Gisela Adamski, z"l, was born in January 1928 in Oppeln, Germany. While young Gisela was growing up, she experienced rampant anti-semitism, as she was constantly teased by others because of her Jewish identity. Due to her Jewish upbringing, Gisela was expelled from her private, all-girls school, and was subsequently removed from her public school. By 1937, Gisela’s status as a Jew made it impossible for her to walk in the park, or watch a movie in the theater. The growing anti-Semitism Gisela experienced in Germany peaked on April 19, 1943, when she and her family were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

Upon arrival, Gisela’s father was mercilessly beaten, and her mother experienced a stroke. Instead of being placed in the children’s area, Gisela insisted she stay with her father and remained in the same building with him. While imprisoned in the camp, Gisela had many different jobs, and eventually was able to locate her mother in the hospital. Upon discovering her whereabouts, Gisela took her mother and cared for her until she was deported to Auschwitz in October of 1944. Not wanting to be separated from her mother, Gisela begged a German soldier to let her go alongside her mother. Although the soldier warned her that she was foolish for wanting to go, he nevertheless let her board the cattle car. Gisela stayed in Auschwitz for a total of six days. On the sixth day, she was sent to Kurzbach labor camp, where she remained for three and a half months. Toward the end of the war, Gisela was sent on a horrific “death march.” While on the march, a Polish man told her and another girl nearby to hide in a bunch of hay. When the two girls covered themselves up in the hay, they discovered that they were hiding with 43 other girls. The Polish man saved a total of 45 girls while on the death march. While in hiding, these young girls broke into people’s homes for food and clothes, until one night, a Russian soldier entered their makeshift home and raped seven of them, including Gisela. After that event, the girls knew they had to leave and sought shelter in a nearby hospital.

Gisela worked at the hospital until the end of the war. While working there, she befriended a Jewish Russian soldier, and the two of them went home in search for their families. On their journey home, the two women met a Jewish soldier, whom Gisela later married. Gisela and her husband stayed in Poland for 10 months, but were then forced to leave because of the ensuing pogroms. The two of them moved to France, and later to Israel. After ten long years of waiting, Gisela and her husband were eventually able to come to the United States on May 26,1956. After immigrating to America, Gisela and her husband raised their family in Queens, until they moved to Connecticut in 2010.

Gisela passed away on November 15, 2020. May her memory be a blessing.

Edith Denes was born in 1930 in Munkacs, Hungary, a place where there were many religious Jewish families. There, Edith had a wonderful life. She lived with her mother, father, and older sister. She was a quiet girl and liked to study and read, but what Edith loved the most was that she always had family surrounding her since she lived on the same street or the next street over from her grandparents, aunts, uncles and lots and lots of cousins. As a girl, Edith loved playing with her little cousins, and would frequently babysit for them. Edith’s father would take her to school in a horse-drawn carriage, or in a horse-pulled sled in the snow, every day on his way to work. She celebrated all the Jewish holidays, and every week on Friday night she went to visit family to wish them a Shabbat Shalom. Edith recalls that it truly was a wonderful life.

At 14 years old, in 1944, her whole world changed. All the Jewish people were taken to a ghetto, and about a month later Edith and her family were on a train to Auschwitz, enduring the worst cruelty mankind could inflict on another human being. But, they considered themselves the “lucky” ones. While Edith’s mother, father, and sister all survived, her grandparents, most of her aunts and uncles, and all the little cousins perished. Edith and her family were liberated in 1945, but others had taken away their home. With nowhere to go, they were sent to a Displaced Persons camp in Germany, where they remained for 3 years. Edith deeply missed her extended family but was thankful to God that her mother, father, and sister had survived.

During her stay at the DP camp, Edith was unable to return to school. She had no access to books, and deeply missed learning, reading, and studying. When she was 18 years old, Edith met a strong, wonderful, and kind man, who she married inside the camp. Her husband had survived but the rest of his family, including his parents, his two younger brothers and his extended family did not.

Edith and her husband immigrated to Israel in 1948 and fought in the Haganah, helping to found the state. The couple made a good life together. Every day, Edith remembers, was a challenge, but as survivors, they worked extremely hard to make it happen, and now have a wonderful family to show for it. Their first son was born in Israel when she was 19; then the family immigrated to Canada where they had a daughter. Following this, the family moved to the U.S. and had a second son. At age 48, Edith had her first grandchild, and now has nine others, including two great-grandchildren by the age of 82.

Although Edith had four years of horrific experiences, she was never filled with hate or bitterness, only sadness for what was lost. She thanks God for her survival, and she always says that “if there is life there is hope.” Edith removes the memories of the Holocaust from her mind and replaces them with hard work and days spent with her family, especially during celebrations. Edith believes that she still possesses the same qualities she had when she was a young girl. She loves to read, study, and go to synagogue, and although she did not play sports in Munkacs, she now exercises three times per week. Edith now lives in Connecticut with her family, and despite the tragic passing of her husband two years ago, she thanks God that she is 88 and alive to tell her story.

Robert Lesser was born on May 13, 1933, in the small Polish town of Bielica. Robert’s father was employed as a fisherman, while his mother owned a clothing store. He spent much of his childhood with his grandfather, who not only taught him his trade, dying sheep wool but also taught him the principles of morality and ethical human conduct. He continuously reminded Robert of the importance of always being kind, because he believed that everyone was created equally by God. Before the war, Robert spent his childhood playing with children of all different faiths. He and his friends would run around his grandfather’s house or go fishing together. This carefree lifestyle came to a halt in 1941, when Robert was just eight years old when the German army invaded his town.

Upon their arrival to Bielica, the Germans sought to burn all Jewish homes, synagogues, mikvahs, and Jewish schools. Every Jewish home was burnt to the ground, with the exception of Robert’s grandfather’s residence. All Jewish citizens were then ordered to leave, so Robert and his family (including his brother, Philip Lazowski) went to Zhetel, where they were immediately put into a ghetto upon their arrival to the region. Life in the ghetto was horrendous. Robert and his family spent their time there in deep hiding alongside 23 to 24 people with no water, no food, and no bathroom. While in hiding, Robert’s grandfather got a loud and horrendous cough, so out of fear of getting caught, and securing her son’s life, Robert’s mother pushed him out of the basement and told him to run. Robert had nowhere to hide, and nowhere left to run. Outside of the basement, Robert spotted an outhouse and jumped in, where he remained concealed until it was safe for him to leave. Once outside of the ghetto, Robert discovered a farmer who had a relationship with his beloved grandfather. As a result, the farmer took Robert in and told him to run to the forest. While attempting to escape, Robert accidentally entered a slave camp and was put to work building railroads. While at the camp, Robert’s uncle found him and managed to smuggle him into the enclosure of the forest.

Robert hid here until he was 11 years old. At this young age, Robert was enlisted into the Russian Military as a Lieutenant. Following his service in the military in 1947, Robert immigrated to the United States, a journey which would last 31 days. Robert was so relieved to finally be in American territory, that he kissed the soil once he discharged from the boat. Robert made a life for himself in the United States and married his wife Margaret in October of 1955. Together, Robert and Margaret have three children and six grandchildren.

Roman Luftglass was born in Silesia, Poland in 1925, but he grew up in Szczakowa, Poland (located between Krakow and Katowice). Even before the rise of German power, the young Roman, and his family faced anti-semitism on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, nothing could brace the family for the horrific life they would live after 1939: the year Germany invaded Poland. Following 1939, new laws were set in place, and Roman and his family were sent to live in a Jewish ghetto. From there, they were deported to Auschwitz.

When the family arrived at Auschwitz, they were met by the SS doctor. The doctor directed people either to the left, where they were met with a horrific death in gas chambers, or the right, an indication that the prisoners would be sent to work at the camp. Roman was sent to the right. However, the rest of his family suffered a more tragic fate, and were sent to the left, and consequently, to their deaths. Roman was put to work at the chemical camp, engaged in labor. Due to his excellent work ethic, Roman was transferred to the main shop. While working in the main shop, Roman noticed that the welding woman would always toss away pieces of paper into the area’s garbage. Out of curiosity, he reached into the garbage one day to find scraps of bread hidden inside of the paper. After discovering the bread, Roman would wait every day for the woman to throw away her secret paper and would take it to the nearby bathroom to eat the bread that was held inside. Roman was soon caught sneaking the woman’s food. Since he did not want to expose her he refused to tell the guards where he got the bread pieces. Roman’s consequence for this action was getting his fingers slammed into a door. Later, Roman was also caught stealing food from the kitchen, for which he was lashed 25 times until he fell unconscious.

On May 8, 1945, Roman was liberated by the Russians from the Sportschule Reichenbach (also known as the Langenbielau Labor Camp in Lower Silesia). Following liberation, Roman tried to return to his hometown in order to resume his life, but was only met by hostility from his former best friend’s mother. Roman then made his way to Munich, where he received help from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) initially finding work as a mechanic. He then worked as a film projectionist, working on behalf of the AJDC in postwar Germany. He remained in Munich until he was provided a sponsor in Columbia, South Carolina, which allowed him to immigrate to the United States. While in the United States, Roman worked as a mechanic and was later drafted into the U.S. Army. Roman then moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he met his wife. He passed away in August 2017.

Charlotte Schiff was born in Fulda, Germany, in the year 1937 to a set of very caring and loving parents. Although Charlotte was an only child, she grew up in a full household with her parents and both sets of grandparents. Charlotte’s family was financially well off. However, they were ostracized by their community because they were Jewish. Prior to the war, her town forced all Jewish residents to wear arm bands which marked them as members of the Jewish community. Jews were restricted from going into the park or entering certain stores. Due to the treatment, Charlotte’s family received while in Fulda, they promptly moved to Frankfurt when Charlotte was just three years old.

Once Charlotte’s family arrived in Frankfurt, it appeared that life would not be better for them. Upon arrival, Charlotte’s family was taken by cattle car to Theresienstadt, where one grandparent died in transit, and another died at the entrance to the camp. Charlotte faced death many times while in Theresienstadt, but she miraculously survived. During the early 1940s, on a cold autumn night, Charlotte recalls being rounded up with others and taken outside to be killed. She does not know why, but the executing soldier did not kill anyone that night, sparing Charlotte’s young life. At the age of 5, Charlotte was forced to hide in an attic in order to secure her own life. She was bundled together with a number of other children, all of whom were dying, but once again, Charlotte survived.

A 8 years old, Charlotte and her parents were finally liberated from Theresienstadt. She could not read nor write, but her parents were able to relocate her because of her concentration camp card. Following the war, Charlotte and her family lived in a hospital wing in Frankfurt, Germany, but they soon moved to Koeppern, Germany, to reside in yet another hospital wing created specifically for the treatment of Holocaust survivors. Charlotte and her parents later moved back to Frankfurt to live in an elderly home. She eventually came to the United States at age 19 after she was rejected from nursing school because of her religion. Charlotte left everything behind in Germany, including her dear parents. Of course, she severely missed her family. However, Charlotte believed she had no future in the country she once called home. At age 20, Charlotte married her husband of 48 years, and moved to Connecticut with him, where she still resides today.

Martin Schulz was born on September 30, 1927, in Moschitz, Poland, to his parents Pinkus and Leah. Martin’s father worked as a merchant, and his mother tended to the family garden. Before the war, Martin spent his days attending school and visiting his aunt in Lwow with his siblings and mother. Martin and his family lived a comfortable life until the summer of 1941 when the German army invaded the eastern section of the Soviet Union.

Martin’s mother and brother were then taken from their home by the Germans, while Martin and his sister desperately attempted to escape by hiding in a nearby farm. When Martin and his sister came out of hiding, they had no alternative but to return to their home. Once they arrived, the siblings were met by their distant cousin, who told them their house was surrounded by soldiers, and that the two of them needed to run. As a result, Martin and his sister ran to Lwow to join their aunt. However, they forgot the location of her home. Before the two could find refuge, Martin was swarmed by German soldiers and herded onto a train to be sent to a labor camp in Metz, Germany. Upon arrival, Martin was told to strip and was checked for various diseases. He was then put to work in a steel factory. Martin stayed in the labor camp for approximately five months. At the camp, there was no food, with the exception of highly watered down soup. However, laborers were required to walk to and from their positions each day. Martin was later sent to a farm, where he worked until the end of the war. While at the farm, Martin worked with another man who was not Jewish. Martin was terrified of giving away his secret Jewish identity, so he would bless himself in front of others before meals and attend Church with his co-worker and boss. Throughout his farm experience, Martin had no choice but to pretend that he was happy when in reality, he was hurting: he knew he had no family left in Lwow.

After the war, Martin attempted to find other Jewish survivors. He went to a displaced persons camp in Landsberg (near Munich), where he stayed until 1949 when he immigrated to the United States. Martin came to America with just $10 to his name. He had no family, no job and did not know English. He moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he received help from social services and got a job in a factory. Throughout his life, Martin held many different jobs, from running his own business to becoming a jeweler. Martin married his wife, Judy, and carried on his family’s name with her, for Martin feels that it is his job to keep his family alive because no one else is left to do so. Martin now has two daughters, one son, and five grandchildren.

Abe Smolar, z"l, was born in 1925 in the vibrant Jewish community of Vilna, Lithuania. For Abe, life in pre-war Vilna was quite comfortable. He attended school; he had friends who were both Jewish and non-Jewish, with a family who deeply loved and provided for him. Abe lived a very peaceful, prosperous life until the war engulfed his life.

Once the Second World War broke out, Abe and his family were sent to live in the Vilna Ghetto. In the ghetto, Abe’s father got a job as a wood-hauler, but in September 1943, the Vilna ghetto was liquidated. That year, cattle cars arrived at the ghetto, taking Jews away to many different concentration camps. To avoid capture, Abe and his family hid in a cellar with 300 other people, but soon they found out that the house across the street was wired with heavy explosives. Everyone who was previously in hiding was evacuated, and they were all placed aboard the cattle cars. Abe spent the war in a number of different concentration camps, including forced labor camps in Estonia, as well as the Stutthoff concentration camp. In 1943, the Soviet army almost liberated the camp Abe was in, but the Germans were able to push back their forces. After that event, all of the Jews in that facility were transferred to another camp. They were forced to make their way to the new camp on foot, and they had to pull sleds containing the belongings of the German army. Abe’s father was paralyzed, so Abe and his friends not only pulled their sleds, but also carried his father, for Abe could not bear to leave his father behind.

As the war progressed, Abe was separated from everyone in his family, including his father. Abe’s sister was shot when she refused to evacuate the camp she was in. In February 1945, Abe was forced onto a death march to Danzig, then across the Vistula to a small camp near Lauenburg, where he was finally liberated by the Russian Army. Following his liberation, Abe was drafted into the Russian army. Once the war ended, Abe returned home, but he sadly found that no one left there. He eventually married a young woman from his hometown of Vilna, and they moved to the United States.

Abe passed away in August 2019. May his memory be a blessing.

Jack Vogel was born in Lwow, Poland (present-day Ukraine) in 1925. Jack lived in Lwow for 16 years, until he was forcibly taken to Janowska labor camp following the German invasion in June 1941. While at the camp, Jack was forced to march five miles each day, while people threw objects at him and his fellow prisoners.

Jack worked tirelessly on the railroad tracks. For seven months, Jack endured life in Janowska, but he felt himself getting weaker. At this point, Jack knew he needed to escape. One day while at work, he complained about his stomach aching and was asked to leave, but instead of going home, Jack ran straight for the nearby water and hid in the reeds. After finding refuge the reeds for a few days, Jack was able to escape and make his way to the ghetto that his family was inside. While with his family, Jack felt himself gaining strength and noticed that his hair was growing out. He looked like the young Christian man who had occupied his home since his family was sent away. As a result, Jack was lucky enough to be able to use this young man’s identity.

With Jack’s new Christian identity, he was able to work in a German warehouse loading food, and his sister Emily was equally lucky, as she too was able to use a Christian identity and was hired for a job in the city. Jack and his sister’s secret was kept from the world, until letters between themselves, containing Jewish terms, were found and confiscated by the Germans. One night, when Jack was not at home, Germans came looking for him, and so he ran back to the ghetto in Lwow. Jack spent the rest of the war running and hiding from the Germans. Once the war ended, he no longer ran. Jack went to a displaced persons camp, and soon afterward, immigrated to the United States. While in the United States, he joined the military and fought in both the Japanese and Korean wars.