Transcript

Sala: Do you want me to read this too? “From the time of departure from Sosnowiec?”
Ann: Yes, and the date. Please.

From the time of departure from Sosnowiec, October 28, 1940

Sala: It’s going to be hard…
Ann: That’s ok, I’ll help you with the hard parts

At 7:00 o’clock AM, we all arrived at Skladowa Street. After our names were checked, we went to the railroad station where we waited until 11:00 AM. Dear beloved girls!

How can I describe this waiting period? Was I dreaming? Yes, I had been dreaming, since 5:00 o’clock in the morning until we arrived at the designated location. At 6:00 o’clock, it was Sala [Rabinowicz] who first arrived, my sweet friend. By 7:00 o’clock, I had you all with me: all my dear ones, Sala Rabinowicz, Gucia, Bala, Chancia, and Hela.

My dearests! If you could have looked deep in my heart, you would have seen how desperate I was; still I tried to keep a smile on my face as best I could, though my eyes were filled with tears. One must go on bravely, courageously, even if the heart is breaking.

I said goodbye to my beloved old father. Dear father, will you miss your Sala very much? Me, the intolerable girl? My father cried…yes, he did cry when we were saying goodbye.

Onward. Accompanied by all my sweet girlfriends, we started out. Where to? Why? Only the future will tell.

Mother dearest, I have not mentioned you until now. I was not looking at you, though I was consumed by you. You were pleading with me, you were begging me, almost yelling at me – yet, I want to do what I want to do.

Sala: Because I thought it was the right thing, at the time, to do that. Actually, because I thought I was helping, not for Raizel to have to go.

What can I say to you, what to wish you?

I said nothing. I did not wish you anything, did not ask you for anything. Still, I could not stop looking at you Mother, because I felt something inside of me tearing, hurting. One more kiss, one more hug, and my mother does not want to let go of me. Let it end already, it is torture. And then I said goodbye to my sisters.

I step into the line-up, and looking around me, I see Sala Rabinowicz and Gucia, and faithful friends, standing at a distance (since they are not allowed to be near.) Except for my mother and sisters, here everybody and everything are strange to me.

With whom are you leaving me, and to whom are you sending me?

Dear girls!!! I got accustomed to you more than to my sisters, and now I have to leave you and must go into the unknown world. Will I ever see all of you again? Sala, does it seem possible that I will not be in your house tomorrow to play cards with your little sister Frymka? And your brother, can you believe that we won’t, that he won’t see me again tomorrow? I wonder if he will remember me, or talk about me. But what right do I have to demand it?

We are starting to move. Goodbye everybody; remember me, only please do not pity me, because nobody forced me to do this. I got what I wanted. God help me!!!

I am together now with Miss Ala. There are about fourteen women, and we shall try to enable our brothers to live in a way where they will not feel the change that has taken place in their lives.