I was lucky to survive. My family spent four and a half years in the Lodz Ghetto where I lost my father in 1941. I endured two weeks of terror and dehumanization in Auschwitz-Birkenau, where my stepmother and Aunt Gucia were gassed. I then spent nine months in Stutthof, where my beloved maternal Aunt Pola died. My eldest sister Hela, her husband and baby were murdered by the Einsatzgruppen. I lost 21 members of my extended family. My middle sister Eda and a cousin Sabina were the only survivors. I carry guilt for the death of my two aunts, having registered for “resettlement” from Lodz Ghetto, instead of hiding. We light candles on Yom HaShoah to honour their memory.
Lvov, Poland
Saba Feniger
Lodz, Poland