Kestenberg Archive

BL was born in July 1937 in Radom but was raised in Lublin, Poland. At 8 years, the family fled to rejoin extended family in Radom. BL was the youngest of 9 children and their family was religious. The father ran a tailoring business. BL was sent to Blizyn labor camp near Radom with her parents, brother, married sister and nephew. Her father made uniforms for the Germans. While in Blizyn, BL was hospitalized with typhoid fever. She recalls no treatment and large numbers of dead people carried out in sacks. DE survived and returned to work, as soon as possible. During an appel (roll call), her mother held her up. But when her older sister refused to hand over her baby, the mother locked her in a room and gave up the child. This also happened to an 11 year old nephew. BL's brother missed the roll call and was lashed to death. At 13.5 years, BL was sent to Birkenau. The SS taunted, “See the smoke, they're all people”. BL was sent to the children's block in Auschwitz and fed well as she was among the twins to be experimented on. BL was assigned to open the Gestapo bar and wake its staff. Before liberation, 1945, she joined the march leaving Auschwitz. The German guards abandoned the group. After the war, BL returned to Radow and the Jewish Committee supplied room and board. Eventually she reunited with her 7 surviving siblings and parents. BL married at 17 years. Today she lives in Toronto, has children, grandchildren and is close with all of her surviving siblings.