Chone Oren

Testimony of Chana Oren Kinreich, born in Chrzanow, Poland, 1924, regarding an attempted illegal aliya through Benghazi, deportation to the Ferramonti camp, exit from the camp by visa and life in Lourenco Marques during the war Family background; Jewish town; studies in a Polish elementary school; studies at Beit Yaakov; aliya of her older brother to Eretz Israel, 1934; aliya of her second brother to Eretz Israel, 1939; the move of her third brother to Italy. The outbreak of war, 1939; escape of her two brothers to the Russian border; panic in the town and the escape of many residents; moving with parents and sister to Krakow; arrival at her uncle's house; entry of German soldiers into the city after three days; harassment of Jews; searching for elderly Jews with beards and tearing their beards; decision to flee; back to Chrzanow; her father's request from the brother who is in Italy for help; sending fictitious visas to South America to the family by the brother; her father shaved his beard for fear of harassment; receipt of passports without Jewish marking; leaving Chrzanow, 14/03/1940; move to Wien; stay in a hotel on which hangs a sign "No entry for dogs and Jews"; arrival in Italy, 15/03/1940; meeting with her brother; attempted illegal aliya through Benghazi without her brother; move to Sicily; cruise to Benghazi and arrival, July 1940; the arrival of 300 Jews from Europe to the city; a warm welcome from the Jewish residents of the city; stay a few months in the city; conquest of Italy by Germany; deportation to a military camp by the Italians; transfer to a prison in Naples; deportation to the Ferramonti camp; the help of her brother in getting the family out of the camp; issuance of visas to South America. Leaving the camp; passing through Roma and meeting her brother; obtaining permits to move to Portugal on the way to South America; arrival in Lisbon, late 1940; dedicated care by the Polish consulate to Jewish refugees in Portugal; issuing new passports and receiving help with daily subsistence; a demand to go to the police every day for a signature; missing a ship that sailed to Canada due to the witness' eye disease; obtaining visas to Shanghai; sailing on a ship to Mozambique; departure by ship, 30/06/1941; arrival at Lourenco Marques; assistance from the Jews of Johannesburg and the JDC; stay about three years; oppression of Africans by Europeans; studies in an English high school; aliya of her sister to Eretz Israel, 1943; obtaining a certificate with her parents, 1944; move to Durban; boarding a ship in the direction of Suez; stay in an English camp for about a week; travel and arrival in Haifa by train, 30/01/1944; absorption and acclimatization.