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Olga Katz

Testimony
Today's kaf alef beadar tav shin ain zain.
The 19th of March 2017.
I'm Dina from the Yad Vashem. interviewing
Olga Katz. born in Antwerp. Belgium 1932.
Olga will tell us she was very young girl when the war broke out.
She was seven years when she was in a nunnery.
She will tell us all about that.
After the war. she came back to Antwerp. yes?
Brussels.
To Brussels.
And you were raised with your uncle.
And aunt and uncle of my mother.
Yes. of your mother.
You will tell us about that too.
and later after five years.
she went to the USA.
got married. and lives there ever since.
Olga. I would like to know about your background. about your family.
If you know. you were very young so.
we need to know about information that you probably got.
Okay. I'm the daughter of Erin and Roza Goldstein.
My mother's maiden name was Katz.
and they had six children.
I was next to the oldest one and my oldest sister was five years older.
What was her name?
My older sister. her name was Eva.
and then I came.
and after that her name was Suzanne.
then Leah. then Herman. and Emil.
We were six children.
How old was the youngest?
The youngest was born during the war.
So he was a baby?
He was an infant when they were gone.
They were taken to Auschwitz.
And which we call.
My father was a diamond cutter.
And he came to Belgium a few years before my mother
because probably to establish
a home that she should be able to come with my older sister.
Where was your father born?
He was born in Loza. Czechoslovakia.
And my mother was born in Smolenice. Czechoslovakia also.
What do you know why did they come to Antwerp?
My assumption is that there was a depression during that time.
and for financial reasons.
Do you know something about your grandparents from your father's side.
If you can enlarge on it.
My grandparents.
From what I understand.
my grandfather passed away at a very young age.
And my grandmother was living with.
she had five children.
four boys and one girl.
And from what I understand.
the kids supported their mother.
and they took care of her one way or another.
Each time somebody emigrated.
she had to live in somebody else's home.
And as a matter of fact.
I know for a fact that she was also taken to Auschwitz.
She went with one of her daughter in-laws to Auschwitz.
And unfortunately. she didn't survive like many other people.
How did they make their living?
My grandfather from what I understand was a shohet.
Apparently. that's a very professional thing in Europe.
And from my mother's grandfather.
he was also a shohet.
This is what I was told.
And he was a very prominent person in the town.
He gave advice.
He was like a rabbi or something like that.
What was his name?
I have to think.
Yosef Katz.
Sorry. And my grandmother's name was Sarah.
And we have one daughter named after her.
And from what I was told that the town was a Gentile town where my grandparents lived.
And my cousin told me a few things.
He says that he remembers that they were doing cabbage.
They were souring the cabbage.
He remembers as a young kid.
going into a barrel and stampeding.
matching the cabbage down.
And something else he does remember that Christmas. shortly after Christmas.
he went through the town to collect candy.
Apparently. the Gentile people threw candy all around.
And his memory is also very short and he was a very young kid
when he was there and he had a lovely beautiful mother.
What was here name. This is your aunt. yes?
My aunt. right.
What was her name?
Sandra. Oh!
It should be Olga Katz.
Apparently. I have the name that was given to her.
And what do you know about your aunt?
My aunt. Olga. maiden name.
This is from your mother's side?
That's from my mother's side. Yes.
What do you know about her?
Not much really.
I know she was the mother of two children.
and she. at one point.
they emigrated to Israel and then when her mother.
which is my grandmother got sick.
they came back for about a year or so to help her
recover from her illness. and then they went back to Israel.
And that's the last time they saw her.
Oh you want more?
My parents were living in Belgium.
And as everyone knows.
the war started in Belgium in May 1940.
And we tried to run away from the invasion of the Germans but apparently-
Do you have any. sorry to interrupt you.
Do you have any reminiscence.
or knowledge about the life of your parents between 1933 to let's say 40?
My assumption is that's as I told you before.
it must have been depression time.
And my father must have gone
trying other countries to make a living to support the family.
From what did he make his living. your father?
From what I was.
he had no profession probably to start with.
From what I understand.
he made a stopover in Luxembourg and tried to be a baker.
Apparently. he did not succeed and he went to Antwerp.
Over there. he became a diamond cutter.
How many brothers and sisters did he have?
He had four.
They were four boys and one girl.
Do you know all their names?
One was Stapheth. one was Avram.
and I don't recall the other ones.
And their names are on the tombs some of one of the brothers that passed away.
So you said previously that your father's stop in Brussels. and you wanted to be.
No. in Antwerp. His stopped originally in Luxembourg.
In Luxembourg. yes.
And over there. he tried to be a baker
which apparently. whatever happened it did not happen.
he went to Belgium.
Yes.
Antwerp he then became a diamond cutter.
And during that interim.
my mother must have gone home to her parent's house.
And because of it.
I'm assuming from what I understand.
that's where our grandchild was born. my older sister.
And my knowledge is from hearing of people not actually know.
Of course you cannot remember.
Right. know all those things.
Do you know how did your parents meet?
I have no knowledge who made this shidduch or anything like that.
You know something about them that you can describe about your.
Or did you. have you heard something about your mother or your father?
Unfortunately not because.
So you know nothing of them.
Exactly you know. Unfortunately. we did not have a family in Antwerp.
And before the war.
I was five years old.
And during the war. life was hectic so. you know. we were.
You were not told by a relative.
or by your uncle.
Unfortunately not.
I was foolish and not asking questions. you know.
Now. I regret all that not having asked any questions.
Do you know why you never asked?
Probably. I'm assuming being foolish. nothing more.
Maybe as when you're young.
you're not as interested as you are when you're becoming adult.
As an adult. you would like to know the background of your family and things like that.
But as a child. you know.
So. actually about your parents.
you don't know anything?
I cannot even visualize them.
The only thing I got. have from the German government.
which is really after the war.
all the documents. I got pictures of my parents.
So. through the documents.
you can hold a little information.
I can even get.
Did they register themselves when the war broke out.
Did they register themselves?
What was going on?
The thing. as far as I know.
I understand through documentation that I have read and things like that.
That the adults had to register and take a picture.
which unfortunately became a hindrance because on that basis.
they checked on everything.
All the children were listed in the documentation.
and they were all written.
Unfortunately. all those documentation.
the Germans did the wonderful thing.
they document that information.
My father had to report to work in some ways in the summer of 1942.
From what we understand.
he was sent to the Atlantic Wall.
whereby they built armaments of
some sort into the canyons or the walls of a day to prevent the invasion of the.
I believe it was the British and the Americans.
From what we saw. the document.
they asked the profession of each individual person.
My father apparently was smart enough
not to put down diamond cutter because as a diamond cutter.
he would have been useless.
So. he put down a baker on the documentation.
He sent one card home that everything is well.
This was sent through the Red Cross.
As everyone knows that it's not true.
They were forced to write those little notes that everything was well.
what happened later on.
But prior to that over time.
the Germans gave us a hard time.
My father had to cut off his beard.
Religious school. public school was prevented from us.
We were going to Jewish school.
Do you remember the school you've been to?
Something of Fekfamori.
Yes. or which we call.
we had to ware the Jewish star.
We could not go outside.
And there was a curfew with certain hours.
we were not allowed to travel.
Yes.
You wore the Yuddenshtern?
Yes I did. Definitely.
Yes.
During the winter of 1942.
I had pneumonia. and I was quite sick.
In those days they didn't have penicillin or anything like that.
From what I assume and recall not very fresh.
I was there for quite some time.
I would guess like a month or so if not more.
And apparently. after I recovered. I went home.
And during the summer of 1942.
I was sent to a camp apparently through
the government for healing because I must have
been in a very weak condition because of the pneumonia.
During that time unfortunately.
my mother and five kids were taken.
and they were sent to an army barrack camp from what I understand.
And two days later.
they were sent on the train to Auschwitz.
and it was considered the 11th transport.
As a matter of fact. on the documentation they even
show the number that each one was assigned.
and they never came back from there.
I assume Olga. that before all that your parents tried to escape. Did they?
Because we know that from Antwerpen many Jews tried at
the beginning to escape maybe to France or to-
Well. I do remember when we left.
Do you know something about that?
We left the house after the invasion of the Germans.
Yes.
And how long we went on the road or what.
but eventually we did come back.
Because apparently there was no outlet where my parents and we could get through.
I'm assuming the borders were closed.
and that was it.
we had to come home.
Do you know until when your father had the permission to work as a diamond cutter?
I really don't know.
Is nothing about it.
Nothing. I know he worked in the house.
Also. I recall we had a large table whereby he was working with diamonds.
But my. from what I know.
he was working prior.
In the good times whatever that was.
he had a work place.
and the place at home where he did the work.
Do you remember something of your religious life as a child?
Chagim. a synagogue.
I know my parents went to the synagogue.
No question about it.
Yes. But do you remember any recollection of a synagogue. of the holiday Pesach. Purim?
Not at all.
Nothing. It's blank completely blank.
Nothing. Your father praying?
I remember him praying.
I remember in the house on which we call.
It must have Shabbes whereby he was
looking at the stars outside. to count the stars.
My assumption that he wasn't allowed to go out anymore.
Because of the curfew.
And you remember your father.
You said that they forced your father to cut his beard?
Right.
Do you remember that?
This specifically not.
But I know this was in the laws.
And from what I see of the pictures that we have presently.
He did not have a beard.
So. he had.
Yes.
To cut his beard.
Right.
From a high holidays. Chagim nothing?
Nothing at all.
Unfortunately no.
Sukkot. Pesach?
No. Nothing at all really.
All that has blanked out.
I know we'd led the religious life that much I know.
but what of holidays or anything .
truly. I don't remember.
Actually where your first memory starts?
Continuously not.
Everything is like broken up.
I have a little picture here.
little picture there. little picture there.
You have a little picture of your home something?
The way my home looked?
The way your home looked. A toy that you had. a puppet.
Do you remember any toy you played with?
You were so many children.
Right. I remember playing with other kids in the street.
and then park. there was a park not far from us.
But specifically of anything. really not.
Do you remember your elder sister?
At present. then I remembered she was a blonde girl.
Most of the kids in our family were blonde.
I think just one myself was with dark hair.
which was an advantage underneath the Germans saint.
What do you know about your elder sister?
Really nothing.
Nothing unfortunately.
As I said. I have with the intentionally or unintentionally.
I really don't remember.
I don't even remember going from the Summer camp.
going to the nunnery afterwards.
I do remember sitting in front of the nuns and they told me.
my name is gonna be Dupont.
D-U-P-O-N-T. And that's all I remember of that year.
I remember the bombing.
when we were in the nunnery.
I remember many nights.
Yes. But I want to maybe you remember something more.
My family. More about my family.
Unfortunately not really.
That's where.
To when do you remember the last time you saw your family?
Not really.
Not in the real sense. No.
Even you don't remember that you were sick.
you came back. and you saw your family.
Right. I remember.
You don't remember nothing of that?
Nothing.
Unfortunately nothing.
Oh. I'm sorry.
If we stop here.
Yes.
Maybe you can add something.
Because I feel probably its a pity.
I know it's a pity. I don't-
Okay. let me go back a little bit.
Well. while my parents were living in Belgium.
my father occasionally went back to his hometown to visit
his mother who lived with her son.
and that was in Loza.
and Serlich it's called nowadays really.
He used to bring oranges and things.
fruits that they didn't have in Serlich that is Hungary.
And my mother occasionally went back to her hometown in a Smolnik to visit her family.
and she went there with my older sister.
That was all before I was born.
which we call a- Yes my grandmother.
on my father's side.
had the "Sidur" when which she looked at it every morning.
and there was a picture of my older sister.
And she was so always with tears in her eyes.
she always looked at the picture because probably
realizing that times will be very difficult and they might not see one another.
And also. let me go back a little bit.
While I was hospitalized. Excuse me.
It was a very unpleasant situation in the hospital because I was alone without family.
My parents came occasionally to visit me.
Probably. it was limited to how much they could come.
It was a very tough situation in the hospital.
What do you remember of their visits?
Visit? I remember that I was in
an isolated room completely alone and my parents were looking at.
we were looking at one another through a window.
It was very isolated because in those days.
sickness was very contagious and things like that.
So. it was very unpleasant.
Who took you there?
Who took you to the hospital?
Unfortunately. my parents were not able to take me to
the hospital because it was of restriction of time.
And my sister who happens to be blonde.
whereby the Germans did not bother them too much.
she was able to take me to the hospital over night.
And she probably stayed with me until my parents came and
verified everything to check me in and things like that.
It must have been very hard.
Where was this hospital?
My assumption. in Antwerp.
It was in Antwerp?
Yes. And unfortunately. my sister must have had a very tough time
because she had to share a lot of burdens with my family. with my parents.
And the rest of the kids were much younger than I
was and it must have been very harsh on her.
Especially when they were taken to prisoners.
into the army camp.
whereby from what I have read the life was very harsh over there.
It was muddy and dirty and everything like that.
And two days later.
they were sent on the transport to Auschwitz.
One minute. Your father was sent from where to Auschwitz?
My father was sent first to the Atlantic Wall and then for one reason
or another they brought him back
to the camp whereby my mother had been there a month before.
He was sent there a month after my mother had evacuated that place.
And from there. he was sent to Auschwitz on the 60.
Which camp was it?
I don't know.
Do you know the name of the camp?
There is some place where it's listed the camp.
I do not know of hand.
So. your mother was sent with all the children.
Five kids. little.
For one month to a camp. concentration camp?
No. No. for two days only.
She went to that camp.
it's a army base camp.
from what I understand.
And two days later. all the people they gather together.
Apparently. they needed a certain amount of people to complete each transport.
And from what I understand two days later.
that transport was completed and they were sent to Auschwitz.
What language did you speak at home?
At home. I know from Antwerp I went to a Flemish School.
and we learned a little bit French.
Belgium was a bilingual country.
and my assumption. at home.
we must have spoken Yiddish and in school it was Flemish because Antwerp was Flemish.
Do you remember something of your schooling well?
Nothing.
Nothing that much.
Nothing?
No. I just remember going to school and that's it.
We were deprived of going to a public school.
So. you went to a Jewish school?
Yes. They send us.
That's the only thing that we were able to do.
But you remember nothing of that school?
No. No. it's unfortunately.
my mind has blocked that off of other things.
And from what all the documentation we have gathered.
my father died on his birthday. January 1st.
And he went. also must have a very tough time.
My assumption that. when he went to the Atlantic Wall.
they must have worked very.
very hard and they abused the people from what we know of today.
And from there. I was sent to the nunnery from the camp.
Just a moment.
Sure.
Maybe we can know a little more.
Maybe a little more information about your family before they left.
before they were sent away.
Unfortunately. I truly do not have a memory at all of them.
I know the street where we live.
It was 27 Van Immerseel street.
That I remember very vividly.
Do you remember playing with children?
Actually. perhaps on the street we played. but very definitely.
My assumption is that we were
afraid because we knew what was going on in the street with the Germans.
that they were picking up people all the time.
So. we were very cautious.
How we managed to go to school. I don't recall.
Do you remember the Germans at all?
Yes. I remember seeing the Germans around.
It was scary and that's it from my family.
Your parents always wore the Jewish badge?
Yes. Whenever they came in.
It was a certain time where they inaugurated
the badge Jewish star and we had to wear it on the clothing.
And fortunately. we did wear it.
I remember sewing it on the outer garments always.
It was never hidden.
We had to wear them openly.
Do you remember a certain food that your mother cooked?
No.
For shabbat or something?
Unfortunately. I don't even remember shabbat or anything like that.
Because you were already almost seven years old.
Right. I do not remember.
You remember nothing?
Nothing. Unfortunately. whether my mind playing dead or what.
To be very honest. even many.
many years ago when I came out of all that misery.
I really don't remember remembering anything.
So. unfortunately. I can't do what I can't do.
So while. maybe we will we go on now.
while you were sent to these hospital.
your parents actually were sent to Auschwitz.
No. while I was in a camp.
in a summer camp.
That's when my mother.
and the children were sent to Auschwitz.
What do you know about which summer camp was it?
Who arranged this summer camp?
I don't know.
Was it only a Jewish summer camp?
It definitely was not only a Jewish summer camp. It was a mixed.
You were sent after you were sick.
that's the reason you were sent?
From what I understand through the government.
Because the question is why none of
the others is there or children were not sent to the camp?
So on that basis. I'm assuming.
it was the government that was in charge and send me to the camp.
For recovery?
Recovery.
For recovery?
That's my assumption.
Yes.
Because I was the only one.
There's no reason why the oldest one didn't go or younger than me didn't go.
Just I went by myself.
Do you remember when your baby brother was born?
No.
Also not the circumcision ceremony?
No. no. no nothing.
I do remember babysitting.
watching the kids while my parents went some place.
I have no clue where they went.
They never told us where they went.
Like for several hours or things like that.
Where or what they went for.
they never told us why.
We were living a secretive life.
My assumption is you're not fearful and all that.
Do you remember neighbors. children of neighbors?
I remember our next door neighbor.
Their name was Clap.
That's about it.
There were a lot of boys in that household. and that's it.
Fortunately. when asked this question.
and I've two boys from the camp.
I went to a nunnery.
Apparently. it was taken by the Jewish Committee.
How was it?
You were in this camp. yes?
And from the camp you were sent to the nunnery by whom?
You know by whom?
Who took you to the nunnery?
I don't remember specifically who took me but
from what I understand from the documentation that we received.
it was sent by a Jewish Committee sponsored by the United States.
through the Jewish Committee here in the United States.
Yes.
And they even paid them.
Every so often they gave them money.
All that was documented on papers.
They gave money to the nunnery.
To the nunnery for the support.
because from what I assume that the nunnery was also in dire need of money.
because they had so many children over there.
Do you remember the first day in the nunnery?
There was a special person that took you there?
A woman. A woman took me there.
I don't remember actually going.
I do remember when I arrived there.
I sat down in front by the head nun.
and they told me very nicely.
from now on. you cannot use the name Goldstein anymore.
You'll have to use the name Depol?
Who changed the name?
Over there in the nunnery?
Yes.
They gave me that name.
and that name I had to use from then on.
The first day. you remember you were seven and more than seven.
That's right.
You remember the first day in the nunnery?
No. I remember washing the floors and I remember sleeping.
We slept like in cribs like and we had to
sleep on our back and cross our arms in front of us.
And I do remember we had to pray on our knees before going to sleep.
And I do remember over time.
there were a lot of bombings going on all around us and I remember
waking up during the night and we had to walk in order. on the outside.
There was a courtyard.
and they gave us a wet rag to put them over our nose and mouth.
And we were walking.
it seemed like hours while they were bombing.
Just probably in case we had to run away or something like that.
Do you remember playing with children?
Over. in the nunnery?
Yeah in the nunnery.
The language which you were speaking.
The language was basically over there.
I was went to a section that was for Flemish School.
but over there I improved my French and eventually I went to French section.
and I do remember we were sitting in the catechism classes.
Catechism?
Yes. We had to learn everything.
all the rules and regulations.
I remember going.
Like what? What were the rules there?
I don't remember that.
and I do remember when we had to cross ourselves.
I did it in a strange way to avoid crossing myself the other way.
I know for a fact. I knew I was Jewish and I had to be quiet not to say anything.
The question is. who prepared you to all that?
What did you know of the Jewish prayers that you remember?
Did you remember "Mode Ani"?
I don't know. I couldn't begin to tell you.
"Moda Ani" before going to sleep.
did you remember those prayers?
No. I did not.
So. the question is.
on one hand you say you don't remember anything on the other you said.
oh I knew I was Jewish.
I knew I had to do that to cross when I had to make the cross.
I did it on the other side.
Right.
But that meant that you knew or a prayer or something.
I must have known. as you're asking me the question I wish I could answer you.
I really don't know.
Because this is interesting to understand.
My assumption the mentality of a child
that under the circumstances you know what to be careful of.
It's amazing.
To me. in some ways I'm impressed.
I see children who are under certain pressure and they know what to do.
That's my understanding of what went on.
Yeah.
That I was so cautious and careful.
Now. they changed your name. yes?
Correct. Yes. to Dupont.
So. who told you all that?
Who told you. "Now.
from now onwards your name is so and so."
Head nun.
When we went to immediately.
The head nun yes?
Right.
Yes.
And she told me that from now on.
your name is going to be Dupont and forget about Goldstein.
And they did keep my first name Olga.
Yeah.
And I do remember also that many times
the Gestapo used to come to the place and we were hidden.
Where?
In the attic.
We had to be very quiet.
I believe I was there with other children but from what I remember.
they told us not to talk and not to speak to one another and not to move.
It had happened several times.
And it's amazing that none of
the other children who remained behind didn't ask any questions.
why we were in the attic or things like that.
It was a very secretive thing.
How was your daily life there from the beginning?
When did you get up?
When did you have to pray?
When did you.
Go to school and catechism class. I barely not know i'm assuming was under.
And you don't remember the school either?
It was in the premises but by the nun.
We did not go outside. it was under premises
it was on the campus.
It was the first time that you learn how to read. Yes?
Well. probably I used to read before.
I was seven years old over there.
I'm sure read before.
Reading and writing and all that.
But you remember nothing of the school.
No. and not.
Are you a member of this nunnery and you knew already to read?
I'm assuming so. Sure.
Now. you were many children in this nunnery.
Right.
You remember playing with the children.
What games did you play?
I really do not.
I have no. I remember playing with a doll.
That is the extent of my memory from there.
The doll was taken from home.
or it was given to you?
In the nunnery right.
I did not have.
I don't remember playing with other children.
but from what I understand now.
reviewing all that and looking on through the Internet.
that there were many Jewish children there.
As a matter of fact. one of the nun.
the head nun has an honorary degree or whatever you want to call.
by the righteous Yad Vashem.
Her name is there.
I don't recall her name.
I did not compare with all my knowledge that I have at home.
Did you meet with kindness in this nunnery?
It couldn't have been bitterness because I don't remember crying a lot.
but I'm assuming I cried from loneliness.
Or longing for your family or?
Lonely from everything. The whole world.
being isolated and all that.
Not knowing what's going on with you.
My assumption it must have been very hard.
I can imagine.
Yeah.
Do you remember going to sleep?
Yes. Sleep crying that I remember vividly
and the nuns constantly were checking
a whole night to make sure that you were laying flat
on your backs with your arms crossed.
That was one of the requirements.
I remember big cross in the center of the building.
It was a long room.
And the nuns slept on the same floor as we did.
but they had L-curves. completely enclosed.
And there were bathrooms.
there were three toilets if that's what you want know.
Yeah.
And that's all there was.
Yeah.
And I do remember when we took baths.
we must have been about 10. 15 children.
Washed themselves in the bath tap.
the same bath. the same dirty water.
And the nuns washed us. we did not wash.
Every day? Did you have-
No. probably once a week. something like that.
Who slept next to you.
do you remember a girl?
No. the beds were lined up.
it was like cribs we slept in.
Because girls in the age.
you were almost eight now?
Right.
You were eight years old?
Right. Conversing with anybody. I don't remember.
I'm being very honest.
Not conversing?
Not playing ? Nothing of that?
No. that's what I said.
My memory is very short in that respect.
Things happen so quickly and so up-evil and all that.
I remember being very quiet about everything.
reluctantly to talk or anything like that.
Do you remember also crying of other children?
No. I know we were not allowed to make noise.
So. it was a very silent cry.
Do you remember any emotional thing?
You mean like throwing your feet.
or anything like that. or screaming? No.
Screaming?
No.
Crying. hugging with a nun. something emotional?
No. there wasn't. From the nuns definitely.
there was nothing emotional about them with one another.
I do not recall if there was.
whether there was or anything like that.
It was a very isolated life from what I assume.
Because girls as I mentioned before.
they tend to be friendly with other children or to have any contact.
Maybe there was. but not that I remember.
I'm being very honest.
I really don't remembered any.
Sure. I'm sorry.
No. no. no.
I said. Who was dying. he had cancer.
And I remember. how old was Yehochnan?
He was four.
And the questions he ask it's unbelievable.
And I've learned that somehow children become so smart.
they know what to do.
what to ask for.
what to understand. what not to understand.
And this is what I'm assuming happened with me.
Yeah.
That you know. You had to be quiet.
you had to do this.
That's my guesswork.
I don't know for sure.
Yeah.
I'm guessing that.
Yeah.
So. that's what my assumption is that I blanked out.
You remember. if somebody read to you a story?
No.
Do you remember a song that was sung to you?
No.
Nothing of that?
No. As a matter of fact.
if you saw those pictures.
I remember putting on those uniforms.
Yeah.
And walking on the street over there.
But that's all I remember.
But did you go out for outings?
Yes. That's why I said.
we put on those uniforms.
it was a uniform that we put on when we went outings on the street.
Yeah.
And I remember the Germans were there not far from us.
I remember them all the time being somehow.
but from what I understand occasionally they came over there.
and came to look if there were Jews over there.
Do you remember if there were sick children?
Let's say somebody was sick.
In the infirmary? I don't.
You were so young.
let's say if you've had a toothache. or.
Right.
You had fever.
I don't remember any of those things.
Yeah. okay.
No.
Yeah.
I really blanked out.
You were blanked out.
From the time that war started.
my assumption is that my life was so hectic constantly. constantly
and you had to be quiet.
You had to be quiet about everything.
Till I went to my mother's and uncle's house.
that's like a period of five years.
more than that maybe.
From when the war started.
it's like constantly you have to be fear.
that much I knew we had to be afraid.
Fear was constantly there.
And this you remember?
Yes. and this I knew that I was Jewish and I had to be very careful.
Yeah.
This is my understanding what went on.
Do you remember if there was some visits.
not your parents were not there?
No. From what I have read.
some of the kids did have visitors coming to visit them.
Yeah. that's my question. Yeah.
Yes. I did not see it.
but what I read.
Yeah.
So. you remember the last days being in this nunnery? No.
No. I just remember when they were bombing.
that was just before the armistice.
My assumption the Germans were being pushed back.
and we were not far from a forest.
Yeah.
And I remember there was a lot of bombing. shooting.
and everything then somehow the next day they came said we're free.
And after that. I don't know how long between that and what I recall that
some Polish soldiers came into the nunnery and ask if any of the Jewish kids were Polish.
I was not.
That's all I remember then.
And?
That was it. That's all I remember.
I was not Polish or Polish descent.
Yeah.
Because the truth is this much I knew.
that I was not a Belgium citizen.
Even though I was born in Belgium.
I was still a Czech-Slovakian citizen.
Belgium did not accept me as a citizen.
As a matter of fact.
when I came to the United States.
I was listed as Czech-Slovakian citizen.
I still have my visa.
So. how was it done?
The war was over.
Armistice. Armistice.
And then your uncle came to fetch you?
No. From what I understand.
they took me out.
Probably. most likely. the people that placed me in the nunnery.
they took me out from the nunnery and placed me in another camp of some sort.
Whereby. probably where a lot of children
without families or till their families reclaim them.
Remember there was no Internet to find out who was alive.
who was not alive.
Probably that was done through the Red Cross. my guesswork.
Finding out who belonged to whom.
whether they had a family?
So. do you remember saying goodbye to the nuns. for example?
No. No. I don't even remember literally being taken out from there.
I remember being in that camp and from that camp.
I recall going to my mother's aunt and uncle.
How did you go there?
Where did they live?
Oh. they lived in Brussels.
Yeah.
A 116. which would you read the pallet.
I mean that much I know. we're up.
Of how did you go to?
From there to there.
I have no inkling.
I know World War II was not over when I went to them.
It was still under the armistice.
And?
Then I went to my mother's aunt and uncle.
Unfortunately.
When you say you went to.
you cannot tell me who took you there.
No. My assumption is my aunt and uncle picked me up from there.
Yes.
I mean I couldn't have gone there without
because I didn't know who they were or anything like that.
Apparently. they went to claim me someways.
You don't know about it.
How did they know where you are?
No. No. No. This is what I resent myself that I never ask questions.
Was too painful?
No. I think it's stupidity.
when you're young you're gone think hard enough.
No. It's normal if you want to forget.
Yeah. But from one place to another place to another place without you know.
So what was the names of your uncles who lived with?
Lowenwirth.
Yeah.
The last name was.
The first name of your uncle.
Was Martin.
M-A-R-T-I-N. No one word.
Laving?
L-O-W-E-N-W-I-R-T-H.
Now you were almost nine or ten.
Right.
Yes. Do you have any?
Memories of the day.
of the day? Yes.
What kind of a girl were you after there?
The war.
The war. How did you adjust now to a different family?
Well. I lived with the understanding that my family would come back the way I came back.
It was just a matter of time waiting to see if they would come back.
when I mean I was so definitely that they were coming back.
I had no hesitation.
The only time this was later that when I came to the United States.
I came to United States to an aunt and uncle.
Actually my father's brother.
and they told me to go to "Yizkor" to say.
and that's when reality hit me.
That's it. Till then I was very hopeful always to somehow.
with the mix up in the war and things like that for sure.
So it takes another day.
another year or whatever.
I was sure I would find my family.
I did not know about Auschwitz or anything like that in those days.
I did not have the document that I have presently.
To me. any day they would come back.
and for sure life would continue.
The same way as it was before.
and it was sad.
How did you call your uncle by their names.
or uncle. or aunt?
Most likely by their aunt and uncle.
Yes.
Because.
Did they talk to you a little bit about your?
No.
So they just told you-you'll have to go for "Yizkor"?
No. This was here in the United States not in Belgium. Belgium.
In the United States.
Only in the United. When I was 13 years old.
Okay.
That's when a reality.
That's a different story.
But I want to know about your upbringing in.
In Belgium? When I was by my mother's. That was my mother's.
That was in Brussels?
Right. In Brussels. Over there.
they had four children.
One. It was a very interesting family.
The daughter.
How did they survive?
That's what I'm trying to tell you.
The daughter helped out the hiding children.
She did things for the resistance school.
She did a lot.
Then I had one of their sons.
He was in the partisan.
What was his name?
Emil. Emilo. He was in the partisans.
He was very very active.
and he did a lot of stopping of trains.
and bombing. and things like that in cinemas.
and things like that.
Then there was another son who was also very active in the partisans and unfortunately.
the Germans caught him.
They beat him to death.
What was his name?
His name was Michele.
Then the younger son with the father and mother.
they were going. trying to run away from where they lived.
They were going and the train was bombed.
That son was in the hospital for a few months recovering from the sharpnel wounds.
and my mother's uncle he had a leg amputated from that bombing.
It was very sad.
The mother she worked very hard to hold the family together.
They even took in one of her sister.
my aunts. my mother's aunt.
and she took in one of her sister's children who came from Auschwitz and
Buchenwald and tried to send him back home which was in Hungary. They had .
Do you remember of the children who came?
Yes. Yeah. That's that from that part I remember.
How do you remember them coming from Auschwitz?
Because he came.
Yeah. But how in what situation? How did he.
He was broken up.
a broken up child.
He was about 14.
What was his name?
His name was Alex.
Yes.
He was a broken up child.
Emotionally broken up. it was very sad.
The life. I went back to school over there.
and we continued life.
That's the question.
Brussels. we know it's completely different atmosphere
than Antwerp. First of all It's not so religious.
Definitely not. They were not religious.
It's different.
They were not religious.
There was no holidays.
We knew about the holidays but we did not observe it.
So. for you. it was a different completely.
You have to remember from the now and being.
So you forgot everything?
Right. So. it's like.
So. how was this transformation between the nunnery to a different life?
After all. you were for sometime in the nunnery.
and now you go completely to something else.
Right. I as I said from that section anything from then on I was okay more less.
prior to that whether mentally blocked out everything.
Also. these blocked out.
Yes. Over there. as I said we were they were not religious.
They knew about Jewishness.
but they were bitter of what has happened to
their son during the war and all their children.
As a matter of fact. the one who was the head of the partisans.
he was only freed after the World War II ended.
He was a prisoner.
Right. Yes. Prior to that.
Also. there was a lot of emotional in that family because what they went through.
they were very hyper.
It was a very active.
Not physically. but by word of mouth.
a lot of yelling that went on.
They also had the readjustment to make.
Of course.
Yes. As a matter of fact.
after they were very.
it was a communist family.
and after the war.
After I left them shortly after that they originally came from Hungary.
So they went back to Hungary.
Emil. the one that was in the partisans that was the head of the partisan.
He became chargé something out to in the government.
He did not from what I understood afterwards from other people that
one day he was a charge`that fear or something like that.
He was in Holland.
and he did not.
at that time communist was very great.
Shortly after the war.
and he did not associate with people that he knew before the war from what I was told.
He was very communist they can't hold that.
But yet. there was a little Yiddish type.
Yes. As they said. the pentathlete always was there.
They knew that they were Jewish and all that.
How was it to grow up in Brussels after the war?
Well.
How did you have now.
because until now. even not the name of one friend was mentioned.
You did not have friends.
Now. could you make friends or you still were very closed up.
Yes. In the building that I lived.
there was a little girl my age.
her name was Bevey Patniak something like that.
I don't recall the last name.
We were very close all the time.
She was Jewish as well?
Yes. I don't know what her experience was during the war.
that I couldn't begin to tell.
We did not discuss things like that.
Yeah. okay. I can imagine.
Yeah.
Back at school. did you feel good?
Was it a Jewish school?
No. It was a public school.
I continued with my Flemish education while I was there.
I had more French than I had in Antwerp.
Do you speak French now?
No. When I came to this country.
I had no one that spoke French.
So. all Flemish. so I-
I will ask you later. actually.
why did you go to the State when they were actually very kind to you in there?
As I said. I had no control what I could do with myself.
They wanted you to go to your uncle in the States?
They were. Yes. Because first of all.
it was a closer family.
It was my father's brother. while in Belgium.
where I was. it was my mother's aunt and uncle.
So this relationship-
Probably he had to look for you.
I wish you knew how he looked for you.
How they found me.
How did he found you?
They had told me through people.
one another. somehow by talking.
From what I understand.
somebody came from the States.
went to Belgium and knew the family.
or in the building where we lived. things like that.
Things got spoken to just.
where you- We found out that you knew Ellie.
You never know how things.
We will talk about it of course later.
how you found other relatives of the family.
But can you tell me something more about your life in Brussels?
No. I know where we lived.
all the houses were bombed down.
our house was the only one that's standing up there. I remember playing.
What was the atmosphere?
In Belgium?
Yeah. After the war.
I really couldn't begin to tell you.
I know I belong to an organization was called Pioneers.
and they took us on trips. and things like that.
We would meet weekly or whatever.
It was like a youth club. where I went to.
More than that. I couldn't begin to tell you.
We walked around very free in the city of Brussels.
Once. I wanted to go back to see my old home and they wouldn't let me.
They said. "You shouldn't go back."
The children in your class.
did they know that you have lost your parents?
No.
Did you ever speak about?
No.
Or you pretended like many other children that your aunt and uncle are your parents?
Right. I'm sure we never discussed that or anything like that.
We were children. whether we became happy children after the war.
trying to forget everything or what.
so possibilities out there.
We never discussed anything.
even with my mother's aunt and uncle. with the Lowenwirth.
I never discussed anything or anything like that.
It's like it never happened.
Like something never happened.
They never told you anything about your family?
No.
Did you ask them?
I did not asked. This is my problem.
But did you ask. You told us that you were sure your parents will come back.
Yes. This was my understanding.
I felt very comfortable about the-
Did you discuss it with them?
How. when or where?
Waiting for them?
No. It was an understanding on my own. this is.
One day we'll find one another.
And then you-
When I came here-
Here is not here.
it's to the State probably.
To the States. right.
I keep on forgetting where I am.
Yeah. I can imagine.
Yeah. over there.
You remember saying goodbye to your family? How was it?
In Belgium. definitely. yes.
As a matter of fact.
close to the last week.
we went and we took pictures together.
In the picture. they even inserted their son who was killed during the war.
They inserted his picture.
They left the room and inserted his picture in there.
That was our last goodbye.
They were very nice to us. to me I should say.
We said. when they took me to the airport.
I came by plane.
My uncle here was very comfortable financially.
What was his name?
Goldstein. That was my father's brother.
His first name?
Adolf. it was.
And they lived in New York?
In Brooklyn.
Yes.
They owned a bakery.
Yes. He was the brother of-
Of my father. He also had emigrated way. way before.
He came to New York to work while he left his wife in Czechoslovakia.
Every so often. he used to go and visit her.
During the war. well.
before the war invaded in Hungary.
that family came out from Czechoslovakia and came to the United States.
So. they were safe.
They had a very comfortable life here in the United States.
I was well taken care of and all that.
Yes. Again. now you have to adapt to.
A new family.
To a new family. different atmosphere.
Adjustment. a different language. and everything.
Were they religious?
Yes. They were definitely religious.
It was a different life.
It's adjustment from one lifestyle to another lifestyle to another and another.
Yeah. of course.
I went through several lifestyles.
How did you re-adapt?
Apparently. I'm getting used to that thing of readjusting and readjusting.
Were you happy with them?
Yes.
Did you feel at home?
Yes and no.
There was something always missing.
it was not my parents.
As I said. when they send me to "Yizkor" that's when reality broke in.
They told you now?
Did they explain to you why you have to go to "Yizkor"?
Apparently. I understood.
Because you said that this subject never was mentioned.
Exactly.
So. how did they deal with this subject?
It's not easy to tell a girl.
now you have to say "Yizkor". How did they do it?
Very simplistic on their part.
They said you have to go.
Whether I understood. apparently.
I understood what "Yizkor" was all about at that point.
You remember saying the "Yizkor"?
Remember. I came here January.
and the holidays were in October. right?
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah and all that.
So. on my assumption I understood already what things were all about.
and I went to school here.
I did not go to Yeshiva.
I went to public school.
And?
I went on with life.
the way life is.
Unfortunately. I continued.
So. when did you start dealing with the issue?
That all your family is gone.
Until when did you push things?
Push it aside.
Aside?
"Yizkor" was the first in pushing aside.
I can imagine.
Then. later on. I
started reading and reading of all the things.
library books and things.
From what age?
From about the age of 13.
I started gradually.
There wasn't much information.
Gradually. over time. I saw what happened and the emotional part of my parents.
what they I assume went through.
that hit. over time.
I send in the papers to Yad Vashem whenever they asked for the papers.
Then over time. we got more information. My kids sent. took. went to.
When Yad Vashem opened up the computers.
they put all the information. My kids did it.
Yes. But I talk about the time you were in New York.
growing up with the Goldstein family.
How did they treat you?
Did they have psychological understanding towards your suffering?
I'm sure not. because it was a family that was very busy with working.
They were constantly working because of the bakery that they had.
Even the mother. my aunt. she worked also.
They was more involved in the bakery.
There was a financial need that they were- that type of people.
Emotionally. it was to myself.
I could not discuss things with them.
Did you long. probably you long for the other family in Brussels?
Yes.
Did you write to them?
We corresponded. yes. till they moved to Hungary
whereby it was behind the Iron Curtain in those days.
So there was no communication.
Yeah.
After many. many years.
I mean. it must have been about 10 years or so.
I got some information about them.
what they were doing. you know.
And did you meet with them?
I went there many years later.
I don't recall what year.
but I was married with my husband.
We went there and I just met the two sons.
My mother's aunt and uncle no longer were alive at that point.
and they had a daughter which I was told that she no longer was alive.
So it was only the two sons and the saddest part was
very hard to correspond with them because my French was gone.
That was the only language.
My husband was the intermediary because he spoke Hungarian.
So we were there for a week.
It was very nice meeting them and all that.
Unfortunately. now they're gone also. both of them.
I can imagine that it was very moving.
At the end. that's what life is all about.
I am sure in New York you met with many children of survivors or survivors.
No. I never met any child. my age child.
Like. a little bit older generation I understood.
that's the generation that.
In the neighborhood where I lived.
that went through Auschwitz. You know there were the Hungarians.
I'm sure you saw people for example. with number.
How did it affect you because I remember seeing those people in Jerusalem and it was.
It shocked you?
Shocked? was it a shock for you?
No. because I knew about that.
It's a matter of fact. I have my sister in-law.
I had two sisters in-laws that had the numbers.
Yes. but they caught after that?
Right. No question about it.
From having read so much and all that.
you become embedded with it.
You said that you were a girl that you kept for yourself?
Right. and all those years in the nunnery I mean.
I never spoke about
And after with the family?
Even then we didn't speak about it.
Is it also with the Goldstein family?
Never. They never questioned me.
They never asked and I never spoke.
never volunteered. That part.
But the Holocaust did it have a presence in your home?
At the Goldstein family?
No. No. it did not have a presence at all.
They were tuned down. from that part.
I think people who have not lived in
there and who are not interested. don't have an understanding what an upheaval that was.
A real upheaval.
Families broken apart in pieces and not
finding one another and then having learned years
later that that they did survive and not seen one another.
Did you feel you were an orphan? Or because you were brought-
The funniest thing.
No. I did not feel I was an orphan till a grand daughter said to me "Pappy.
you are an orphans."
I've looked at her. I couldn't associate in that presence.
You did not associate with that?
No. as being an orphan. definitely not.
She said. "You had no parents"
So it's your granddaughter that mentioned it to you?
The first time. the word.
I had never.
Strange world that we went through.
What about about your life later?
When did you get married?
I got married very young. I was 20 years.
Also to a Holocaust survivor?
Yes.
What was his name?
The name of your husband?
Aaron Katz.
What was his story?
How did he survive?
He was. they called
it Munkaszolgalat He is from the Hungarian section.
Also he comes from Czechoslovakia.
that area where my parents came from.
As a matter of fact. he knew some of my family.
You mentioned it previously.
Yeah. he knew some of my family.
which I didn't know.
So. it was a shidduch?
No. it was not a shidduch. We know one another because he was working for my uncle in the bakery.
I worked there also.
part of the time. so we got to know one another very-
Did he lose family as well?
Yes. he lost his parents.
which we call. he lost two younger.
a brother and sister. young ones. But he.
What was the name of the brothers and sister. you know?
I have to think very hard.
I can't think of them.
And he had.
I'm trying to think.
four sisters that where in Auschwitz with him.
Not with him. excuse me.
he didn't go to Auschwitz.
As a matter of fact. once they all had
the numbers and one sister gave birth in the Auschwitz.
How do you know about that?
You see. that family gets together and they talk about it.
I had nobody to talk about my experience as.
And they did.
They did. So. I was well aware of the conversation that was going on all the time.
They were fortunate in the respect that they all were able to came out more or less healthy.
Probably the fact that you came. more or less.
from the same place.
geographical place and background
Pushed us together.
Pushed you together.
Right. We had an understanding of some sort. Yeah.
Yes.
Hopefully. we had a good life.
We had like 62 years together.
Oh. Did you talk with their children?
Just what they asked. I answered.
No. I mean. you yourself.
Did you volunteer to talk?
Volunteer? I don't think so.
Why not?
Sometimes I was hesitant whether what I'm telling is the truth. I did not.
And neither your father or your husband?
No. No. he didn't question me.
No. I didn't volunteer either.
So you both of you did not talk much about it?
He spoke about that with his family. He did.
But you and your husband?
Together? I don't think so.
I might have mentioned here.
a word there. a word. but nothing.
Did you want to protect the fact that you did not talk with your children?
It did not penetrate to me one way or another.
It's something that. as I said.
perhaps I've wanted to blank out that section of my life.
And is it possible to blank out? That's my question.
I don't know.
After all those years.
do you think it's really or it's-
It's there. no question about it.
And this is why I.
Did you name your for example.
My children?
Yes. After your parents.
after your brothers and sister?
One. she's named after my mother.
After my father. I couldn't name because my husband had the same name.
As a matter of fact. now. we have a grandchild.
great grandchild that was born.
that was given by my husband and my father's name.
and not the children because they were told very
nicely that you don't name children that die an unhealthy deaths.
Because most people named their children
But those were young children so they never gave. That's number one.
Number two. I didn't know their Jewish names. you understand?
That was a problem also.
So when did you came to your realization that you are a Holocaust survivor?
When? Probably. gradually over the years as an adult.
As a matter of fact.
once someone asked me if I wanted to be interviewed.
I said. "No" because I don't remember.
It's my children that brought that out in me through the Yad Vashem.
Before Yad Vashem. when they were adults.
growing in the USA.
did they ask you questions?
Yes. and maybe not.
Also not.
I don't think so. no.
my husband. because they heard my husband and his sisters and brothers talking together.
But they did not ask about you and your story?
Not specific. No. because I think they understood that I didn't know.
I think that was part of it.
I really don't think.
Because. as you see.
a lot I don't remember.
So. there wasn't too much to reveal.
Now. they're doing research and all that.
and she has taken me to Yad Vashem a few times.
How many children do you have?
I have three.
Three children.
But a lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
So. that's one of the grateful results.
The grandchildren probably do ask question also?
No.
No.
No.
They know that I'm a Holocaust survivor. and that's it.
They might know that factual things.
what I say. but nothing.
Did you have. as a grown-up.
any theological problem with God. with belief?
You lost all your family.
Were you ever angry with God?
I'm sure I was resentful of what has happened.
I don't question that one way or another.
I accept it for what it is.
That's that.
I have nothing more to say.
No.
We'd still like to ask you
some questions about coming back to. did you visit?
What we call. did you make a root visit. we call it?
At home?
Masa Shorashim to your home?
No. I never went back.
Why? Didn't you want to close a circle?
The point was. from what I understand.
what will I see there?
Nothing. The last time I wanted to see was when my cousin in Belgium took
me to Antwerp to get my official papers to be able to come to United States.
So we were on the side route of where I lived.
So I said. "Let me stop over there." He says. "No!"
And my assumption is there's really nothing really to go back to.
From what I understand.
people have told me that the Arabs live in
that neighborhood. so definitely nothing.
I think my memory is better than if I would go and see what isn't probably.
the whole thing probably is destroyed or something like that.
The way you brought up your children was influenced by the way you went through.
After all you went from family to orphanage from family.
How did you deal with the way you brought up your children?
I don't think I didn't hold them back from things.
I hope not. from letting them live the way they wanted to live.
I think on their own.
they have a good life.
They made the best out of it.
They went to school. Yeshiva.
and I'm assuming they made a good marriage.
and they're all happy.
Hopefully. we did not have an evil influence upon them or held them back from things that .
It's not about evil. it's about transforming.
Yes. a relationship with them.
I don't know. That's for a psychologist to analyze me or analyze my children.
Did you ever need to go or to speak to a psychologist?
No. never desired to.
Never?
No. Hopefully. I was not depressed or anything.
neither was my husband.
Also. we did not make a very unhappy household. hopefully.
Yeah. So. the Shoah was not present in your home?
I hope not. yes.
Just as they got older.
they says that but Yad Vashem opening up the doors.
on their computer. that's where they all got involved.
They research and research.
trying to find roots more than my emotional status.
Yeah. You told me previously that you met after long because you said.
"All my family was gone."
As far as I knew. yes.
But then you told me you met with a relative?
Right
How did it happen all of a sudden?
She is the one who did it.
The name of your children.
by the way. what are?
Sandra. Ramona. and Mark.
Yeah. They went on the Internet.
on the Yad Vashem site.
and they started looking haphazardly and then became more involved and more
involved until she realized that two people.
that was me. and somebody else was searching under my father's name. mother's name.
She started putting together.
and she called up a cousin of mine here in Israel and started talking to her.
And the woman said. "Forget it."
She hang up on her.
Then she said she called her again later on.
and she explained to her what she found on Yad Vashem sites.
She asked if you know a Rosa Gotkatz or Aaron Goldstein.
They saw that putting the two together.
and it came out that we were family.
She met them first.
way before I did.
If I'm trying to remember correctly.
she called me up. through that cousin.
if I'm correct what I'm saying.
she mentioned to her.
Ellie Bosh who's in the States.
I should call him up and explain to him who I was and this and that.
So. I called him.
and his mother's name was Olga Katz.
which happened to be my name presently.
So. I said. "My name is Olga Katz.
but don't hung up on me."
I said. "I'm going to try to explain to whom I am and all that."
He was flabbergasted. He says.
"I'm coming over right now."
And sure enough. he came over.
Then over time. I met his brother here.
I came for a wedding.
I met his brother.
His name is Mati.
and they gave me pictures of the mother.
They started telling me a little bit about it.
And Sandra. my daughter.
got in touch with one who lives in Australia.
a cousins daughter. and she became befriended.
and somehow things got.
So. you discovered that family.
Part of the family. yes.
Because before. for example.
how did you celebrate the Hagim with no family?
That was it. Well. I celebrated.
But your husband had some family..
Right. right.
Yes. so that helped you?
Yes. And as I said.
I had my aunt and uncle here in the States where I went to.
That was the only family I had here that I knew of then.
That was it.
It's a very strange coincidence. very pleasant also.
Yes. Olga. before we end up our session.
would you like to say something for next generation.
for your grandchildren. for the people who will listen today.
what would you sum up?
I would like that they should know that there was a family.
that I had a family.
Unfortunately then. they went through hell.
Try to remember them.
Have us all in mind one day.
How do you want them to be remembered?
In prayer so would be nice and in thought.
Unfortunately. nobody got to meet them.
She's always trying to remember that there was a family that existed.
and through unfortunate things.
they were not able to fulfill a life.
We thank you. I thank you on behalf of Yad Vashem and of course on my behalf.
It's an honor to do it eventually.
I was reluctant to always do it.
But I think my family is entitled to it.
So. i'm just glad that you told your story. You were ready to share hard moments with us.
Thank you very much for doing it.
And we thank you very very much.
Thank you.
God will bless you.
He has already.
We have very big family now.
Do you see it the kind of revenge?
That's what my kids say.
for all that past we have.
God knows I have I think 16 grandchildren.
out of three children and I have about 20 or so great grandchildren.
Beautiful.
We're not finished yet.
There's more to come.
Ken yirbu. we say in Hebrew Ken yirbu .
Amen. Yes.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. Okay. we accomplished.
Okay sure.
It's a bit quiet here.
Okay. Here's a picture of my grandparents on my mother's side.
It's Dora and Yosef Katz.
her maiden name was Lowenwirth.
And close is a picture of Smolnik the way it looks today.
On the right side. is a grave of my grandmother. Deborah Katz.
What's next? Dina.
Who is that?
This is Hava Furer's mother.
Her brother. Yes.
It took a long time in there.
And close you will
see a picture of my aunt and uncle.
They're from Smolnik and their last name was Katz.
And they perished in the holocaust. yes?
Yes. they also perished in the Holocaust.
Here is a picture of Cipora Katz and Martin Katz.
This is family I just discovered.
way after recently when.
Yad Vashem went on the Internet.
They were both alive after the war.
Okay. Now This is the Lowenwirth family.
Those are my mother's aunt and uncle with whom I stayed after the war.
They helped me survive.
This is the last picture I took before coming to the United States.
I was just 13 then.
This is a picture
of my mother that was taken way before the war and I received this picture from a cousin
of mine from Australia whom we
discovered and met for the first time 60 years after the war.
This is a picture of my parents that was taken by the Germans.
where they had to report and they were identified.
and they both perished in the war.
How did you find this?
It was through the German govern- was
later given through identification from the Belgium government.
That's what they had on hand.
This is the documentation
that we received from the Belgian government.
Whereby. my family had to register.
And the only one that survived which
shows on the picture was me whereby there's no red stamp.
This is a picture of the nunnery where I was at.
And it looks like that's me sitting over there in the third row.
And I recognize some of the nuns and unfortunately that's where I was during the war.
I would say fortunately.
But I didn't want to be there.
I wanted to survive.
Of course.
This is excerpt that was taken out from
the group picture of the nunnery whereby I stay during the war.
This is a picture of the bedroom where I
slept all those years while I was in the nunnery.
The Beds felt like cribs.
And they closed that up at night.
This is our wedding.
we were married March 27. 1955.
It was a lovely wedding.
We had a good life for 62 years.
and we had three children together.
Okay.
Now we like one picture of you.
Seeing on this picture?
I could figure out.
It's one of the grandchildren's wedding.
This is at the wedding of one of our grandchildren.
It was a lovely wedding.
You could see my husband and myself.
Unfortunately. the girls from New York wasn't able to come and neither was my son.
But it was a very happy wedding.
This is my granddaughter's wedding that was just recently in New York.
Over there. you could see Sandra on the right and Ramona on the left.
and my son on the left side.
and the rest of the grandchildren are there.
There is two. three.
Thank you.
Testimony of Olga (Goldshtein) Katz, born in Antwerp, Belgium, 1933, regarding her experiences in Antwerp and in hiding in a convent in Heverlee using a false identity Her parents were born in Czechoslovakia; her grandfathers' work as ritual slaughterers in Czechoslovakia; boycotts against Jews [Jewish establishments]; Yellow Badge; transfer to a sanatorium due to a lung disease; Deportation of the family to Auschwitz; in hiding in the Convent of Misericorde nunnery in Heverlee; change of her last name to Dupont; life [in the convent]; searches by Gestapo men; liberation; Life with her relative Martin Launburg in Brussels; move to relatives in New York; life in New York.
details.fullDetails.itemId
12836612
details.fullDetails.firstName
Olga
details.fullDetails.lastName
Katz
details.fullDetails.maidenName
Goldshtein
details.fullDetails.dob
1933
details.fullDetails.pob
Antwerpen, Belgium
details.fullDetails.materialType
Testimony
details.fullDetails.language
English
details.fullDetails.recordGroup
O.3 - Testimonies Department of the Yad Vashem Archives
details.fullDetails.earliestDate
19/03/2017
details.fullDetails.latestDate
19/03/2017
details.fullDetails.submitter
כץ גולדשטיין אולגה
details.fullDetails.original
YES
details.fullDetails.interviewLocation
ISRAEL
details.fullDetails.belongsTo
O.3 - Testimonies gathered by Yad Vashem
details.fullDetails.testimonyForm
Video