Kestenberg Archive

GA was born in 1932 and grew up in Budapest, Hungary. His grandfather's family was originally from the town of Debrecen. Before the war, GA went to a Jewish school and had both Jewish and non-Jewish friends from his apartment building. His father was a traveling salesman who worked for his maternal aunt's husband. He embezzled money and gambled away the money he earned, but was still valued as a good salesman. By the time GA was five, his parents separated and he was living with his mother, older brother and maternal grandmother. His mother worked in a department store and supported them, leading to money tensions. GA has little recollection of his father or interaction with him. He has one photograph image of his father, grandfather and uncle in a smoke filled room playing cards around a table. He also recalls the feeling of his father's coarse unshaven face. Another early memory GA holds is playing with toy soldiers (who were fighting the Italians) and war toys, such as German planes, with his brother. After his father left, GA's mother dated a man named Paul who he liked very much. He has more memories of love for this man than his own father. GA's father disappeared as a forced labor soldier with a yellow arm band. As far as GA knows, his mother's boyfriend was deported during the war. Around 1936-7, GA recalls his interest in technical aspects of war, drawn to pictures and stories. At the beginning of war, GA had a sense of distress about war, the economic situation and the Jewish question. He remembers seeing dead bodies on the street following the bombings. The first thing that hit him personally was being made to wear the yellow star in 1943. He recalls helping his mother sew them on to dresses, overcoats, etc. ; This was the first real feeling of being persecuted. At the time they did not know it, but GA notes that the Hungarian government offered a level of protection to their Jewish population. When the fascists took over and then the Germans entered Hungary in March 1944, this is when their lives changed dramatically. The Jews were taken from their homes and collected into designated buildings and apartments. Later people were taken to the ghetto or received a “schutzpass” to get into the “protected houses” / Jewish houses. There was a scramble to get these papers, and one of his mother's sister's husbands (Behla) helped obtain papers for GA's family. They went to live at the Swedish house in Behla's actual apartment though he was serving in the regular Hungarian army with a yellow armband and his wife and daughter were in hiding. GA's brother received Christian papers so went into hiding. In the apartment, three of five of his mother's sisters also lived (a fourth was in hiding and the fifth married a Christian so was safe). GA notes that the apartment was beautiful, overlooking the Danube River. There were a total of 10 families in the apartment. Behla brought food to the families in his apartment. He drove a truck in the army and transported goods from the Hungarian people to their soldiers, some of which ended up in his apartment. During this time, GA no longer went to school as Jews were only allowed out 2-3 hours a day. He recalls feeling fear for their lives and future. There were rumors and they later knew about deportations and what was going on in other countries. They also knew about the final solution to Jewish question. GA has a vivid memory of the Hungarian Nazis coming to the Jewish house, being told to pack their things and go from the house into the courtyard. He recalls marching to the square as Hungarian adults spit, shouted and threw rocks at them. ; Many Jews were already at the square when they arrived. Baskets were passed around and they were told to put wristwatches in one, gold in another and cash in another because at end of the line they would be frisked and shot if anything was found. Afterwards they were taken to a synagogue and spent the night. The next day, they were escorted back to the Jewish house; they had been robbed of all their goods. GA lost his mother when he was 13. In November/December 1944, the Hungarian Nazis came with guns and collected all the women and forced them into the building courtyard. GA recalls hysterically crying, wanting to go with his mother but her not letting him. One aunt hid when the Nazis came and the other two tried to get her to come with them, knowing that if she was found she would be shot. She was not found and survived the war. A few days after his mother was taken, the Russians came. There were no more deportations, so GA assumes that she was probably on one of the last trains out. GA remembers his mother with affection - she was loving and lovable. GA recalls that during the Russian siege, he spent most of time in the building's basement. He spent a lot of time praying/reading from a Hungarian prayer book that he thought made him holy. He believed that if he read a lot he would be saved. He was scared to death and the book kept his faith. He was in a relationship with God. He prayed for his brother, mother, father and the world through a little prayer before bed. GA was liberated with his aunt who hid in the house when his mother was taken away. He was liberated on his 13th birthday in February 1945. The Russians broke through the adjoining building and into theirs. They rejoiced and danced. He recalls receiving a palacsinta (Hungarian sweet) that he did not have to share. ; After the war, GA was adopted by Behla's family. They had a daughter so he suddenly had a sister with whom he got along well. His brother went to a different aunt, and was soon old enough to go out on his own. GA recalls the irony of receiving a blood transfusion when he was six years old and very sick from the aunt who later adopted him. Immediately after the war, Behla was liberated but then spent two years in a Russian POW camp before coming back to Hungary. During this time, Behla's business partner restarted the factory so they had income from it. Behla rejoined the business when he returned and did well until in 1949-1950 when his factory was nationalized. GA notes that he learned a lot from his uncle Behla who was a very charitable man. GA notes that after the war, many Jews converted to Christianity to save their children from future issues. On paper they all became Christians and were baptized, including himself and Behla's family. Yet, he still went to Jewish school. In 1956, GA came to the United States through the US government. He was the only member of his family who came to the US. His brother and surviving aunts stayed in Hungary while Behla and third surviving aunt went to Israel and then Vienna as they were uncomfortable in Israel. GA notes that he had a ball in the US because he had freedom. He left Hungary when it was in a bad place (during the period of communist terror), when free thinking was oppressed and individuality suppressed. ; At the time of the interview, GA was married to a survivor and had two daughters, one who was named after his mother. From a young age, he spoke to them about the Holocaust and sent one daughter on a trip after college to visit the family and learn more about the family history than what he knew. As for Judaism, he only started practicing Jewish customs again when his children expected it. Living in New York, they had Jewish friends and were socialized Jewishly. They would come home and ask why they did not practice as well. He believes that in some ways he kept up the idea of not teaching them religion/religious beliefs to protect them, even if not consciously. While his wife and daughters fast on Yom Kippur, GA does not. He sees his relationship to Judaism as cultural, just like Behla and his family. He has a kinship to Judaism but no religious relationship. GA feels that he is less spoiled than the people around him, and also that he is happier and feels joy and love more intensely because of what he went through. GA never plays cards because of his father's history and condemned his brother for doing so.