Kestenberg Archive

23-24: ZO was born in Czestochowa, Poland in 1931. He was eight years old in 1938 when his town was bombed. ZO's family fled but later returned to their family home. The Gestapo confiscated buildings on their street and forced family, and extended family, to relocate to the big ghetto. ZO relocated several times within the ghetto. Many factories were established within the ghetto on Kurzer Street. ZO's three brothers were taken in Aktion transport to concentration camps in the first selections. ZO, father, sister, mother, and some extended family hid in a factory during roundup. The Gestapo isolated ZO from contact with his father and uncles by changing his labor assignment to a different factory. Older workers helped ZO hide during searches for transport to concentration camps. He was shoved into an upper most compartment of wall shelving and remained there for many days. ZO's family was taken on transport. The Gestapo marched 20 people to the smaller ghetto, where he was assigned kitchen work and hauled garbage. His sister also lived in the smaller ghetto. Its function was to sort out goods and properties, owned by Jews, for future German use. A Nazi doctor, Dr. Litt, came to the small ghetto and took 20-25 children to work in the ammunition factory in Buchenwald. ZO was interned in Buchenwald concentration camp from 1944-45. At first he was in a Jewish children's block and later in a Russian political prisoner block. After liberation, the chief Rabbi of the armed forces came to Buchenwald to arrange Aliyah to Israel. American soldiers discovered Jewish property and gold buried in the Steinberg mine on Nazi grounds. The gold was brought to the United States. ZO went to France and then Israel with his brother on Youth Aliya, 1945. The Shomer Hatzair movement separated ZO from his brother and he was placed alone on Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk. ; 23-23: ZO was born in Czestochowa, Poland in 1931. In 1939, the family was taken to the ghetto, where they worked in factories. From the age of eight, ZO worked alongside family members in varying factories. On Yom Kippur 1941/42, people praying in the synagogue were beaten and taken to clean the street. The following day there was a selection. ZO's sister-in-law had a baby and she was taken to the hospital. No one knows what happened to the child, but after the birth she was taken to the cemetery and shot. ZO was small enough to hide during selections and tried to prepare a bunker for his father and uncle. However, they were taken in an action. After a few weeks a sister came and ZO went to live with her in the small ghetto. Two other brothers were able to get into the small ghetto, too. One brother worked with the Jewish partisans. The Jewish police were shot in the small ghetto. At nine years old, ZO was a leader of a group of children that hauled garbage out of the ghetto. While doing so, he was able to smuggle items back in for black marketing and food. From 1944-45, ZO and brother were interred in Buchenwald. ZO lived in Jewish Block 63 and the Russian Block No. 8. He labored in metal and ammunition factories. He was severely beaten and incurred a life-long head injury. Jewish property buried on Nazi ground was discovered. The American government brought the gold to the United States. After liberation in 1945, Gustav, a block fuehrer, organized a transport of children to be taken to France. ZO and surviving brother came on Youth Aliya to Israel, 1945. He was separated from his brother and taken to a kibbutz in Gan Shmuel. He labored intensely in the fields from 1945-46. ZO and other immigrant children were mistreated and given a nominal education. ZO is angry at the Kibbutz for using Youth Aliya for free labor and their discrimination.