Regina Goes to Palestine

We have some neat documentation of Regina's emigration to Palestine.

I always wondered whether Regina went to Palestine legally or illegally, but from these papers it looks like everything was on the up-and-up, at least on the German/Polish end.

Here is her receipt for the boat trip from Hamburg to Haifa/Jerusalem:

And here is what she took with her!! 

 

 



Thanks to Google translate, we can see what much of this means.  There were two "travel gear baskets"  (trunks?  suitcases?) containing the following items.  Note the tennis racket, which she actually talked about, so I believe that's real.  I'm not sure I believe she took 16 aprons, but who knows?

 First travel gear basket.  Containing the following items
2 Bath Towel
5 pajamas
18 Blunt and some bags
7 Blouses
15 Schlupfer and Bras
8 table cloths
3 nightgowns
1 bathrobe
16 aprons
8 Pair of work pants
2 coat
2 coat hanger
1 raincoat
80 pieces towels, kitchen towels, Wipe and Glaser towels
54 pieces bed linen
9 Skirts and dresses
6 Shirts
3 petticoats
5 Polo shirts
3 curtains
2 curtains
4 Dresses
2 Sweaters
1 pair of shoes
------------------------
Second travel gear basket.  Containing the following items

2 Jackets
9 Dresses
2 Costumes, coat hanger
6 Belts
18 Textbooks and 11 notebooks
3 pencils
1 tennis rackets
1 mosquito net
1 pair of rubber boots
27 handkerchiefs
1  clock
1Toilent tenartikel
9 Kopftucher
7 petticoat
1 biscuit package
11 pair of Schlupfer
1 swimsuit
3 Shirts
darning wool
15 pair of socks
10 pairs of Sackechen
4 Pair of knee trumps
2 pair of shoes
2 Sweaters
4 Tablecloths
6 napkins
3 blouses
1 hat
4 pair of peasant shoes
2 Pair of slippers
2 Mutzen
1 coat, bedclothes, Compline (feathers)
1 Quilt

I couldn't read or translate the handwritten stuff on the bottom.  Note that all these items got checked off by someone, and there's a sign-off on the back of this list that I also can't understand:

 

 

Regina needed approvals by the Beuthen city administration that she had paid all her taxes, etc.  There are a bunch of these.  Here's one:

 

 



And here's a Palestine Immigration Certificate, issued in Warsaw, that seems to imply she was legal on the Palestinian side also:

And, lastly, here's her Palestine Identity Card, issued a year and a half later, where she looks like a real sabra.  She was in an agricultural community (a moshav) called Nahalal.

Kristallnacht

In the papers the Jeannie gave me is a letter from her grandfather, David Grun or Green (actually Grun with an umlaut), written two weeks after Kristallnacht, and providing an eye witness account of what happened in their town of Beuthen that night.

It is a handwritten letter, four pages long, and I have been trying for months now to get it translated.  The major problem is that it is not only hand-written, it is written using "Alt Deutsch"   -- an "Old German" script that was used from the 15th century through the 1930's or 40's.  Here's page 1 of the letter so you can try your hand at it:

And the entire original letter is here.

I finally managed to get the letter translated by finding a translator through an organization called the Leo Baeck German-Jewish Institute in New York.  There are still some names we can't figure out, and a couple of phrases, but the essence is all here.

First, though, some background:

David and Marta and Charlie ("Bubi Grun") were living in Beuthen, in Germany,  in November, 1938.  Daddy and Sam and Henry had emigrated to the US in August, 1938, and Regina had gone to Palestine earlier in 1938.  The Nazis had forced the family to sell its business for a pittance early in 1938, and I have no idea how anybody was earning a living.  The Germans expelled all Polish Jews from Germany on October 27, 1938, and from this letter, it sounds like Erna (my father's other sister) and her family (her husband and young son) had gone back to Poland, probably to Chrzanow.  But Charlie's father was a Czech citizen which probably put him in a different category and they were still in Beuthen.

Kristallnacht ("The night of broken glass") took place on November 9 and 10, 1938.  Allegedly a series of spontaneous riots, these were in fact carefully orchestrated by the SS, so that synagogues were burnt, but nearby buildings weren't, and Jewish businesses smashed, but non-Jewish businesses weren't.  According the US Holocaust Museum, 267 synagogues were destroyed throughout Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland.  And Kristallnacht is considered a major turning point in Germany's anti-Semitism policy, culminating in the attempt to make German "judenrein" -- free of Jews.

Here's a map of the synagogues destroyed in Kristallnacht.  Beuthen isn't labeled on the map, but is not far from Gleiwitz.

Charlie and his family all lived through this, and his father's letter provides an eye-witness account -- both of the events themselves and his attempts to figure out how to keep his family safe. 

The translation below is a literal translation from the German, so it reads somewhat awkwardly, and takes a little work.  I've put some clarifying comments on who some of the people are in square brackets. 

If you have trouble with this, I've tried to provide a more readable version in this link, but I am a little concerned that I may have changed David's meaning in some cases, so try this one first:

Saturday 28th November 1938

My Dears!

Transmit to you that I am since last week Wednesday in Czechoslovakia. I was on Thursday in Bruenn [Brno, Czechoslovakia] and went on Friday to Bratislavia to visit Lili [his sister] and Ida there and I was there over Saturday and go today to Prague where I will probably stay one week.  I would like above all to move to Prague and perhaps wait there for the quota.  Whether this possibility will be available I will only see this week but I hope yes.  In any case I shall still write this week about the result.

 

What we went through in the last few weeks cannot be described in words, because      
finally you too will have heard the different reports but all that is nothing.  About the mass-deportations and over the Polish border sent people, Lev Geiger will certainly have told you because he suffered it also. 
 

Except for Merin [??] and Redner nobody of the Polish is left in Beuthen.  It goes already so far since last week that the police confiscated all the apartments that were left behind and moved the furniture and everything out, ostensibly for the N.S.V., [Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, or "National Socialist People's Welfare" organization] and one cannot do anything about it.  You will certainly have heard that all synagogues have been burned down to the ground, among them the synagogue in Beuthen, Gleiwitz and in the whole German Reich.  On this day, at 6 o'clock in the morning, the police and S.S men got all Jews out of bed, men, women and children and did not even let them get dressed and one had to stand in front of the synagogue and watch the fire.  One stood thus under the watchful eye of the police and thousands of onlookers 3 - 4 hours. Among them were also Marta and Bubi and all others, no matter whether locals or foreigners. 

In all the apartments all the furniture, crystal, porcelain, lamps, pictures and anything else of value was smashed to pieces, carpets torn, stolen and plundered, also gold and jewelry.  Also at Merin [??] the apartment was completely destroyed and stolen. But thank God, with us nothing happened.   

 

We were then at 9 o'clock in the morning marched through the streets and delivered to the prison.  That was for me the worst hour of my life because it was not on my account but for dear Marta and dear Bubi.  But still the same day in the afternoon the women and the children were let out and that was for me a relief.  On the other hand the men had to spend the night there and were only let out the following day.   I was in a cell with 34 others like for instance: Dr. Sonnenfeld,  Dr. Kennen. Dr. Norwick, Gilbert, Professor Solinsky and persons the likes.  The next day all foreigners were dismissed, also many locals, on the other hand about 130, among them Professor Solinsky, Dr. Freankel, Dr. ??  and so on sent to a camp; one does until today not know where they are.  I believe if you can have an idea of this it is “dayenu” but one cannot imagine anything like this. 

 

Also all Jewish businesses had their windows destroyed and the merchandise thrown about.  The Jewish businesses are not allowed to reopen but have to be sold as a whole.   

But in spite of everything one must not lose one's head.  I was last week in Berlin on account of Cuba because new laws have come out and at the present time per person $800.- have to be deposited and for children up to 10 years $400.-. we would have to have deposited $2,000.-; the money has to be paid  to the firm Eiffe & Co., Antwerpen, Belgium, 240 Meir Agentur of the Hamburg - American Line.

Please however in this case nothing yet to instigate as we are not yet decided because in the end in Cuba one has to wait an uncertain time until one gets the copies taken care of; it can take a year and more and perhaps we would prefer to have the waiting period in Prague because in Cuba one is not allowed an occupation during the waiting period.  However, I do not know what and how will be, perhaps like in Cuba, but one is in Europe.  By the way, one does not know anymore what to do because one always recognizes the mistakes only later.

Well, one cannot reproach anyone because first of all everything occurs sporadically and secondly no one could think that in such a short time such a reversal could come into such a nice life.   

We are however glad that you are out and that Erna went in the last moment     

and will also hope for the best for us.  I talked in Bratislava with a woman who wants to provide the visa for Cuba without depositing money, I believe in the same manner as with Wohl.  She also promised to perhaps be able to help me with the American Consulate in Prague.  In any case I would have to apply in Prague and let the affidavit from Berlin sent to Prague.  It bothers me however that the second affidavit is not here yet.  Also this woman wants to apply for a visa for Panama or a tourist visa for U.S.A.  What do you think of it?

 

What does Wohlen say, did you talk with him? Maybe he has a trick.   As I hear one can also go to Uruguay.  I am now going to Prague and have several recommendations by big people with me and will hope that I get a result. 

 

What else does one hear with you?  When do you think to begin something?  What are the other Weissbergers, Dolly [Dave Ulreich] and Redner [Dave Redner] doing?  What is Lev Geiger doing?  Do they already have an occupation?  Where is Frau Weissberger and how far is she with her affidavit?  From Ryfka [Regina] and Erma we have continuously  mail; self understood that it is there also not easy.  Did Tina [Charlie’s cousin, Tina Green, who was here in the US] make out the affidavit for Lili? In case she did not so speak with her about it and see to it that it will be taken care of. As I wrote to you already the husband of my sister Gusti ? is in ??, look perhaps one can there stay or is there a possibility through HIAS to speed up the affidavit in Vienna. 

 

I think that for today it will be sufficient.  So be cordially greeted and be well and write me your opinion.

 

Best regards,     

              David

For the Weinbergers,  Dolly and  ?? many regards.

Be so good and see to it that the second affidavit possibly is sent right away direct to me in Beuthen.

 Best regards,

             David

________________

Here's a picture that includes most of this cast of characters, taken in Beuthen before Daddy, Sam and Henry left:



 

Standing (L to R):  Erna's husband Yesheskel (Henry) Hochbaum, Erna, David and Marta, Lili (Leonie) Green
Sitting:  Sam, Daddy (Dago), Charlie, Henry

And one of Charlie's Aunt Lili and her husband, Isidore Schwarz, taken in 1943:

 

Lili, you will remember, was the person who tracked down Charlie after the war ended, and got in contact with Daddy to get him to the US.

Charlie's father was trying to get affidavits to get his family out of Europe from this time on. I have a letter from March, 1941, that just talks about the logistics and frustrations of trying to get affidavits.  It may be the last letter my father received from him.  There are two more letters -- short ones, and undated -- that I will try to get translated.