Member-only story

From Theresienstadt and Auschwitz to Israel

Isaac Bell

·9.5k Followers· Follow

Published in Triumph Of Hope: From Theresienstadt And Auschwitz To Israel

5 min read · 2 weeks before

950 View Claps

90 Respond

Save

Listen

I was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1929. My parents were both Jewish, and we lived a happy and comfortable life. However, everything changed in 1939, when the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia. We were forced to move into the Theresienstadt ghetto, where we lived in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

Triumph of Hope: From Theresienstadt and Auschwitz to Israel

by Ruth Elias

4.9 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2585 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	288 pages

In 1944, I was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. I was only 15 years old. At Auschwitz, I was subjected to unimaginable horrors. I was forced to work long hours in the camp's factories, and I was constantly beaten and starved. I witnessed the deaths of countless innocent people, including my own parents.

In January 1945, the Soviet army liberated Auschwitz. I was one of the few survivors. After the war, I returned to Czechoslovakia, but I could not stay there. I had lost everything, and I had no future there. So, in 1948, I immigrated to Israel. Israel was a new country, founded by Holocaust survivors, and it gave me a new chance at life.

I have lived in Israel for over 70 years, and I have built a new life for myself here. I married, had children, and grandchildren. I am a successful businessman, and I am actively involved in Holocaust education. I speak to school children and adults about my experiences, and I help to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive.

I am grateful to be alive, and I am grateful to Israel for giving me a new chance at life. I will never forget the horrors of the Holocaust, but I am also determined to live a full and meaningful life. I am a survivor, and I am a witness to the power of the human spirit.

The Theresienstadt Ghetto

The Theresienstadt ghetto was established by the Nazis in November 1941. It was located in the town of Terezín, Czechoslovakia, and it served as a transit camp for Jews from all over Europe. Over 140,000 Jews were imprisoned in Theresienstadt, and over 35,000 died there. The ghetto was overcrowded and unsanitary, and the prisoners were subjected to forced labor and starvation.

I was imprisoned in Theresienstadt for two years. During that time, I witnessed the deaths of many of my friends and family members. I was also forced to work in the camp's factories, where I was subjected to beatings and other forms of abuse.

In October 1944, I was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. I was one of the few survivors of that camp.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest and most notorious of the Nazi concentration camps. It was located in Poland, and it was where over 1 million Jews were murdered. The camp was divided into three main sections: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III-Monowitz. Auschwitz I was the administrative center of the camp, and it also housed the gas chambers and crematoria. Auschwitz II-Birkenau was the largest section of the camp, and it was where the majority of the prisoners were housed. Auschwitz III-Monowitz was a labor camp, where the prisoners were forced to work in the camp's factories.

I was imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau for six months. During that time, I was subjected to unimaginable horrors. I was forced to work long hours in the camp's factories, and I was constantly beaten and starved. I witnessed the deaths of countless innocent people, including my own parents.

In January 1945, the Soviet army liberated Auschwitz. I was one of the few survivors of that camp.

Life After the Holocaust

After the war, I returned to Czechoslovakia, but I could not stay there. I had lost everything, and I had no future there. So, in 1948, I immigrated to Israel. Israel was a new country, founded by Holocaust survivors, and it gave me a new chance at life.

Triumph of Hope: From Theresienstadt and Auschwitz to Israel

by Ruth Elias

4.9 out of 5