upward. We
shall settle the account later". He let me go to the dwellings, in
order that no one will see me. Everybody spoke on me. I brought back the money, but I
left the package in the forest. Frimchu Goldstein did not tell me that there
was in it a big diamond. She attacked me with the question: "Where is the
package?" I Told her what happened to me. She did not believe that I had a
day and night so hard, and insulted me explicitly: "You were all night
with guys, and therefore came so thin. Yes, you did who knows what with guys
all night, returned broken and found an excuse". Tying hard to remain calm, I
answered: "Frimchu, the war will be over, and we have at home a
hiding-place with valued things. After the war I will return it. You don't believe
me? You don't have to now. I can not run away.
My heart is open fully for you to see the truth. You can believe
me". A Day later Lehman came to Novak.
He came after that the entire city already heard that I am alive. They were
friends a little, and he came to tell by himself what happened. I saw Novak goes to the office
and Lehman with him. Later they called Frimchu. Lehman told her what happened
to me, and how the big failure happened. She asked for my forgiveness
thousand times: "Golda'le, Golda'le. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. Everything that you told us is true. I ask for
your forgiveness because I humiliated you ". I answered calmly: "Frimchu,
if we shall live, I will give it back to you. We have a treasure in our house.
Thank god, I am still alive". I recovered and returned to work. One day, after two weeks, I saw
one of the Germans that wanted to kill me, come to the camp and enters directly
to the office. The factory had big windows, and we could see all the time who
arrives and who goes out. I immediately left the place and hid myself. He entered the factory, stood in
front each and every one and observed the faces. Golda Shaier looked like me
slightly. She was tall and brunette like me, but with a different face. He clung to her and said:
"you are the one who ran from me in the forest. You ran from me in the
forest"! He had a big rifle on his
shoulder. She answered frightened:
"What do you want from me? What? I work. I did not do anything". He attacked her with shouts:
"You ran from me in the forest"! She did not overcome it. She was
not guilty. She got scared and called Novak: "Look, what does he wants
from me? He doesn't let me work". The soldier asked from Novak to
inspect with him once again the factory, in order to see all the people. They
checked quickly, and left. There was there a young Jewish
guy, whom his father, form the time that we were still outside the ghetto, was
an informer on Jews. He was telling them who butcher a cow, who has money, and
the like. The Germans came always after the
informing and demand: "Give us money! You, because you butchered a cow.
You, because you bake bread. You, at your place there are eggs ". Finally the Germans killed the
father. But the garrison soldiers knew also the young guy, and were with him in
good relations. They used to visit him often. The German went to him and
said:" Listen, I want to see the girl who ran away from me. I will give
her two big Vodka bottles. I will not do anything to her. I want just to see
her, nothing more". The idiot started to shout in the
camp: "Golda! Golda! Golda! The German wants to give you two Vodka bottles
as a gift, and only to see you, nothing more. Please leave the
hiding-place". I, as if I do not exist, did not
answer him. I hid myself for two hours, until
Lunch brake time. The people came to lunch, and I went out from the
hiding-place. |