George Shefi
Holocaust Survivor, Kinder Transport Survivor,
(In the album you can see George’s Mother, Marie and George)
“I still remember the “Night of Broken Glass” as if it was only yesterday. That was the night when Nazi mobs ravished all the Jewish communities thru out Germany and Austria. During that night Jewish homes, businesses, and Synagogues were burnt down or destroyed by other means. The same night some ninety-one Jews were murdered and some 30,000 men were sent to various concentration camps. It was a major turning point in the Nazi persecution of the Jewish population. Only after three days was I allowed to go down to the street and that only with an adult.
There are two scenes that are imbedded in my memory.
The first was that of a hat shop across our street which was owned by a Jewish couple. The shop was completely destroyed and the contents were stolen or thrown onto the street. In our building, facing the street, was a stationary store which was owned by a mixed couple, he was Jewish and his wife was a Christian. This store was not damaged, but on the sidewalk in large letters was written “This shop belongs to a Jewish pig and a Christian sow.” While the owner was trying to erase what was written a large crowd had gathered and were yelling and screaming at him.
After Kristallnacht the Jews of Austria and Germany realized that they were not safe even if they could trace their ancestry ten or more generations back. Families who could fled to any country that would absorb them. Those who didn’t have the means tried to send their children to a haven. A few days after the November Pogrom the Archbishop of Canterbury convinced the British to act and the Kinder Transport was formed. My mother made this hard and courageous decision and on the 24th of July 1939 I was on my way to Holland and safety.
The night before my mom made this an exciting event, going by train and ship to a foreign country. She told me to choose the toys that I would like to take with me and she would pack my clothes. Needless to say the amount of toys I piled up could not be packed and in the end I only had a small suitcase with the necessary clothes. All in all she made it as if I was going on an exciting adventure. I have no Idea what went through her mind when we parted, but I only realized that I would never see her again, probably when the war broke out.
I do know that she was forced to work in a factory seven days a week ten hours a day and on the29th of January 1943 she was deported to Auschwitz arriving the next day.
According to my research she was gassed the same day.
A brave and unselfish woman!
Thanking you for giving me life.”