Stella Tarica Full Video

the surviving generations of the Holocaust based in Seattle Washington has taken on the project of videotaping eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust from those individuals who survived the Nazi reign of terror millions of people were annihilated just because they were Jewish the goals of this project are first to educate the current and future generations about the Holocaust with the hope that those who learn would happen will not allow it to happen again never again to any group of people second to refute false allegations by neo-nazis and revisionist historians that the Holocaust never occurred and third to refute the commonly held notion that the Jewish people offered little of any resistance to the Nazis my name is sandy Samuel today I am interviewing mrs. Stella tarika a Holocaust survivor mrs. tariqa in order to put your experiences into perspective I would like to ask you some questions about your life before World War two first of all what is your full name today Stella tareka what was your name before the war Stella Varon what were your parents names Renae Reina Baron Cohen Baron and Salomon baron when and where were you born in the island of rhodes january 24 1931 did you have any brothers or sisters yes two brothers and a sister and what are what were their names Joseph a share and Laura what years were they born in Joseph was born in 1925 six Asha was born in 1925 and a Laura was born in 1928 I believe where were your parents born my father was born in Bulgaria and my mother was born in the island of Rhodes what when you were raised on the island of Rhodes who was the government that was administering the Italian did you have relatives on the island of Rhodes yes what language was spoken at your in your home Ladino can you describe a little bit about of what the island of Rhodes was like well it's a beautiful island it's it very large or large yeah the main island we lived in the main island which is a larger place and were their cities on the island of Rhodes no villages the main island and then divided into villages and then the twelve little islands around the main island the DECA nice what did you live in the main island so there was no village name no was just ladoo Duryea what and where all the Jews lived in one in the main island what language was spoken in the streets of the island of Rhodes well the Italian was the main language and Greek in Turkish French Ladino some Hebrew what can you tell us a little bit about what Ladino what kind of language is Ladino well Ladino derives from the Spanish Inquisition because we came from Spain originally and we settled in the island of Rhodes the my answers I was born in the gallon of roads where that you said that you lived in a Jewish area where there non-jews that lived in that area yes yes so did you yeah we had neighbors that the world Greeks and Turkish Italians so did you come into contact with these non-jews yes yes did you play with non-jews as you were growing up not too much but we were just neighbors and what kind of school did you go to Italian school Italian but Jewish it was a Jewish yes did your neighbors that were not Jewish go to a different type of school yes was it went to there yeah no Jewish you know what what language were you taught in at school Italian in Hebrew did all the Jewish children go to the Jewish schools yes did your brothers and sisters only go to Jewish schools as you were growing up well great school up till grade to grade school they went to Jewish school and then high school was run by Catholics so did any of your brothers or sister go to the Catholic yes what did your parents do for a living my father worked for a department store the al-hadith okay was what job did he have and he was a Salesman and my mother was home she never worked but what once again what was the name of the department store I had if all her death who owned it Jewish people mr. al Haddad and was it a large department yes yes was it was a pretty good size yes what was your standard of living when you were growing up where you poor when we weren't wealthy but we were very comfortable and happy as a family and was your family very observant you know in terms of their Judaic background yes we were Orthodox we practice Orthodox so that does that mean did you keep kosher yeah and did you celebrate all the holidays yes yes can you think back and and describe how your family prepared for the Shabbat for the Sabbath that the Orthodox Jews celebrate and describe what was done before the Sabbath and what you did on the Shabbat on the Sabbath can you think back to when you were a little girl I remember my mother did all the cooking and Friday was a big day to get ready for the Sabbath and it was cooking and baking and getting ready us and and Saturday was was a day of rest waiting but drive the bus we walked we went to the synagogue and then I remember we used to go to our treat was to go to the movies in the afternoon Saturday Saturday and but the rest of the the neighbors are or they used to get together visit one another if the weather was good they used to take walks I remember that in the summertime so beautiful weather or sitting outside in in the fortress so was there a sense of community yes because you lived on an island did you come into contact with Jews who were not from the island of Rhodes ever no no I don't remember did you think of yourself as an Italian or as a Jew when you were growing up as a child Jewish did you ever encounter any anti-semitism when you were a small child from fellow Islanders I don't remember too much but there was some what the Greeks didn't like the Jewish and they used to kind of what is the Gators more or less troublemaker sometimes they were good ones too good neighbors and good friends but we ever worried for your physical safety in no there's no we were very safe and was a happy life a good life were there ever any Zionist organizations or talk of going to Palestine at that time from people that you remember I don't remember were there any youth groups or movement sir mrs. tarika think back to when you were about 9 or 10 years old do you remember any changes in your lifestyle or in your community's life this was about when world war two was beginning to take place do you remember being conscious of a war going on not then but I remember my uncles my father they used to kind of congregate together and without being seen or heard by outsiders they used to listen to the radio and have a newspaper that can get some news of what was going hot side of the island of Rhodes I remember I remember a little bit that they used to follow the news did did food become more scarce or oh yeah yeah yeah were people being recruited into the army at all no when did you realize that there was a war going on do how old were you what year in 1940 in 1940 1939 and 40 people some people like the island of Rhodes they went to Tangier they went to Turkey families together a few families did any of your relatives go no no in them by 1942 43 the Second World War then I was very aware of the world I was that was going on and we had with food rationed at that point yes yes yes and we used to run to when they still come in bombed the island who was bombing the island British the British so at that point your sympathies were with the Italians yes what can you describe what the bombings were like and and where they drop bombs that you can remember everywhere you know in the city and in the port in the airport in the Seaport we used to have the drills and the sirens and then we used to run underground were you still going to school that is yeah it didn't disrupt your education no usually the bombing and he wasn't most was at night during the night they used to attack what was the main how do you remember how people generally made their living on the island of Rhodes what type of economic I mean which ends employer employees working for companies and our bank or was there agriculture mmm the farming a little bit of farming the fishing fishing did food become less plentiful as the war progressed yes yes did you feel it was enough for you no - we had enough but it was a little scary yeah did your family talk about leaving the area no when did you first encounter the Germans when they occupied the island of Rhodes was it in April I think I don't remember what month it was in what year 45 can you describe what it was like when the Germans came to the island of Rhodes well I remember when I was very young and I was very protected by my parents so we were never out alone we were always together or at home most of the time and I remember when I saw the first time that I saw Germans was when when they make an announcement that they wanted men to work all the Jewish men I don't know how I don't remember how long after they occupied the island and they were noticed and speakers loudspeakers calling all the men Jewish men that they needed they need them to work and then they were taking prisoners once they were asked to be in a certain center big area downtown can you think back to that fateful time you were how old then 12 or 13 when how did it affect your family when those loudspeakers came on where where was your father where were your brothers they were together the men were together we were they taken from your home the one taken but they went voluntarily because they were asked to go and so we just as far as what I remember they just better go there were they were asked to go and we couldn't hide anywhere or run away anywhere because we were afraid of the neighbors they were kind of telling us did they only take the Jews yeah well where exactly were these men taken when they were called in in the big Oh like a a big damn town in a big in the big building and they were all outside and when we were at home with you know what was going on after they the men were they were surrounded by the Germans and they were taking prisoners then they asked the rest of the family to come and be with them with the husbands and sons and and then they said that if for everyone that won't show up their husbands or sons will be killed what happened next well I remember my mother got a few things personal things some clothing and whatever valuables we had in marital bundle and we closed the house and left the keys with our neighbors Greeks Greek neighbors and we went to where we were told to go and we saw all the men their husbands and and sons all males in one place was the entire Jewish community there yes yes how did your father react when he was reunited with you well that was a difficult thing because there were hundreds of men together to find one another was a big it wasn't easy I remember and then finally we in time we find one another and we were very glad to be together so was kind of comforting that we were together not knowing what was gonna you know what was gonna happen next was we didn't know so then what happened and then they took us they surrounded us with machine guns and [Music] hoo-hoos remnants the German soldiers can can you describe them at all well they were just in uniform all of them wearing in uniform with the SS do you remember the color of the uniform at all our queen and they had weapons and of course they had machine guns and everybody was scared you know we can't just we did what we were told to do and and they put us in a big building an empty building and was that where where was that building in the island of Rhodes downtown the main downtown and that was it that was we were all there finally after searching and looking for our family and cent uncles and nephews and father and mothers and sons they were we were all in groups you know we would stay together and when you were in the building and the how long were you interned in the building was just I don't remember but two days maybe the most did they feed you anything but we took some food with us a little bit then you know we took some when we left our homes whatever we could what do you think was going on at that point what do you remember what we didn't know nothing they told us that they were gonna put us in camps and we were gonna work with the families were gonna be together so we felt that I remember hearing that my parents that you know at least we're going to be together and they needed us for work did you remember your parent of your parents discussions with each other during that point no just you know everybody was just do you know what was happening and it was happening so fast everything what happened he was just waiting I'm just hoping that you know we're gonna be sent home eventually and then they they put us they marches in line of five or four or five and it was a long long line of young and old and children and they took us to the harbor and I was blocks and blocks of lines of people in line and we were waiting to the ship in cold barge barges open parties what do you remember seeing as you march to the harbor well something that I remember it was so vivid we were weighted to four orders with the Germans patrolling there was one of the barges away in the middle of the sea and all of a sudden we saw an explosion and I've heard I didn't know they my parents probably knew it but they didn't say anything to me I was the youngest and the family and didn't bother to explain to me what was going on and then finally I understood that you know they were talking and they were all sad and and feeling terrible and they put the old and sick a lot of them a lot of them in one barge and they I don't know how they if it was a an explosion in that boat or it was sunk you saw this that we saw that what was the what what was the reaction of the soldiers that were surrounding you nothing what was the reaction of the people that you were with your family and friends it was terrible you know was just people were crying and people who were saying making sure that we were everyone had their children and and and they were together not knowing who was there in that barge where when the explosion went on did you know anybody who was on that bar I don't remember know what happened after that and then we were they we were altering this party's open parties will crowded you know we couldn't lay down or just sitting everyone was sitting no room to lay down or to be comfortable and and everybody you know we it took time and a long time to put $2,000 or maybe we were more than 2,000 people in those marriages and they were packed pretty solid and and then we would they shipped us to Greece what did you think was happening to you at that point we still didn't know what was gonna happen to us we never dreamed they were gonna send us to concentration camps what were the conditions on the barge what was it like did they feed you terrible terrible where were you taken to Greece Athens when you say it was terrible what do you mean well during the day we were just parked in the middle of nowhere in the sea and we only travel at night because I understood that they were scared of of explosions and dynamite and in the on the water with no protection and was hot were you were there any soldiers with you yes in every barge were they were soldiers what were the sanitary conditions like how long were you out at sea I don't remember how long but it was days and days maybe four or five days a week I I don't know I don't know there was a long time and what was your destination we didn't know where did you finally take then we got to Greece and we were put all together and surrounded by the Germans and and they took us to some big building somewhere I don't remember what it was or who were so frightening we didn't know where they were taking us can you describe the building at all it was an empty building and big building big rooms and we'll just put all in one big place where people abused at that point did soldiers hurt any of the people no some I don't remember anybody being abused but they were mean and they were treating us pretty bad but nothing in particular that I remember that I personally remember we were still together with the family mother and father and sisters and we were searched for all gold anything bracelets or rings or earrings anything valuable was taken away from us everything did you have any possessions left at that point we still had some clothes you know just a few pieces of clothing how long were you imprisoned in that building not too long not along everything happened very fast was it days or was it yes maybe one two days or two nights or I don't remember but it was fast it was did they feed you I don't remember eating I don't remember what happened next and then they put us in trains in cattle trains and you know packed pretty solid again and we were trying to be everyone close again together because we were scared that we were going to be separated so we kept saying I used to hear it all the time from my mother let's stay together because if we're gonna be send us to a team because they used to say that they're gonna we're gonna send us to working camp and be all together so at least let's not get lost let's stay together so we were together all the time in the trains and what was the train ride like in the cattle car well I was the train was always close used to open once a day just for air and the door was just part open and of course with the Germans right there make sure that nobody will run away whether were people getting sick getting sick and sick and pregnant women babies children was terrible did anybody go into labor on the plane train no I don't remember I mean our train maybe there were others were you given any water were there any were you able to use any sort of facilities to relieve yourself no they we just had a empty cans to do the wobbly we had to do and where did you finally arrive under the Train take you to and what did you say Paulin so fall on a schvitz can you describe what you saw and what your first impressions were well the first thing we saw was that we the train stopped above the ground was a high elevation and then down below we can see a vast camp and with lots of blocks full of cabins you know blocks and the first impression was that the people that were out there it was terrible words they look like they were crazy people with hardly no clothes rags when he rags no shoes no hair they look very strange and that was the first time that our first impression what was going to be the rest of our lives with you know what to expect ahead of us within now so they've they came they came the the Germans the officers they came and they Russia's fast to get out of the Train and to move fast move fast and some of them they went up they climb on the train and the car and they helped the older people to help they just push him on the ground to move fast and then and then they told us the men to go on one side separate the men and women and they told us to get in line and again we were all together and that was the last time we saw I saw my dad we were hoping that in time we were going to be reunited with him know I didn't know what was happening why the men on one side and the women on the other side and there was no time to talk or not splay Nations know nothing because everything was fast and we were scanning with you know we didn't know what was going on so they took the man away and that was it we never saw them again and then the women they put us in line five I remember five in a row and and then there was the officer right in front like you are standing and they he looked us over whatever he decide to he did a selection with his whip he used to go left or right and we were together my mother my aunt my grandmother in another end and I was holding a little baby my hands little girl I used to babysit for her she had a boy and a girl the boy was with the father and I was holding the little girl she was only a year and a half maybe two baby just a baby not quite - about a year and a half and she was used to me and she you know instead of being with her mother she was with me I was holding her and as we came in front of the world the officer in his uniform black boots immaculate uniform with his with his stick he pushed my mother my aunt and then they he took with the whip put on the side of the baby's arm and push it so my aunt can pick up her child from me and then he put me on the right and people and he pushed them on the left and that was the last time I saw them I was the only one with my sister on the right and then the rest they just we didn't know what happened to them so hopefully again we we hope that you know after doing some interrogations or some we were gonna be reunited again that was that was our hope to be together again but that was it we never saw them I never saw my mother again my aunt's my nobody do do you remember your mother saying anything there was no time to say anything was happening so fast that there was nothing no and then what happened and then a few a handful I don't know how many we were maybe I don't know maybe 150 I don't know how many but we were so frightened we didn't know how many we were selected to you know to work to be in labor camp so we were together they took us to another building they put us in line and we walked to a distance and we went to another building and there they were the couples went to kappa well those were the women that were in charge to you know give us orders and do what they almost like the like the SS but the word train there were special people I guess were the jeweller's orders yes yes I understood that they were Jewish yeah then what happened but they were all well dressed good clothes and they took they told us to undress completely naked and strip completely then in another room there were a few women couples again with chairs and they were sitting and they shave all the women's hair all the women's hair everyone one by one we bent down and and with the shaver they shaved us completely when so far we had nothing that belonged to us which is completely naked now and so after they were we were all shape within recognize one another we look very strange and we work together at least you know a few of our contemporaries who were together so and then we were taken to and then they give us some old clothes rags and in another room other were other couples and then we had to beatitude our numbers in the arms then after that we were where were you tattooed well I was the dude inside my arm usually all of them were totally now on top of the arm but they need to me inside because maybe because I was young and the woman that did this fell bad for me I feel sorry I don't know what it was but she did it inside the arm where the skin is more tender and maybe they hurt as much and then after that we were taken to a you know that took hours and hours to do the each procedure how did was it painful the tattoo yes it was very painful my arm was swollen and and bragged and he was burning was very hot and it was like this over must I had a reaction or whatever they used and then we were taking further someone else before we go on I have a question when you were when you had to strip naked were you only with other women were there any male soldiers there no we were women all women how old were you at that point 1213 how did you remember how you felt at that point scared of the unknown not knowing what was gonna happen to us general I have a question to backtrack for a second do you remember the name of your little cousin they used to base at least at least what was her last name Israel mm-hmm do you remember your aunt's first name deanna deanna other deanna is today Israel when you were standing in line when during this selection did you realize that there was a difference between those who went to the right and those who went to the left see nothing maybe no okay after you were tattooed what happened we were taken to another further distance and they sign as a barrack you know the block that's what they used to were called and each of us they gave us yet named he can and that was for our food and and then we were put about eight or ten people in the bunk beds were three levels and in each level there were about eight or ten women were only women ever with men and and two blankets for each layer for all of us you know not for each person how many people were in those barracks would you guess oh they were they they were I don't know but a lot of people - two hundred three hundred I I don't know but a lot of people can you with you predominantly with Jews or I don't know I don't know they were all speaking all different languages in the camp and but I think they were all Jewish when you walked into the barracks what we earth do you remember what you were thinking what were your thoughts what were your impressions we're just going to believe it we think no you know always gonna be of us you know what were the ages of the people that you were with and those bearings they were adults they were adults all of them were you the youngest I think so I never met any another young person wish your sister with you at that time at the time yes and then these two have selections all the time with the German you know with the officer coming in and how we used to get the order that to get in line outside and then the officers used to do the selections and and then we were separated shortly after we got there can you describe what your first day after you were put in the barracks was like before you were separated nice terrible all I was doing was crying all the time I was so scared what what was your schedule like we knew was just you know we're gonna die we were gonna die I mean you know the feeling we had that we were not gonna survive you were with your sister were you with any other people from Rhodes yes a few other ones but after the selections they were all taken away and I was left there after how much time had passed at that selection maybe weeks weeks can you describe when you first got put in those barracks with your sister and contemporaries from the island of Rhodes what you did in a typical day well the whistle used to come up early in the morning early in the morning is still nighttime and the couple lived in the barrack but they had their own quarters very comfortably their beds under good clothes warm clothes and heat and they used to whistle every morning meaning that we have to get up and fast and get out of the barracks and get out of the barracks and we used to get in line the Stars still in the sky was nighttime yet and the the officer used to come to come to check all of us and we used to stand up straight and apart from one another and very rigid and not touching anybody and and we waited there until the officer came and paid and paid the inspection of all of us and then after that they used to bring a barrel of supposedly hot coffee but it's just dirty water maybe or not even hot and we used to get in line and they used to give us one scoop in our containers and that was our daily food and then we still got to work in line again and we used to march in carry bricks a pile of bricks in our hands and walking for distance and that was our daily work how many hours would you estimate Oh maybe 10 hours 12 hours what were they doing with the bricks do you know I don't know mister just taken to transport them to somewhere else long ways that always with supervised by the Germans I mean you know they were used to lead us and tell us where to go and did you witness at that early point on any Germans abusing or beating any of the inmates well I remember one day personally it happened to me that I was I was sick and I was tired and I was cold and we were out in the morning and I got him to my knees because I was trying to get stay warm and the German officer just made a turn and I couldn't wrap fast enough when I saw the dog the German Shepherd first and then the officer right next to the dog I couldn't get up fast enough to get myself in line I was right there and just bend it down I'm trying to stay was cold and muddy and wet and our shoes were shoes didn't fit they were wet you know I know nothing no stockings no underwear nothing which is heavy old rag wearing so I he saw me by then the officer was making the turn and I couldn't get up fast enough and he saw mean I knew he saw me so he knew where I was and he came over and the dog stood right in front of me and the office and the German the SS there were SS in their uniform the ones that give us inspections he pushed me out in front of the of the two lines you know the were facing one another the lines of three people three rows and across across the line were harder three rows and in the middle he pushed me and on my knees and he gave me five whips because to show everybody that I shouldn't have done that what I did so that was what were you badly injured by the whip well maybe I was but not then later on was worse later on was worse why don't we take a break now mrs. tariqa you were separated from your parents pretty early on in your out Schwarz experience did you ever say goodbye to your parents no we never had a chance to because we always had that hope that we were going to be reunited again in time I was young I was only 12 13 and I just thought you know I was gonna be again with my mother with my parents together again how long were you with your sister and again not long but I don't remember we were with in had we were lost in days they have weeks or months we do know what hour of the day it was which is we were completely we had nothing nothing to to to know what month of the year it was or what week it was you mentioned earlier on that you were separated from your sister what happened well I was I was taken to an infirmary because I was sick with dysentery bad and I was dehydrated and I was very sick and they took me to an infirmary and the infirmary was just stepped before the cremation because we were good for anything to work or or and we were sick and that was the time when they had another selection and I never saw my sister we were separated from everybody I was alone then you're in the infirmary infirmary can we talk about the infirmary a little bit what was the infirmary like well in the middle of the room there were buckets empty buckets in a row and we can go there and and move our bowels when we felt like but we had no medications no no water no food and we were just always in bed with bed sores were you under the care of any doctors no doctors nobody nobody there was a guard at the door but that was it we never saw a nurse or a doctor or never gave us any medication how many people were in the infirmary with you sometimes it was pretty full I was there for days I believe I was and we were delirious and sicker probably with a lot of temperature running a high temperature and so we really weren't we weren't feeling good to know exactly what was what was happening did you think you were going to die when you were in the infirmary yes yes they used to the time it happened to me about four times that I remember before I went to the infirmary they used to get orders now I didn't know then but I know it afterwards I knew it by talking to my brothers and after the war what it meant but they used to lock the door with a couple inside gardeners and we were supposed to be standing inside the the block inside the the cabin you know the block waiting for orders and so we were just and quiet not panic and just waiting until that door opened and I was like that three different times and four times in the infirmary that happened and I didn't know then what was the reason we were standing but I found out afterwards after the war that the track suit they used to send the trucks and when people they wanted to eliminate all these people they used to gas them but they used to take them by truck filled up trucks and take them to the cremation so what gas while you were in the infirmary did they take people out for that purpose for some reason or rather they just they stopped they never took the whole infirmary so I was I was lucky was a miracle that I wasn't taken when you found that your sister was no longer there did you find any other people from the island of Rhodes nobody nobody I was alone after that I was along among all kinds of nationalities and nobody to relay nobody to I can understand what was going on no support of any kind from nobody always alone nobody spoke any of the languages that you spoke I used to go around and kind of talking in Italian or Spanish so hopefully hoping that somebody will understand and now have a friend I'll have someone to be with it never happened I was alone alone all the time did anybody acknowledge you know what kind of work were you doing at this point but when you're once you were separated from other members of your community what work were you doing well the work I told you the beginning was carrying bricks from destination to destination you continued to do that what kind of that what kind of food did you receive in any given day well in the morning was that after our counting and checking was the coffee in the morning so so-called coffee and then after work we used to come back in line again and there is to give us a half a slide of bread black bread heavy almost muddy bread hard and a scoop of soup some people they used to get a little thicker part of the soup and others used to get just a very liquidy kind of the topping and that was all our food we had once a month once a month and a Sunday they used to give us a piece of salami [Music] where's the German sausage they they use there is a name for anyway was so that was only once a month on a Sunday they give us a piece a little piece of meat as a 13 year old girl what was the hardest part of your imprisonment at this point well to suffering and being alone being alone not knowing what was going to happen and being alone not knowing not understanding a word that was I was going on in the camp did you think you were going to survive well we were pretty pretty sick to survive and it was just a miracle and and I never lost hope and praying always to God that we can survive this time and always hoping that I was young that I was going to be reunited with my family you know used to just look around and maybe I can see or you know by any chance that I would meet a mother or an aunt or a familiar face but never did you still believe in God yes that was the only the only source that I had was just talking to God and praying to God that I would live through these times in the camp what type of sanitation were you allowed to take showers of any sort or how did you keep yourselves clean and healthy well I don't remember how often they is to give a showers but you know that was another frightening because we didn't know when they used to tell a shower I used to just follow the rest of the other people what they were going and what they were gonna do but I can never understand what was going on because it was always German and I didn't I can't understand a word and once in a or maybe once a month maybe or longer than that was a shower so we didn't know until we were inside that shower room if there was a couple inside the shower that meant that we were safe you understand because if the couple was with us they won't open the gas so she was standing at the door in the room full of women and then the shower above us so it was water but we didn't know if it was gonna be regular water or gas coming down from the shower but the only relieve we used to have was only because the couple was inside watching us did you ever see anybody resist in any way or try to escape a friend a young woman that was at the very beginning the first month we were in in the camp in her 20s maybe a young woman she ran we were outside and she ran against the wires and of course the wires were all alike she was electrocuted she just ran up against that wall and she never got out and we were just there watching without me trying to help with help was this person from the island of Rhodes yes do you remember her name no I don't remember but no I don't I think was a Solem last name was Solon but I don't remember her she was much older than I was so what how did you know about the crematoria and what did you know about them well because you know you can smell the flash the burning flash all the time in the air the smoke pointing the chimneys the tall chimneys always smoking and always that smell of burning of people just a flash always the skies are always gray always smoky what was your experience with the Kappas well the Kappas they used to be putting mean these to beat us if they had to and they were tough they were tough they used to cook their own meals every night we did have some time she's doing nothing before we went to bed to sleep to rest and you know these two cook their meals their quarters was a little room right I said before right at the entrance of the block okay and we still have two couples in each block for each you know watching us and they used to do their cooking and they used to smoke and drink and we used to smell the frying meat or hamburgers or steaks the smell the aroma was just all over French fries I mean you know they used to do their own cooking purposely I guess so we can just pray for for something so how long did you remain at Auschwitz all the time I was there at all the time and they used to have selections all the time where we used to completely nude and outside and then the how old were you 13 the officer used to come again the SS used to come all dressed up and pick ibly clean and and you sustained in front of us and you know if he felt the way he felt if you if he felt he he would send you to the left and if he went to the left that meant that it was extermination and then the right meant that were still there for more work you know for for longer time did people do things to make themselves look healthy yes before that I used to follow these people I didn't know who they were but these to go to garbage cans and they used to get peels of beets red beets if they can find them and they used to put up for coloring in their faces before the selection and to give us a little color to look healthier did you do that I did that once because maybe it helped me be didn't help maybe God want me to live but in one of the selections the other selections that I was was I was always inside the block inside the cabin waiting for us to go into a truck and be taken to the crematorium hey how did you finally get out of Auschwitz well that was during the a towards the end of the war I was with were the Russian and Poland I was with the Russian side and the ones that were liberated by the Americans were luckier because they got in the camps faster than the Russians did and and they were treated much better as the kurma Tories the time went closer and closer to the end of the war we can hear the guns and the fighting in the air but we didn't know what was half how close they were within now so they put us in the death march instead of leaving us in the camp they just took us hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people the poorest in line and we were just marching - no we're just marching did you know that the Allies were approaching I didn't know again I was young I think no I can understand I can speak if something was going on among people all I I just didn't know what was going on are there any people that stand out in your mind from the concert during your can't stay in the concentration camp good or bad or we're in with in Auschwitz nothing good but individuals any individuals that you encountered prisoners prisoners nobody helped me nobody help one another it was just all everyone was for the wrong even you know you know the can you describe the death march well gorgeous marching day night just marching the ones that they can stay behind that they were tired and exhaust no food there was still some snow left in this hinder on the roads mr. G's calendar group anything to get something inside us you know the officers they used to have a horse and buggy to exchange their officers and duty so I was so weakened and that I was the last one of the line and usually the last ones they the officer the German just you know had a gun and and killed them and AG stayed left him there a lot of people I saw that they used to just leave them on the road it happened to me first the dog started jumping on me and you know those dogs were trained to be vicious they were trained especially had you see ever seen the dog hurt anybody before that point no I never did know but and then the officer then the dog came to me first and and then the officer was right standing in there and he was talking and I didn't understand what he was saying and he got his gun pointed at me and he was gonna kill me right then and there and I just for some reason I get on my I got on my knees and I pleaded with her in Italian in Spanish I just I told him that I was gonna force myself to get up and walk and meet the other the rest of the other people because they were quite ahead and I was just too weak and tired to walk to stand and for some reason he kicked me with his with his gun he threw me down and I forced myself and his God gave me the strength I guess at the time to just get up and and try and force him walk in the mean time I had a gun doing in my foot and there were frozen my three toes were frozen and in a lot of pain I was barefooted one tore the little toe was just hanging and I forced myself walking finally I reached the line where everybody was by the time the very beginning they used to stop for a rest by the time the very end of the line it was time to start again so we never had a chance to rest at the end of the line so so the German the officer came took a knife out of his pocket and he just cut what was hanging of my toe my little toe and just I couldn't feel any pain because I was numb my my you know I was and he just left it there like nothing no bandage no not even paper to put around was this an act of brutality or you might call that sure and then you know there was a buggy after that there was a horse and buggy that was going with some officers in there and somehow I had the strength to just grab the end of the buggy so I can they can help me to advance a little further ahead so on V so behind and and that buggy was going fast and I just cling and there was a distance that I was help to some distance to further my my march ahead then I fell and I was I passed out I was completely I didn't know what happened I don't know for how long I was there but I was bleeding I don't know was I must have hit my head on this on the ground because the buggy was going too fast and and I wasn't strong enough to hold anymore I let go and I fell and I hit myself and I hurt so I get that headache since that time I must have injured myself pretty bad can you describe your day of liberation well we find ourselves isolated just alone with no guards no dogs everybody disappear now how long had you been on this smart March days and nights I don't know if it was a week or over a week more or I just we were too sick I was too young into sexual know how long we were walking to Death March and you did not know where you were going with in a world were going I didn't know just further away from from being liberated away from the camp we were liking in like the freeways here you know but not as nice as the freeways the forest like you know with no isolated no people nothing just in the middle of nowhere you were a 13 year old child and nobody helped you know nobody helped me I couldn't talk to nobody I couldn't be comforted by nobody or just being a girl held or or never be able to speak to nobody that was the suffering was one thing was bad and I'd be able to to talk to anybody or to understand what went on that is I still can't believe myself that how I survive alone and in that situation in that circumstances how that suffering and all that I was young for some reason God wanted to give me life so I'm here alive but I was the youngest one very very few in my aged survive from the island of Rhodes in fact my family were four in the family for two brothers and two sisters and we are the only children in one family that we survived okay this you were the only children to survive from the island the island of Rhodes can we go back and can you describe the day of liberation and your feelings in the death march of well you know we were just so sick we were really really sick we were we find ourselves isolated just alone in the middle of nowhere and just the thought that the weren't the German Shepherds on top of us and the guns and and you know the SS soldiers on top of us now we thought you know were safe it was like a dream we couldn't believe it is really happening we're doing we saw the tanks approaching and we soldiers and the one Germans soldiers so we knew that the war was over and some of the people they start screaming and and making you know trying to whatever strength ahead and then I gathered that the war was over who liberated you Russia's how did they treat you well we were just not very good but at least we didn't had a fear of just we survived you know we we think had that fear that we were going to be from way Dennard our turn to be in the gas to be gas day by day hour by hour waiting when it's our turn gonna come were next did they feed you yes yes some food yes they they put us in a camp and of course everybody was like I said I'm speaking for myself it I was in bed she I was very sick can you describe those can you describe those first days after you were liberated what happened well you know we were still looking and hoping that we were gonna I was gonna see my my family that I was gonna be reunited with my family that was our the will to live that I had was just that I will be with my family can the wealth to live where did the Russians take you I don't know what it was but it wasn't a camp in a displaced person camp and but I don't know where we were I don't know I said my thousand is it how long were you there well I was who we were preparing now in the hospital I was in a hospital in infirmary but because I was taking care there they took care of me then not much but at least we had a bed and a blanket and and we were warm and fed yeah they give us some food but they used to be always drunk to soldiers and he used to drink heavy and so I was always scared to be close by anybody you know but we were together all women again all women the men we do know what happened what happened next well we were there for a few months in this displaced camp I was there with among others and they were making groups of to send them back to their country bring par38 in some of the prisoners to women and you know they used to they wanted to know if I have I didn't had anybody so I was alone I guess I was must have been the only Italian citizen left there and so they put us in a after could have been weeks or month maybe after we were liberated they put us in train and we were going north I don't know where they were taking us and they were just in an open car and we're just laying in there one on top of the other just trying to stay warm and [Music] and all of a sudden we stop and then another train stopped by the same side we were and I thought I was dreaming I was delirious I started hearing Italian speaking uh I thought it was I was dreaming I was hearing but I I thought I was dreaming and so I pushed myself up and I saw some soldiers in this other train regular trains I mean you know going they were going the opposite that they we were going and I asked I guess where they were going if they were Italians and the world they were going and they said they were going to Italy they were going up north and the border of Austria I asked one via one of the soldiers there if there was an officer among them to ask if they can take me with them because I didn't know the work word they were taking me and I was a little all alone and I don't know what happened of my family I'm the only there is alive that I knew I think know if my family was alive then and so they went and asked the officer and the officer came and asked me some questions if I wanted to go to back to Italy or if I wanted to stay we weren't guarded so we were just free to do whatever okay so I told him that I wanted to go to Italy with them if they can take me so they helped me and they took me and they made a haha hammock with a blanket and they just threw me there we were a bundle no because I felt I was with people of my own people that I knew but I can feel comfortable that there were my friends and we were taken to the border of Italy in Austria and there I was put in a military hospital do you know what city it was Murano Bolzano right on the border and very pretty place all Mountains and a lot of snow and so was in a hospital military hospital and then the Red Cross I remember brought me a little box of a food with canes of peanut butter thing jam and crackers and no chocolate and that was it was just like a dream but they check me out and they took care of me the doctor and the nurses were very nice they used to take me for weekends because I was there for a period of of supervision they checked me out so and we can state nurses they used to take me with them you know whatever downtown in the city or to the park or whatever visiting other friends stays take me along and then the priest in the hospital I was the only girl there I didn't know if anybody was alive again in my family they didn't know I was alive I didn't know they were alive so he took me to a an orphanage when I was well ready to get out to leave the hospital he took me to a Norfolk age and I lived there with lots of lots of little kids hundreds of local kids with a Jewish kids remember no no Italians you know and and I was there for a while not too long better you know I I was there for a little bit and then I went to a boarding school where was run by nuns but only for girls where was this in Murano all the time and then one day I received a telegram through the Red Cross and the Umrah I receive a telegram that my brothers and my uncle were alive in Rome and that was a happy time I just never dream I was going to hear that how did they locate you through the Red Cross they came when I was in the hospital in the military hospital they came and they asked my history my all the names of my family and my parents and so they did a lot of a lot of good after the war they try to place people and families but you see my my my brothers and my uncle they were already they were in Rome and Bologna and they were in a home taking care being taking care in a home supervised by the Umrah the organization Jewish organization so in here I come away after the war is over and so so they decide for me to stay where I was instead of me going with and live with them but they used to come and visit me by train did you at that point know whether your appearance had survived or not no I knew my uncle they were together with my father before they took my father away in Auschwitz he knew what was happening my father and promised my uncle the survivor to take care of us so so we knew then and then that you know the he was gas and they kill him but the rest of the family we never knew what happened when did you finally believe that your mother was gone I still don't believe my mother is dead because I never had a chance to say goodbye to her we didn't know what she didn't know and I D know we always hope I always hope I always hope that I was gonna be reunited during that time when did you leave Italy to come where to after the war December where did you go I came I came to Seattle to America can you tell us a little bit about how you wound up coming to America well another uncle brother of my mother that immigrated the island of Rhodes in in the thirties he was a young man and he went to Belgium Congo was his name he seemed a sin Cohen and not used to help one another he is there to help the family and help especially after the war was over all the survivors so he helped as he was just like a father to us his sponsor does and he brought me to Africa Belgium Congo then and in them he brought me here to America I came as a student and what was the date that you came to America December the first part of December 1946 how old were you I was 1516 and well almost going into 16 15 mrs. tariqa can you look into the monitor and identify the picture there that's me where were you that was hitting Seattle when I first came in how old were you again 15 that's a friend of mine she's from South America this is this picture this is my mother's brother he was in in a schvitz in this picture was in 1945 and he was he had a spinal TB and he had a cast his whole body from the neck to the waist was in cast and he was for three years in bed what was his name rahama Cohen and this uncle there are brothers with the other one but this one is the one that was immigrated to Belgium Congo see him never was in any war you know I mean he was there in Africa and he sponsored us me and my uncle and my brothers and who was in that picture friends and where are you in that picture yes I was there this one here is my two brothers my sister and the one on the left is a cousin in Africa in 1946 45 45 here is this is a recent picture and a picnic a family picnic can we stop for a second and talk about a little bit about once you came to Seattle you were 15 years old yes what did you do when you came to Seattle okay what did you do it briefly if you could tell us okay I came here as a student and I live with some cousins in Seattle and and I was going to school and as long I came here as a student and as long I was going to school I can stay in America okay and so they never bothered me there I never had any problem then and so and then I I went to Helen Bush and that's a girl school and then I was 19 when I met my husband what's your husband's name Morris Morris and where is he from from Seattle he's born here did you have a connection with him well his parents come originally from the island of Rhodes and the way it happened was when I came to Seattle I had some messages that I brought from my then my my husband's parents and so I went to visit them and they wanted to see me and I wanted to see them because they call me they knew I was in Seattle and so they met me and and that's the way we met you know and and how old were you when you got married 19 and what year was that 40 50 49 50 and did you have any children I have two girls there they are can you can you identify who everybody is in that lovely picture from left to right okay left to right is fill us my daughter Aldous daughter my husband Mars my other daughter Jackie and myself can you describe who's in this picture from left to right my husband again that was a year ago i'm rosh hashanah going to the synagogue my brother was visiting me from africa what's his name I share I share and so we're just this is my other brother lives in Italy Joseph and the left and I share on the right they came to visit they always come to visit me because you were such a young child during the war how do you cope with all the memories that you have the Holocaust have you spoken to people about what happens things come back to haunt you at the beginning yes I had a constant the first years that I was even married before and after I was married I had a constant whistle in my ears he never went away it was the whistles the train and and the whistles of the in the camp were the couples word when they used to whistle and and the SS when they used to give us an order was a whistle all the time and for years and years was this a constant buzzing and buzzing hey and of course I used to have their Abed dreams for a long time that time is a healer we'll go ahead and look ahead instead of just two did you share your story with anybody after the war and when you came to America not too much I couldn't talk to my child used to chalk all the time was very painful for me to talk for many years so I never bother my children or my husband ever talk to them about my suffering in my past I kept it I didn't want to said them did your identity as a Jew change at all having gone through this experience well I always I believe I'm a fairly good - and I and I'm always will be and I'm a strong believer that it's important to be Jewish and not to forget our past mr. streak is there anything you would like to add about your wartime experience that we might have left out [Music] well I will tell my grandchildren and other children that hatred of another people is not one is the most evil things on earth I can say that too the children in this country in America not to forget because we were Jewish and we had to suffer for no reason at all thank you very much is there anything else you would like to add to our discussion this evening there's a lot there is a lot that we didn't discuss I remember during the camp people were so delirious during the night they were thirsting they wanna drink a lot of women they used to have empty cans to release the urine during the night because we weren't allowed to leave the bunk beds and I remember one woman drinking urine because of desperation and she was so sick and and of course she got very sick with no helper so you have a message for future generations that I would tell my grandchildren and other children that hatred of another people is one the most evil thing on earth thank you very much mrs. tariqah

Channel: Holocaust Center for Humanity

Views: 9,836

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Id: 5EEsYAa6ITw

Length: 114min 55sec (6895 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 20 2018