Kestenberg Archive

CW was born in Nancy, France in 1937. One of four children, he lost his mother at a very young age; his father, a street vendor, took care of the family. When the war broke out, CW's family relocated at first to Epinal, where they stayed until the Germans attacked France (May-June 1940) and, then, to Limoges. Soon after, the OSE took charge of CW and his siblings by placing them with non Jewish families. Right before the end of the war in 1944, the OSE moved CW to a boarding house for children near Lyon, Les Hirondelles. CW had a difficult time adjusting to life there but was helped by his mentor Vif (Shoshana). In this period, he reconnected with his Jewish identity (Shabbat, kosher food, the synagogue). In 1950, the OSE sent CW to Israel. He lived in Kibbutz Ein-Hanatziv and afterwards with a foster family in Merchavia. CW describes in negative terms his first years in Israel: in Ein-Hanatziv no one seemed to care about him while his foster family treated him badly. The army allowed CW to leave Merchavia behind him. In general he was content during his army years. ; After the army and a spell in Kibbutz Nir-Etzion, CW moved to Beersheva to work: here he met and married Hanna. At the time of the interview, CW lived in Tel Aviv with his family (wife and two children) working as a waiter. He still has nightmares related to the war and he's planning to travel back to Nancy. His remaining siblings live in France.