Rachel Hanan
Auschwitz Holocaust survivor
“On my fifteenth birthday, I got a present that I will never forget – a one-way ticket to hell. When the doors of the cattle car creaked open at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, I knew my life as I knew it would never be the same. As all prisoners who arrived at Auschwitz, we went through a quick selection process that concluded who would be chosen for forced labor and who would be sent to the gas chambers.
In a split-second, Dr. Mengele, infamously known as the ‘Angel of Death’ decided that me and my three sisters:
Sara, Riku, and Esther would turn right and be assigned to forced labor while my dear father and mother, and my two youngest brothers would be led to the left, destined for a horrific fate to the gas chamber just hours later. My elder sister Haya, and her baby Etya were brought to Auschwitz on another day and probably sent to death like most of women and babies who had to face Mengele.
We found ourselves, the four sisters of the Cahana family all alone in Auschwitz.
A few days later, At the second selection, we weren’t that lucky.
This time, Dr. Mengele only chose my two big sisters to force labor which meant that me and my youngest sister were heading to the gas chambers. I was devastated.
I was so close to committing suicide by running to the electric fence and getting it over with, but while I was considering this option I saw by chance that a second selection started on the side, so without a moment’s hesitation, I urged my youngest sister to undress and join me in slipping into the line for the second selection. Fate favored us this time, and Dr. Mengele chose us for life again. When we finally embraced our two elder sisters, tears of both sorrow and joy streamed down our faces. It’s impossible to articulate the depth of happiness we experienced in reuniting again.
After this reunion, I became a number: A-13561 and was assigned with my sisters to a forced labor squad. One time before the morning roll call started, I came back to the barrack without permission and got caught by our capo and was beaten severely by her. My entire face was swollen to a point where my sisters couldn’t recognize me but they did whatever they could to hold me and get back on my feet.
We, the four Cahana sisters miraculously managed to survive Auschwitz, Bergen Belsen, Duderstadt, and Theresienstadt. Our life during the Holocaust, If you can call it life, was miserable and horrifying but we were pretty lucky because we had one another. It’s amazing how much strength and support you can get from your loved ones.
We were all for one and one for all.
For many years my mission has been to give my testimony to as many people as possible of all types and all ages, sometimes there in Auschwitz and sometimes in all kinds of group meetings. This year, a book was published in Germany about the story of my life in the Holocaust called: “How I Overcame Hatred and Anger – What Auschwitz Taught Me About the Concept of Love”.