Kestenberg Archive

RA was born in 1928, in Yanov, a small town near Pinsk, Poland. She has one older brother. RA's father worked in the family business. The family was traditional with strong Zionist leanings and they attempted to move to Palestine before the war. From the age of 6-7 years, RA was affiliated with Zionist Youth Groups and attended a Hebrew speaking Day School. Prior to the war, 1938, she had completed the sixth grade in the local Tarbut School and attended 1 year of studies at the gymnasia in Pinsk. When the war broke out in 1939, age 11, RA's house suddenly became an open house for refugees. Soon after, Poland was divided and Yanov became part of Russia. Sept 1939, the family house was occupied and the business nationalized. They were branded as bourgeois, Zionist counter revolutionary. The family of four resettled in one room. In 1940, segments of the population were sent to Siberia. In 1941, RA's mother was forced in hard labor and the father tortured by the secret police. That year they were exiled to Siberia. RA was responsible for gathering the items necessary to barter and survive in Siberia. She gathered bread baked with money and linens under her mother's direction. The transport to Siberia was 29 days in a cattle car with at least 28 people. ; During this time, Germany was bombing the train stations. The local peasants were paid to supply water. RA's father took an active role in organizing the exiled group. The group arrived in Bek Karier and the local Russians had no idea what to do with them. Soon after, they were allowed to leave. About 75 people, including non Jews, left Siberia by train to the easier climate close to the Chinese border. There, the population was broken into organized working villages. RA was separated from her brother and began to learn the local language. Her mother suffered a severe illness and was totally dependent on RA. Food was difficult to obtain and was divided among 17 families. They ate once a day. A law was passed which forced the family to accept Soviet citizenship. RA attended school again and in 1944 began working. In 1946, the family re registered as Polish Jews and returned to Poland. Immediately after the Kielce pogrom, RA's family moved to a DP camp in Germany. RA was drafted to teach Hebrew and met an American Army chaplain. She married him at 18 years. Soon after, the two moved to America for a short while. They spent some time in Italy and a child was born there. The couple resettled in America in '51. Today, RA has a doctorate in Soviet Studies and teaches history. Two girls from RA's gymnasia class survived the war. She has had re-occurring dreams in which her classmates ask her, “Why did you survive?”