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Paula and I grew up in a town called
Chenstochova, Poland. We came from religious families, as did most Jewish
Europeans of our generation. From a young age, we watched our parents help
those less fortunate by whatever means they could. Paula’s mother,
for example, would bake chalah for poorer families so they could recite
the blessings on Shabbat. Such kind gestures left a permanent imprint.
 In 1939, our lives were shattered as Hitler and his demons took control
of our lives. Paula was interned in the Chenstochova Concentration camp,
while I hid for three years in farmers’ basements across Poland.
We survived, but my parents and all my seven siblings were murdered. Paula
lost her parents as well, and, out of seven siblings, she and three others
survived.
Soon after the war ended,
we were married and moved to Germany. Our first child, Harry, was born there.
We made our way to Israel and soon after came to Toronto. Life was not easy
since we had no money and no extended family to rely on. But we worked tirelessly
to establish ourselves and eventually planted solid roots. We only had our
second child, Rosalind, when Harry was 10 years old. We simply could not
afford another child as struggling immigrants.
Today, we are the proud parents
of two married children and even prouder grandparents to four delightful
grandchildren: Anna Rachel, Yonah, Tanya and Steven. They have all received
a Jewish education and all uphold Jewish values. Despite the hardship we
endured in our younger lives, we felt that they must know who they are –
that their identity as Jews is critical. We could never make sense of why
we were Hitler’s victims but we affirmed that our family’s faith
in Judaism would not vanish.
Even in today’s
climate, as we fight against fanaticism and widespread terrorist activity,
we are hopeful. We have to live with hope otherwise we would not be here
today.
As Israel is, once again,
forced to defend her right to exist, we remain steadfast in our support
of our beloved homeland. We give what we can and always have. Among our
list of involvements, we are past honourees of State of Israel Bonds International
Holocaust Remembrance Award Dinner and have donated three ambulances to
Magen David Adom in Israel.
Any time we receive an
appeal, we respond. No envelope goes unanswered. Any mishluach is accommodated.
We are certain our children
and future generations will do as we do because it is in our blood. We are
all survivors!
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