Description
Object description
Polish Jewish child in hiding in Poland, 1943-1945; schoolchild and student in Poland and Polish People's Republic, 1945-1958
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Poland, 1938-1943: family. Recollections of period in hiding in Poland, 1943-1945: memories of being hidden behind wardrobe; character of foster family; fate of mother; story of being left in field by foster family; discovery by two Polish boys and questioning by Gestapo; how she was taken in by policeman and his wife, the Nawackis; kindness of new foster family; attitude towards time spent with Nawackis; train travel; memories of Warsaw Uprising, 8/1944-9/1944; move with Nawackis to Grodzisk.
REEL 2 Continues: liberation by Soviet Army, 1/1945. Recollections of period as schoolchild and student in Poland and Polish People's Republic, 1945-1958: move to Poznań with Nawackis; prior recollections of Warsaw Uprising, 8/1944-9/1944; reaction to arrival of father, 1946; Mr Nawacki's reaction to her leaving with her father; attitude toward life with father and stepmother; move to Gdańsk and return to Warsaw, 1949; life under Communist Polish People's Republic regime; discovery of photographs of her dead mother; attitude of Polish people towards Second World War; relations with step mother; standard of life; memories as Poznań Protests, 1956; growing interest in Zionism; reaction to death of Soviet premier Joseph Stalin, 5/3/1953.
REEL 3 Continues: impact of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev's denunciation of Joseph Stalin, 1956; contact with Soviet Jews bound for Israel; decision to emigrate to United States of America. Aspects of period as civilian in New York, United States of America, 1958-1960: journey to United States of America via Italy; reaction to life in United States of America; meeting with uncle; visit to Israel, 1960. Reflections on Holocaust experience: lack of willingness to discuss Holocaust; relations with father; attitude towards prospect of staying with Nawackis; interest in Catholic religion during period in hiding; developing sense of Jewish identity after war; attitude of her children towards her Holocaust experience.