HOLOCAUST TESTIMONIES


Deponent: Anna Lerhenfeld
Birth Date: May 20, 1909
Birth Place: Zawiercie
Parents: Abram and Ruchla (maiden name Faktor)
Occupation: Teacher
Current Residence: Katowice, ul. Jordana 9


In the middle of March 1943, every one was forced to live in one district: in Warpie and Kamionka. Many families lived in yards and cooked on iron stoves. In the house where I lived, there were in the yard two families living. They cooked and slept there. They lived there until their deportation, that is: until June 22, 1943. Additionally, people lived in cells which they changed a little and a room was ready. For a larger cell, the Community requested considerable money.

The district which was given as a living area for the Jews (Warpie) had previously been occupied by workers and the biggest thieves of Bedzin town (Kamionka). Warpie had many green areas compared to the crowded Kamionka. However, it was the place for the festering of the worst diseases. Buildings were located in holes and had neither streets nor yards. Garbage and filth were simply thrown out in front of homes.

Staying in Kamionka, a person got the shakes. The ghetto wasn’t separated with barbed wire from the Aryan district. At the head of streets of the ghetto were placed Ordners (Jewish constables) who were guards. It was easy to go to the Aryan side because usually part of the ghetto was joined directly to Aryan district. Delivery of food wasn’t any especially difficult task.

Of course prices in the ghetto were much different from that in the Aryan district (for example bread cost in the ghetto 23 Reich Marks while in Aryan district, the cost was 11 Reich Marks). However, there was enough food. Jews had food-cards and it wasn’t possible to die of starvation. Even here, too, the Jewish Community exploited people. From food-cards given by Germans they took part of the bread, flour, sugar and jam.

There wasn’t a month nor week when the food supply wasn’t cut. I know that living conditions in the ghetto would be 100% better if not for the behavior of the Judenrat. They exploited people, tormented citizens not less than did the Germans. Relations were finally so stretched that people waited for the moment of deportation. People were acclimated to death.