| 2004 Winning Entries - Art
| Multimedia | WRITING
WRITING
2004 Theme - Lessons of the Holocaust: Hidden Children
What were the challenges faced by Hidden Children and how did they respond to
those challenges?
Creative Writing - Division I
Creative Writing - Division II
First place
"Lost"
Allison Wnoroski
Green High School
Second place
"The Monster"
Kelly Harrell
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Third place
"The Courage to Survive"
Jena Kurek
Green High School
Fourth place
"Lucky"
Katie Lecerf
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Honorable mention
"Unopened Eyes"
Tim Marks
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Honorable mention
"Searching"
Lisa Meier
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Honorable mention
"Birds of a Feather"
Jill Wolosiansky
Green High School
Honorable mention
"What Next?"
Amanda Platt
Green High School
Honorable mention
"Mommy"
Heather Carone
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Research Writing - Division II
"Painful Memories"
Alyssa Moss
Lippman Day School
Creative Writing – Division I – First place
"Hi, grandma!" said Chava through the intercom at her grandma’s house.
"Hello, Chava! Is that you? I haven’t seen you in ages! How are you sweetie?
Please come in."
"I’m good savta. I have a few questions to ask you."
"O.K. what for?"
"Well at school I am doing an assignment on the Holocaust and I thought it would
be a good idea to ask you some questions about the Holocaust because you survived
it."
"O.K. what do you want to know? It’s hard for me to talk about that part of
my life."
"Well, all I know is that you were in hiding, how did you survive?" Chava
turned on her tape player and pushed the record button.
"Well, for me it started February 13, 1940 in Lodz, Poland. I was eleven years old
at the time and my little brother was seven. I had woken up at about 9:30 in the morning.
The aroma of fresh coffee filled the air. I got out of bed and went downstairs to the
kitchen. I saw my mom sewing my little brother David’s mittens. My father was sipping
his coffee while reading the newspaper."
"Good morning Ema!" I said to my mom as I kissed her on the cheek.
"Good morning Abba!" I said to my dad as I kissed him on the cheek.
"Good morning sweetie how was your sleep?"
"Fine. So what are we going to do today?"
My mom looked at my dad and said, "Well, it is a surprise!"
"Surprises! I love surprises!" I shouted as I ran upstairs to my bedroom to
get dressed. Once I got dressed I ran downstairs to see my parents holding suitcases and
they were wearing many layers of clothes.
"Where are we going? What are all those suitcases for?"
"Hani, we don’t want you and your little brother to worry but we are going to
be moving temporarily. It will only be for a short period of time. Now go upstairs and
pack all of your clothes and belongings as quickly as possible." Without arguing I
ran upstairs and got out my suitcase. I put in my shirts, skirts, and dresses, stuffed
animals; actually I put in anything that would fit. I grabbed my suitcase and dragged it
down the stairs.
"I’m ready to go." I shouted to my parents.
My brother David had just woken up. He came out of his bedroom wearing his pajamas. He
rubbed his eyes and said, "Where are we going Ema?"
"It’s a surprise."
"Please tell me Ema?"
"Well then it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?" my mom said as she
kissed my little brother on the cheek.
"Now go get dressed, David, and then we will leave O.K.? Hurry! Hurry!" David
ran off into his bedroom. He slammed the door and quickly got dressed.
"I’m done mommy!" my brother shouted as he ran out of his bedroom.
"Good job! Now get your jacket on; it’s very chilly outside. You, too, Hani
don’t just stand there, help your little brother and get your coat on."
We all looked like Eskimos wearing parkas in the middle of the winter. We left the
house and started to walk. It seemed as if we had been walking for hours.
"Are we almost there yet?" my little brother asked.
"Just around the block and we’ll be there." We walked and walked and
finally we stopped at this empty building.
"Well, we’re here!"
"This is it? Where are we? What are we doing here?" I asked.
"We will be staying here for a while. While we are here I have a few rules for
you!" my dad said.
"What rules Abba?"
"Well, we are going to be in hiding."
"From who?" David asked.
"The Nazis, David."
"Oh, those mean people who want to kill the Jews?"
"Yes David, those people. You two will have to be on your best behavior. It is
very important for you to be extremely quiet and not let anyone know you’re here.
It’s kind of like playing hide and seek only we don’t want to be found. Also we
can only use the lights during the day not during the night. Everyone understand?"
"Yes Abba!" David and I replied.
"What about food Abba?"
"Don’t worry, your mother and I will take care of it. Now David, Hani, go
take your stuff inside and start looking for some good places to hide."
David and I went inside the empty abandoned building. I ran upstairs to find a place
where I would be staying.
"Wait up, sissy, you’re going too fast!" my brother called to me.
"Come on, David, I’ll help you!" I helped my brother up the stairs.
"Now go find a room, O.K.?"
My brother ran off. I walked through the upstairs and I saw a door. I opened the door
and inside there was another door. I opened the door and there was a flight of stairs. I
slowly walked up the stairs and once I got to the top there was one final door. I opened
the door and I came into a small room. It was very dusty. There were cobwebs everywhere! I
walked around the crowded room. I came to the closet and looked up. There was a trap door.
I climbed on top of a shelf and opened the door. I climbed up into the attic- it was
enormous! It was the perfect place to hide. I climbed back down and grabbed my bag. I
climbed back up and threw the bag into the attic. Then I ran downstairs.
"EMA! EMA!" I yelled.
"What is it Hani?"
"Come look upstairs at what I found!" My mother came running up the stairs. I
took her through the secret passage and then I showed her the attic above the closet. My
mother helped put things up to block the doors in the hallway. I helped my brother put his
things in my hiding place, too.
Once we got all of our stuff put away for hiding, my dad said, "We will be right
back. We are going to get some food. Hani, watch your brother we will be right back."
Hours passed and they still didn’t return. By nightfall I feared they weren’t
coming back. Maybe the Nazis had captured them! Several emotions ran through my body. I
was angry, sad, scared, and every terrible feeling that a person can feel, I felt. What
would happen to my brother and me? My brother was only seven. How was I supposed to feed
him? I told my brother everything would be all right and that our parents would come back
but inside I feared that they would never come back. A tear streamed down my cheek.
"What’s wrong, sissy? Why are you crying?"
"Nothing’s wrong, David."
"When are mommy and daddy coming back?"
"Soon David, soon."
But they never came back. Since my brother was so small and quick I sent him out to
find food. We ate scraps we found in trashcans. We were skin and bones. We were both
starving.
One day after two years in hiding my brother had left to go find food and he never came
back. I feared the Nazis had captured him and killed him. After David didn’t return,
I lost my mind. I cried myself to sleep at night just wishing that it wasn’t true,
but inside I knew it was true. I just couldn’t handle the thought of my parents and
little brother dead. It seemed like just yesterday my whole family was with me and we were
having a good time. Now that has all changed. I was the only person left.
Even though David’s body was missing, I made him a grave; I said some blessings in
Hebrew and laid some stones that I had found on his grave. I collapsed on the ground in
tears. As I lay on there with tears streaming down my face, I felt alone and scared.
I said one last goodbye to my brother and parents, and I went back into the house and
packed my clothes. I was walking down the street when an elderly lady saw me crying and
asked me what was the matter. I told her everything that had happened to me. That
wonderful woman risked her life and took me into her home and hid me until the war was
over.
Her granddaughter, Chava, was crying. "Oh, grandma, I am so sorry!" she said.
"Promise me something, Chava."
"Anything, grandma."
"Promise me you will never forget. Tell my story to your children! Let people know
how evil the Nazis were!"
Chava ran up to her grandma and hugged her, and then she kissed her on the cheek and
said, "I promise I will never forget."
Chava turned her tape recorder off and left. Hani touched her cheek where her
granddaughter had kissed her and she began to cry, as she said to herself, "Never
forget."
"Never Forget"
Dana Schweiger
Lippman Day School
Creative Writing – Division I – Second place
It was a cold February morning. It was so cold, I could see my breath in front of me! I
stretched and reached over to my nightstand to grab my watch. It was around 6:30 in the
morning, and a loud knock at the door had awakened me. I heard a groan come from my
parents’ room as my father went thumping down the stairs to answer the door. I got up
and walked over to the mirror in my room.
"One and a half meters, thirty five kilograms, brown hair about shoulder length,
brown eyes, and eleven years old," I thought to myself.
I raided my drawers for my favorite skirt, because I wanted to look pretty for Bill,
our milkman. I liked talking to him because he was so very friendly. He even told us that
we didn't have to pay for the milk for a month because we were having trouble with the
bills. When I heard the knock at the door that morning I assumed that it was the milkman,
but when my dad called for my mother I knew that it wasn't Bill. If it was, there would be
no reason for my mom to go to the door. I then feared that it was the tax collector and
that we wouldn't be able to pay the taxes.
Little did I know that the person at the door was much more threatening than the
milkman or even the tax collector. The person at the door was a Nazi soldier. Many times I
heard my parents talking to each other about what would become of them if the Nazis came
to take them away. It always made me nervous to hear them talk so. My mother had been very
frightened, but my dad had reassured her that everything was going to be okay.
Suddenly, I started to hear what sounded like an argument. It turned into a small
scuffle, and then the door slammed shut.
"Mother?" I called. "Daddy?"
I ran downstairs and flung open the door to see my parents in the back of a Nazi jeep,
driving away. That was the last time I ever saw my parents again. Later, I found out they
were taken to separate concentration camps and killed.
As I stood at the door, the wind blew my hair into my face. Silent hot tears slid down
my cheeks. I longed to be hugging my mom and dad again. I wanted to just wake up from this
nightmare. I wanted my parents there to comfort me. I longed to talk and discuss things
with my mother. I wanted to laugh with my father. I longed for many things that day as I
went inside to cry. The things I missed most were my dad's voice, my mom's touch, and both
of their love.
I knew the truth, though. They weren't coming back. I would never see my parents again.
I wanted to believe I would, but deep down I knew they weren't coming home.
I was very scared after they were taken away. I had no idea where I would go or stay.
My grandparents had passed away years ago, and there weren't any other houses around for
miles. I didn't know what I would eat and drink and where the food would come from. I
couldn't think straight, which didn't help matters any. I was very confused and worried.
There was barely any food in the house. I knew if I was going to stay here, it wouldn't be
for long. I was very scared.
"Okay", I said to no one. "First things first, I need a place to hide if
and when the Nazis return."
I felt silly talking to myself, but it helped me to not be so jumpy and scared. I
looked around the main floor of my house and didn't find any hiding place even remotely
big enough to hold an eleven-year-old.
"I guess I'll have to look upstairs," I said talking to myself again.
I walked into my room and saw the crawl space that led to our attic. I went in. It was
all dusty and very drafty. I shivered as a large gust of wind blew in. It was when I
looked at the ceiling of the attic that I got an idea of where to hide.
"Eureka!" I said, feeling sillier by the moment.
On the ceiling, there was an air vent that led to the roof. I thought that if and when
the Nazis came back, I would take off the cover to the air vent and climb onto the roof. I
would wait there until the Nazis left my house. I would then climb back down into the
attic. I felt slightly comforted now that I had a safe place to hide if the Nazis ever
came back. I still dreaded the time I would have to go into hiding.
About a week later, the food was nearly gone, even though I had carefully rationed my
meals. I was constantly hungry and scared and worried. I asked myself the same questions
over and over again. What is going to happen to me? What am I going to do? When will I be
free again? I was a nervous wreck. I became paranoid and every little sound I heard
sounded like another knock at the door. I couldn't take much more of this life I lived in
fear. I needed to find a more permanent solution.
Then, one day, after I had just finished my meager dinner of a single potato and some
water, I heard the sound I had so much dreaded. It was a knock at the door. I froze,
getting ready to run up the stairs, into the attic, and onto the roof. Suddenly, the door
burst open with a bang and the Nazi soldiers piled into my house. I quietly tiptoed out of
the kitchen and then leapt up the stairs as if I weren't even touching them. I made it to
the attic and began to climb into the air vent. I was so frightened I could barely
breathe!
When I finally got to the roof, I could see the Nazi jeep parked in our driveway. It
looked like the same one I saw drive my parents away. Tears welled up in my eyes as I
remembered my mom and dad. I heard the Nazi soldiers destroying my house and moving things
around.
Then one soldier yelled, "There's nothing here. Let's move out!"
I silently crawled back down the vent into the attic as tears rolled down my face.
I don't know how long I sat there in the dark. I only know that the tears finally would
come no more. My body ached from running and crawling and crying. I emerged from the attic
only to discover the horrible mess in my room. I nearly fell over when I saw the state
they left it in. There were clothes everywhere, all the pictures were smashed, my bed was
upside-down, and all my drawers had been pulled out and emptied. This wasn't even my room
any more. The Nazis took it away from me, just as they had stolen my parents.
I stood in the middle of the wreckage with a newfound courage to survive. I had to
think. I had to formulate a plan. The Nazis wouldn't steal me. It was then I decided to
pack up what I could and search for my older cousin, Neera. She was twenty-five and had
lots of money. We could escape to America together.
That night, I grabbed a blanket, a change of clothes, and a picture of my cousin that I
could use to find her. I looked around my room one last time and noticed a picture of my
parents. I slowly removed it from its cracked frame. I stared at that picture for a long
time.
I was scared to venture beyond the safety of my home in order to escape this prison
life I lived. However, when I looked at that picture I knew I was doing the right thing
and knew that everything would turn out all right. With courage anew, I carefully placed
the picture in my bag, walked downstairs and out the door.
"The Lucky Child"
Matthew Jordan
St. Francis de Sales
Creative Writing – Division I – Third place
I am a thirteen-year-old German boy named Harold. I am German but I live in Scotland
because I’m Jewish. You see three years ago, when I was only ten years old, a
terrible thing happened that we call the Krisallnacht or the "Night of the Broken
Glass." Mobs came and burned our house, the synagogue, and my father’s bar. They
also broke my father’s arm, when we tried to flee the village.
We then realized that the rumors were true that the Nazi party hated the Jews so much
that they would resort to any type of violence against them. We came to see the horrifying
conclusion, that even our friendly, little Jewish village would be affected by this
terrible evil. We felt the need to act fast so we fled thirty miles on foot to Poland,
where border guards told us that we wouldn’t be allowed in because we didn’t
have any proof of who we were since it was all burned in the house. We decided to head
back to an area near our village where we could be a little bit closer to familiar
surroundings.
We decided to go back into our town, and when we were a mile away we saw the hell that
was our town. The entire town was purged. Nazi soldiers were everywhere and they were
especially guarding a new building that was being built. We then read a German sign marked
with a swastika, saying that this area was the future sight of an airport. We were
dumbfounded because all our relatives were either killed or lived elsewhere. All of our
friends were also nowhere to be found. We decided to sleep under a tree for the night.
Suddenly a man and a woman interrupted our thin sleep by asking us a question that
changed all of our lives forever.
The woman asked us, "We would take your child to a safe place for 50 pounds."
My mom asked, "Where are you going to take him, and why should we trust you?"
The man answered her, "We are going to take him to Scotland. What other choice do
you have than to trust us? Are you going to do this or not? We can't wait too long."
My parents look at each other and then my dad said, "We want him to grow up safer
than he is now so take him and here is the 50 pounds. It is all we were able to save from
our house." Tears started to roll down my mom's face and she hugged me tightly. I
didn't understand what the big deal was. The man and woman were only going to keep me for
a year at the most. When my father gazed upon me with tears in his eyes, I started to
worry. He never cried, no matter what happened.
He hugged me and said, "Good bye my son, whom I'm so proud of." The man and
the woman introduced themselves to me. The man said his name was William, the woman's name
was Elisabeth. They told me to get into the car about a hundred yards away.
When in the fairly small car Elisabeth said, "If the Nazis stop the car your name
is Fredrick. You are our nephew whom we are returning to your parents. We drove for about
two and a half hours when a tall German soldier in an enormous tank stopped us.
The German soldier said in a deep voice, "You are not allowed to advance further
without the proper papers. You will all come with me to get the proper papers. If you
refuse this, the tank will blow you to your graves."
"Of course we will get our paperwork done, "Elisabeth responded quietly. The
German gave us a ride in his car. When we got to our destination we stood in a very long
line.
After standing for about ten minutes, William whispered to me, "You live at 25
Hillsbrad Avenue in Kiel, and your name is Fredrick Laggath. You go to Hillsbrad School
and you are an atheist." We finally got up to the front of the line and the Nazi
spoke in a harsh voice to us.
He said, "Are you the boy’s parents?"
"No," William replied.
"Are you related to him? If you are related to him, than how?" The man spat
at us.
"We are his aunt and uncle; his parents are dead," Elisabeth responded.
"What was his parents’ cause of death?" the man asked as if he
didn‘t care.
"They died in a fire," William said wryly.
"Fill these papers out over there. Next," the man grumbled. After William
filled out the papers, we moved to the next desk where all the papers were approved. The
Nazi tore off part of the copy and gave us our copy. We left and then arrived back at the
checkpoint. We met the same soldier and this time he let us through. But first we had to
state our reason for passing by.
William answered, "We are going to see my mother-in-law." He let us through
and then we drove for another two hours until we reached the German-Netherlands border.
As the border was getting closer Nazi soldiers were digging more frequently as we went
along.
I asked William why, and William said, "They are digging trenches for war."
This made me scared because I was worried that my parents might get killed if there is a
war.
When we arrived at the actual border it was terrifying. There were huge missiles aimed
at the Netherlands. There were tanks patrolling the entire border, men in huge trenches
armed with heavy machine guns. We were halted by three men all armed with rifles.
One of them sternly said, "You cannot cross the border without direct orders from
a high official." William pulled out a strange paper that one of the soldiers grabbed
abruptly from his hands.
The one with the paper said, "Very well you may go through."
When we crossed the border into the Netherlands, we were surrounded by soldiers that
not as harshly asked us our order of business. We then told the truth and they let us
through. An hour later we arrived in a city called The Hauge. We drove up to a dock where
a huge transport ship was. We talked to a person on the ship and he went to get the
captain.
The captain said in a sea-like accent, "Welcome to the Commondier." The ship
was loaded with food, clean water, and tents. The ship departed for England and arrived in
London. We rode a double deck bus to a house where we spent six months together.
By the third month I realized I might never see my parents again. I became very
depressed because I always thought I would have seen them by now. Elisabeth and William
tried to comfort me but they just couldn’t. I thought that I am so lucky to be safe
but I am still depressed. I thought that I am the most greedy child in the entire world.
One night I told this to Elisabeth and she said, "You shouldn’t feel greedy
because you are sad. It is all right to feel sad and to miss your parents." The sixth
month finally came and William, Elisabeth, and I headed toward the train station where I
was to board the train. So I stood there ready to board a train. Again I had to do the
hard task of saying good bye to William and Elisabeth. This wasn’t as hard as saying
good bye to my parents, but it was still very challenging. I said good bye to both of them
and for the first time hugged them. This caused all three of us to cry.
I boarded the train and when I reached my destination I met a woman who said that I was
going to live with her for a very long time. She took me to her farmhouse where I had to
work, but work never bothered me. I call the woman Mammy, because she isn’t my real
mother but she does take care of me so she is like a mother.
I think of my mother and father everyday. I am no longer sad when I think of them, but
I think of the happy times. Sure I miss them but I know in my heart God will watch over
them.
The Holocaust was a terrible occurrence. The hidden children are lucky because they had
the chance to become successful adults. They did lose their parents but they had the
chance to live and die in peace. We should never take that for granted.
"Why Me?"
Joseph Haubert
St. Joseph School
Creative Writing – Division I – Fourth place
I was so bored. My family and I had a good life until the Holocaust began; I was seven
when it did. At first, my parents lost their citizenship liberties and where banned to go
to work as a civil servants. Some of my dad's favorite books and articles were burned, and
they were his! My brother and I were expelled of our school and have to go somewhere else!
Why Me?
When I was ten, my family stopped making money; shopping at Jewish owned businesses was
boycotted. We barely had any food. Things did look up for a minor time, though. The
Olympics were held in Germany and all signs identifying Jews were removed. I wish the
Olympics could have been held all the time, then we would not have to wear these yellow
stars. I would not have gotten a hard time when I went somewhere, and school would not
have expelled me. However, it did not change. Bad times continued.
Two years later and no sign of improvement, in fact, things got much worse. I was
completely expelled from school and I was not let in any other schools. We had to run.
Nazis troops were coming to take the rest of my parents business. Our good friend on the
other side of town let us stay in his basement. By this time, I knew what was happening,
to our home, our friends, and any other Jew. Why did Hitler choose us? Why did I have to
be born Jewish?
It is 1942. Germany has grown strong and has taken over much of Europe; at least,
that's what I hear. I have no connection to the outside world except through my dad's
friend, who has become my friend, my only friend. There is other news that other countries
are at war with Hitler. We have our own war here. We fight to stay hidden. We know we have
to stay quiet for most of the day, but my brother could not take it. He decided to run
off; we never saw him again. I got tired very easily and I barely weighed more than 70
lbs. I often hoped that I would live through it and at the same time, I hoped that I would
not.
I think I have just survived Hell! In early 1945, we were finally caught. They grabbed
us in a hurry and dragged us to a train station; then everything went black. When there
was light again, all I saw was death and despair. Huge holes in the ground were being
filled with what looked like skeleton covered with skin. A ridiculously long line split in
two. I was sent one way and my parents were sent the other. I was put to work for a few
days, and then one day, the camp was free of Nazis. It was full of great joy and
disbelief. We were told by foreign people that we were free and they shipped us out of the
camp. I never saw my parents, but I did find out something: that they were dead. Why was I
left here? Why was everything important to me taken away from me? Why was I punished? Why
had I survived? Perhaps to be able to tell others of the havoc that happened, but now I
will never know.
"Shadow of the Holocaust "
Abrielle Fuerst
Lippman Day School
Creative Writing – Division I – Fourth place
Tears come to his eyes,
Comes fear to his heart.
Through the dark night he cries,
From his family he’s now apart.
On a cold floor he stays
Behind a trap door.
He no longer plays,
All his muscles are sore.
Time appears to stand still,
Unbeknownst is the date.
He begins to grow ill,
Can do nothing but wait.
A deep hunger grows within him,
Both for information and for food.
Fears and worries still surround him,
Making fearfulness his only mood.
The past is but a memory,
The future looks quite dim.
What of him is meant to be?
What has fate planned for him?
What happened to his family?
Who had willingly sent him away?
Why had they made him go and flee?
How long will he be forced to stay?
Why must he be trapped here
In the darkness and the cold?
To face his nightmares and his fears?
His future remains to be untold.
What happened to his family?
Where had they gone to stay?
"Will they not return to see me?"
That he wonders everyday.
"And will I ever hug my mom,
Or play ball outside with Dad?
Is there anyone who loves me some?
Why must I be always sad?"
His life is an unyielding shadow,
With no way to escape.
He feels only bitter sorrow.
"Why must this be my fate?"
Outside there is but fighting,
With blood and death at every hand.
Again he’ll start his crying,
For he does not understand.
The years dragged slowly by,
And he began to see the light.
Still sometimes he’ll cry,
But there exists now more than fright.
He no longer lets himself forget,
His friends and family.
He begins to feel more confident.
"My parents will come back for me."
He was a holocaust survivor,
His folks did come and he was free.
And after time he did remember,
His life the way it used to be.
"Alone"
Katie Yakubowski
St. Joseph School
Creative Writing – Division I – Honorable mention
My name is Rachelle Silberman; I am 13 years old. I have a little sister named Anne
(she's 9 years old), and a mother and father. My mother is Jewish and my father is not. So
I have some Jewish in me. I was living a normal life until people started to blame the
Jews for the bad luck of the war. Then Hitler came to power and was killing off the Jews.
We had to hide or we would be sent to a death camp like one of our friends.
My father told us to put some things in the attic like paper, pencils, and books. They
told us if a German or someone we did not know came into our house we were to go up there
in the attic and wait until they went away. There was a window in the attic so we could
see when they leave. My mother said she would try to go up with us if she could sneak
away.
One day it happened! A German soldier came to our house. I was so frightened! My sister
and I ran upstairs. It was a good idea to bring some of those things upstairs because it
took a long time until they left. When they did leave we raced downstairs. We looked
everywhere but could not find our parents. Finally I realized the Germans took them to the
camps just like our friends. I finally realized we were alone.
We had stayed in the house for a week when we started not having enough food. I was
also scared that the Germans might come back to inspect the house, so I called the
neighbors. They were not Jewish so they would not be harmed, and they said they would help
hide us. I was so happy when they said they would. We got some of our belongings together
and walked next door. But things went terribly wrong. Some Germans were inspecting their
house and saw us with all our stuff. They could tell we were Jewish and put us in their
car.
I was terrified, what would they do to us? Would they kill us? Would they separate us?
I had so many questions. Those questions would not be answered until we got to the camps.
We had to go there by train and we were packed in small compartments. There was a girl
there was a little older then I, but we kept each other company and talked to each other.
We asked how each other got here, and if we were scared.
We would also talk about anything else, like where we went to school if there were any
cute boys. Things like that.
When we got off the train it smelt so horrible and I thought I was going to be sick. I
was so frightened when we went though a line. We had to be striped of our clothes and all
our hair had to be shaved off. Also all of our valuables had to be taken away from us. We
also had to be marked with a number on our arm. I hurt so badly and I tried not to cry but
the pain was unbearable!
It did not get any better either. There was hardly any food, and my sister got sent
away to another camp. I soon got used to that smell so it did not bother me any more. I
had to work in a factory with a lot other people. We had to make cloths. Many people died
each day, of hunger, or disease. It made me feel sad for me and for everybody in this
camp. It made me angry that people could kill them and did not care.
Everyday I wondered where my sister, mother, and father were. I was all alone. I wonder
if they are together. Some people were very nice to me and talked to me. I still got
thinner and thinner. My stomach was never full. Many of the people that kept me company
died. But I got use to all the people dying or already dead all around me because it
happened everyday. Many people lost hope, and didn't care if they lived or died. I kept my
hopes up though. It was the only thing that kept me going. I would keep hoping that
someone would come and free us from this awful prison.
Finally after months and years of waiting we were finally freed. We did not understand
at first. But when the Americans came and told us we were free I jumped for joy, and I was
crying. I was crying because I was happy and sad. Happy because many people (just like me)
fought for their lives and won. But really sad for those who died, who suffered, and never
got there freedom.
I had no idea where I was to go. Was my family still alive or did they suffer and die
like many others. I wanted to find out as soon as I could. I went up to people from my
camp that were at other camps before and asked if they knew the person I was talking
about. I got some answers. I found out my sister and mother died but my father might still
be alive.
The people who lived got on a train that was going to bring us back to our homes. When
we got back I stood there for a long time waiting to see if my father was a survivor. I
waited and waited until one of the last trains came. This time my father got off! I
recognized him but he looked different. He was skinny and looked weak. Like he had no more
strength left. But I could tell it was him. I ran to him and I knew that when he saw me he
thought the same way I thought about him. I asked where he was and if he stayed with mom
or saw Anne at all. Then he asked me the same. Both of our stories were similar. There was
dying and hatred all around.
We both are lucky to be alive. I will treasure every moment from now on and keep faith.
I have had a horrible experience and I will never forget how it felt to be imprisoned and
tortured. I will never forgive Hitler or his gang of murderers. I am not alone anymore. I
am not alone.
"Only Time Will Tell"
Toni Cunningham
Lippman Day School
Creative Writing – Division I – Honorable mention
I hide, I pray but dare not run.
This is no game of "hide and seek".
Protect me, save me, but do not betray me,
It’s hide, seek, survive or be killed.
Once I knew, I loved – family, friends, and life itself
Now I know, I fear – being captured, found or killed.
I wish, I want, the tears go by,
So softly, so swiftly, but I try not to cry.
I knew, I feared, the chances were few,
To be with my family and be happy again.
Do not give up – time yet to come,
Depend on hope that I’ll see the light of day again.
So save me, rescue me. Only time will tell
If a little girl who can’t come out,
Who lives in the darkness and hides in fear
Will survive and be happy again.
"The Cellar My Darkest Days"
Ashley Shaheen
Kimpton Middle School
Creative Writing – Division I – Honorable mention
I do not know how it started; I just know that it did. I just know that my life right
now is under the Wagner cellar. I know that the Nazis have invaded Austria and we, my
family of five and I, have been down here in this cellar for eight months now, not so much
as even seen sunlight. My family is made up of Calvin, Rose, Mama, Dad and me. It is
hardest on Calvin (Cal), he is five, and my mother. She is claustrophobic and we live in
such a small area. The cellar is only about seventy centimeters wide, eight meters long,
and four feet tall. My mother has been in a deep state of depression ever since we moved.
For Cal, he used to love to run and play. His hobby was being loud. Now he, like the rest
of us, has to be quiet, absolutely silent so the neighbors do not suspect anything. Most
of them are with Hitler. The Wagners let us stay here for free; we are fortunate for that.
The Wagner's are Christian and very against Hitler and the Nazis.
They have a daughter, Mary Anne; she is ten, which is how old I am. She brings our
family food daily. She brings it to us by lifting up a few loose floorboards and quietly
knocks on the trapdoor buried under 1 inch of dirt and a handkerchief. She usually calls
my name softly, "Sara Lynn, Sara Lynn". I go get the food. Our daily food is a
small loaf of bread, sometimes some fruit or vegetables, about a cup of water each, and on
special occasions, some meat scraps. We keep the food and water at the back of the cellar
and go there if we're hungry.
All that we own is about two sets of clothes each, two blankets, one half colored
coloring book, five crayons, a stubby, dull pencil, five sticks, and a Hebrew Bible. We
have played so many games of pick up sticks that it is not even fun anymore. I also know
the Hebrew Bible through and through. We also own a kerosene lantern that works half the
time and very dimly. We sleep in a straight line. I once heard Rose, she is fifteen, ask
my father why we even bother living if it is like this. He answered, "Hitler and
Nazis everywhere want Jews to die. By us dying, that gives victory and rapture to all of
those people". My father is so strong and knows what he is doing. I do not think I'll
ever forget what he said.
THUMP! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! I could hear someone answer the door. I could hear a
booming voice that sent a chill down my spine. The voice has a strong German accent. The
voice belongs to my biggest fear, a Nazi soldier. There were two of them and a dog.
"What is your last name? We are giving this house an inspection," said one
soldier. "We are the Wagner's," said Mr. Wagner "and is there anything I
can help you with?" "No, just stay out of the way," said a Nazi. I could
hear their big boots clunking on the floorboards above. As they walked above us, dirt and
dust fell from the ceiling. We hardly breathed. Cal was trying to keep from crying and
Rose and I were hugging each other, wrapped tightly in a blanket. My knuckles were white
from holding on so tightly. My mama was slowly rocking and weeping quietly. She drew her
breath in as the German dog scratched at the board above us. I heard the Nazi remove the
board. "My dog smells something," said a Nazi. There was a handkerchief above
the one inch of dirt. The dog sniffed the handkerchief and turned away. A Nazi threw the
floorboard down and went to check the rest of the house. About twenty minutes later they
were gone, not finding anything. Right when they left, Cal broke down sobbing. While my
father comforted him, Rose and I hugged my mother tightly. I decided that I was hungry so
I crawled to the other side of the cellar to eat some spare food.
Two months later
My mother has been more depressed than ever lately. She is going crazy for living for
ten months in a cellar with claustrophobia is not good. Cal finished coloring our coloring
book and I am teaching him how to write. I teach him by drawing each letter or word in the
dirt ground with a stick. A family of three has moved in with us – an eight-year-old
boy and his parents. I have not yet learned his name for we can't talk much. Cal has to
sleep on top of me now because space is scarce. The other boy sleeps on top of his father.
Food is much more scarce now. We don't get any more than before probably because the
Wagner's can't afford it.
One week later
I awoke to finding that my mother has died. If anyone would have listened very closely
to the cellar those first few days after she died, they would hear muffled sobbing. We had
to find a way to get rid of her body. The Wagner's simply could not bury her or the
neighbors would grow suspicious.
Five days later
We have finally come to a solution. A weekly laundry truck comes, driven by a good
friend of the Wagner's. My mother's body will be wrapped in some sheets and driven
straight to a cemetery in the peaceful country. There, a kind priest will bury her. The
mother of the family that now lives in the cellar with us has told us that she is about
one month pregnant. That proposed a new problem – where will she have the child and
how do we keep it from crying? Our only solution to that would be having the baby in the
cellar with plenty of blankets around, then the child will be quiet all the time, which is
not likely, the baby would have to be killed, which the mother will not agree to, or the
baby will have to be sent with a German resistance man and women, posing as the baby's
parents, to an adoption agency in Sweden. The real mother will then go there when she can
to adopt her child if the child has not already been adopted.
I miss my mother greatly. I have not slept too well since she passed away. The days
seem to be growing longer. I just want my life to be back to normal, and all this to be
over.
Afterward
The Jews and the children of the holocaust were freed in 1945. As for Sara Lynn and her
family, their story was not true. Although many of the challenges she faced were true for
the real children of the holocaust. In the story, the Wagner's let Sara Lynn's family stay
there freely. Some family's had to pay a price. If a person dies, the people not only have
to be sad, but worry about what to do with the body. Another thing is that children had to
be quiet or they would be discovered. Every day was a matter of life and death. As for the
handkerchief under the floorboard, it was made of rabbit's blood to attract the dogs and
mixed in it is cocaine, which temporarily damages the dog's sense of smell. It was
invented by Swedish scientists to keep German dogs from smelling hidden Jews. That's what
kept the dog in the story from smelling Sara Lynn's family under the floorboards. The
families or individuals that hid Jews took a great risk of being shot.
"Hope"
Katie Pozuc
St. Joseph School
Creative Writing – Division I – Honorable mention
August 26, 1944
Today we have began to run away from Germany. My name is Doris Wolharlf. I am twelve years
old. When I woke up Mama told me to pack my clothes and hurry. I asked what we were doing
but she would not answer. When we left the house I asked where we were going but my
parents would not answer me. I think we are running from the Nazis. I hope we do not run
much.
August 28, 1944
We have been running for two days now. I am tired but we cannot stop. Mama says if we do
then they will catch us. As we run, I look back to the happy time we all had. I wish that
we could have just stayed at our house. We are heading to the sewers. Papa says that we
will be helped by others. I think that I can trust him. I know we will get there soon.
August 30, 1944
We have just gotten to the sewers. It really has a strong smell of bad water. Papa says I
will get used to it soon. The safety of the sewers is all we have. I do not think that the
Nazis will find us. I think that we are finally safe.
September 3, 1944
We have been here for four days. Many more people have been arriving. There are five
soldiers who come to bring us food and to tell us of the events that are occurring. There
have been many shipments of Jews to the concentration camps. As we hide in fear, we have
little hope of surviving all of this. We have been praying that all this will end soon. I
hope that it will.
September 6, 1944
There are even more Nazis in the cities. Mama says that they are looking for us. I am very
frightened because I think that they will find us. Papa says to stay strong and believe we
will make it through these times. He has given me hope and I pray to God every night
asking Him to make the war end soon and let us all go back to our homes and friends.
Everyone is giving me hope.
September 8, 1944
The Nazis are still above us. I can hear all of their footsteps and their talking. I
cannot understand what they are saying but it sounds as of they are angry that they cannot
find us. I am happy that they cannot. I want them to search everywhere and not find us.
Then they might go away. I hope that they do.
September 11, 1944
They have left and everything is quiet and calm. People are talking of freedom and the
ground above us. It sounds good right now. I wish that we could go up there.
September 15, 1944
Right now one of our helpers told us that they have just found out that they have returned
and have many more men with them. They are looking even harder in all the houses now. They
are looking in all of the simplest places that they can think of. I hope they do not catch
us down here.
September 20, 1944
They have left more angrily that they cannot find us. I know that they will be back and if
they do come will they check down here? If they do we already have a plan set up as to
where we all hide. I think mine is the hardest to find because it is up in the ceiling.
Everyone else I am not sure of. I hope that they are safe.
September 26, 1944
We still hide in the fear that they will come down but all our faith is in the LORD. He
has been watching us and He has been good so far. I hope He is still this kind to us in
the future. If He is then we will celebrate that He was watching over us and loved us all.
November 1, 1944
He has been loving toward us and we are all grateful to Him. We have celebrated that they
have left us and will never come back. They have all been called back to the camps. I hope
all my friends are safe and are as grateful as we are to the LORD. I do not want them to
be in those horrible places. I want them to be happy for what they have right now. I just
want this to end and to leave this dreadful place.
November 4, 1944
The people that are helping us say that we can come back up soon and that the Nazis will
not come back because of how well we are guarded. I think now we can all have their trust
and can believe we can come up again. If I can see the light of day again then I am
grateful. I think that will be enough to say that I had hope in this all being over.
November 8, 1944
As I count the days that we can again go back up to the surface I keep getting more
excited. Mama says that it is the most joyful thing to happen in her life since Papa. Papa
says that he too will be grateful to the soldiers who helped us and says that he wants to
do something for them. I think that I can come up with some things to give to them and
more.
November 16, 1944
We all are coming up with ideas for the soldiers and we all are mixing ideas. I think it
is wonderful that they are doing all of this for us. Since we are all to say something
nice to them I think that I will say thank you for helping and protecting us during these
hard times. I think that we should say something from our hearts.
November 21, 1944
We only have at least three weeks left down here. I am glad that we can get out of here
and start our lives over again. I think Mama and Papa will be happy too. They show it in
their sleep that they miss the outside world and I think that we all do and are all eager
to go back up. I hope that this will never happen again and that all my friends will come
back to see me.
November 30, 1944
There are only ten more day left down here, and when I think about it, it does not seem
that long. I think that we are all going to have happy lives again.
December 2, 1944
There has been much news that almost two million Jews have been killed. My best friend
Margot was one of them. I wish that she could have come with us. If she did then we could
have had some memories to tell our grandchildren. If she was alive, she would be the first
person I would see after all this. I cannot wait till we are all out of here.
December 6, 1944
We only have four more days until we can go out in the open. It might seem like a long
time away but if you really think about it then it is not. I am so happy about the outside
world again.
December 10, 1944
Today is the day. We have been waiting so patiently for this day and we are all very
happy. The soldiers say we can come out when they return. We celebrated our freedom last
night. We are all overjoyed about this. We are about to go outside again.
December 11, 1944
It has been one day since our freedom and I think that it is a joyous day to praise His
Highness. He was watching us and we depended on Him to save us and to let us know that He
loved us. He really was there. My family has been different and I hope that we are all
thankful.
"Lost"
Allison Wnoroski
Green High School
Creative Writing – Division II – First place
Hidden
bodies…children.
where can we go, Mommy?
Could we hide in our own house
or someone else's?
a closet
cellar
cabinet
anywhere away from detection
Shhhhh!
They're…
Coming…
Quiet
Still
Don't
let
them
hear…
Make that baby stop crying!
They'll find us.
choices…
the baby stops crying, her mommy cries instead.
How'd they make that baby stop crying, Mommy?
Shhhh…
My mommy cries too.
safe
This time.
But Mommy, I'm bored!
I already read that… I already colored that… you already told me that
story…
But Mommy, I'm hungry!
here's nothing left to eat…nothing left to drink…
Mommy, I don't feel good!
There's lice on my face, Mommy, and in my clothes and in my hair.
My belly hurts…can't you go get the doctor?
But why not Mommy?
Don't we always get the doctor when I don't feel good?
Mommy, why do we have to stay in here all the time?
Why don't they like us?
Mommy, Papa isn't moving.
Do you think he went to heaven?
It smells bad here, Mommy!
Why do we have to put Papa inside that bed?
Will the smell go away?
Mommy, are we lost?
Hidden
identities…children.
what's my name today, Mommy?
Am I yours, still,
Or someone else's?
a convent
farm
boarding school
anywhere I can fit in.
Shhhhh!
Stop
Being
Jewish.
don't
let
them
know…
safe
This time.
Mommy, I forget my new name!
I'm confused…I don't remember…
But Mommy, I don't know how to go to church!
Do I do what that girl does? Am I allowed to ask her? What do I say to a priest?
Mommy, a man told me I looked Jewish.
How do I change what I look like?
And what's wrong with looking Jewish, anyways?
We're not supposed to be Jewish anymore?
But I don't understand, Mommy!
What's wrong with us?
Mommy, why do I have to change how I talk?
It's too hard!
Why is Brother dressed as a girl?
I don't think he likes it, Mommy.
Mommy, where are you going?
You can't leave us!
Why don't you want to be our Mommy anymore?
Mommy, are we lost?
Hidden
pasts…all of us.
who am I?
Just a victim,
or something more than that?
A Jew…
Christian…
In a family…
Orphan…
How do I know?
Wherever you are, Mommy…I think I'm lost.
"The Monster"
Kelly Harrell
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Second place
The young mother struggled to move her legs faster, but her feet seemed to be stuck in
cement. She heard the footsteps pounding behind her, but she was helpless to stop the red
and black monster as it furiously made its way toward her. She carefully knelt down,
buried her face in the safety of folded arms, and waited for the final blow. There was an
audible frenzy of activity around her, then complete and utter silence in the caliginous
street. In anticipation she lifted her head, and for a moment, she embraced security as
she spied the monster creeping away in the distance. Had he bypassed her entirely? She
blinked frantically as she strained to decipher the monster's figure ahead of her.
Suddenly, she tried to scream… He was hungrily approaching her baby… Her lungs
burned, but no sound escaped her throat. She tried to stand, but her exhausted limbs would
not respond. Her eyes watered, but not a single tear fell; she was numb to alternative
emotions as fear captivated her body. Powerless to prevent the monster's ruthless attack
on her innocent child, the young mother squeezed her eyes closed. Before she could manage
to blind herself, the young mother glimpsed a flash of red and black fabric as the monster
seized her young girl in one brutal, bestial sweep of his arm. The woman could not stand,
scream, or sob as her daughter was maliciously stripped of her childhood years before her
time.
* * *
Ilse's eyes fluttered open as she let out a muffled sob. She furiously kicked the
tangled blankets out from under her, struggling to allow her sweat-drenched body room to
breathe. As her vision adjusted to the shadowy bedroom, Ilse managed to catch her breath
and settle her pounding heart, she saw her young daughter, Anna, standing at the foot of
the bed.
"Mama," she whispered. "Today is the big day for my trip, isn't
it?"
Ilse sat up in bed and smiled sadly at her six-year-old daughter. "Come here,
Anna."
Anna climbed on to the bed with her mother, and Ilse wrapped her arms protectively
around her. Ilse pressed her face against Anna's deep auburn curls, and struggled to
suppress tears as she thought of her baby leaving her, one more member of her family
separated by war. Ilse gently brushed a stray piece of hair away from Anna's face, and the
girl turned to look into her mother's eyes.
As Ilse met Anna's dark brown gaze, she asked, "Are you going to be my brave, good
girl when Herr Schwartz comes this morning?"
Anna nodded, wise beyond her years, and Ilse inhaled deeply as she let go of her
daughter and climbed out of bed. Could she bear to watch as Anna was taken from her? It
had only been a few months since SS had ripped David, her precious husband, from her arms
in their apartment. Ilse could still hear David's strong, comforting voice as he begged
her to keep their Anna safe, no matter what. As a mother, Ilse instinctively felt that her
daughter would be safest with her, but in her mind, she knew that this was simply not true
in this time of war. The situation was worsening for Jews in Munich, and Ilse was a smart
woman. She had heard stories of how children fared at the notorious concentration camps,
and she wanted to give Anna at least a fighting chance.
* * *
Ilse hurried to the apartment door in response to a quiet knock. She quickly invited
Herr Schwartz in and escorted him to the kitchen. She stared at him for a moment, taking
in his grandfatherly features and the kind laugh lines dancing about his face. Ilse's eyes
anxiously surveyed the room. The air in the apartment was stale and stifling, but the
curtains remained closed to conceal the secret exchange that was about to take place.
"We don't have much time, Ilse," Herr Schwartz reminded her. "The faster
we do this, the less likely we are to arouse any suspicion."
Ilse nodded hesitantly. Had she made the right decision? For the second time that day,
she struggled to contain her tears; she must be courageous for Anna's sake. Ilse took her
daughter's tiny hand in hers and helped her up from the table. She knelt down carefully
and adjusted the buttons on Anna's winter coat, put the small brown suitcase in Anna's
other hand, and tightly wrapped her arms around her little girl. Ilse softly kissed Anna's
cheek and stood up.
"Anna," Ilse murmured. "You remember Herr Schwartz, don't you?"
Anna nodded, gracefully concealing her own anxiety, and Ilse placed Anna's hand in Herr
Schwartz's. The elderly man quickly embraced Ilse and reassured her that he and his wife
would take good care of Anna.
"Ilse," he said. "We've been over the details. She's going to be safe
with us. Now you need to take care of yourself."
Ilse shook her head once again in agreement and looked at her daughter one last time.
"Anna," she whispered. "You be my brave girl… Listen to Herr
Schwartz… Remember that Mama loves you."
Then Ilse turned away as Anna and Herr Schwartz left the apartment together. She
wandered into the sitting room and gently fingered the piece of golden fabric that she had
left on the sofa after removing the patch from Anna's coat. As Ilse traced the sides of
the golden star, she began to cry. She put Anna's star in the pocket of her dress and
drifted to the window. Ilse pulled the curtains back and was blinded by cascades of
sunlight. A flash of red and black caught her eye as she stared at the German soldier
stationed on the street corner.
The swastika armband… the monster… the nightmare… Ilse watched in horror
as Herr Schwartz and Anna rounded the corner hand-in-hand, calmly approaching the soldier.
Herr Schwartz tightened his grip on Anna's small hand, but the two continued walking, much
to Ilse's dismay. Ilse was helpless to protect Anna now. Her legs folded underneath her,
and she sank to the windowsill. She tried to stand again, but her muscles were exhausted.
She tried to scream a warning to Anna, but no sound escaped her throat. Then Ilse inhaled
sharply as Anna passed the soldier. She watched, amazed, as he even offered her a slight
smile.
As Anna and Herr Schwartz confidently eluded the soldier, Ilse regained her composure.
This was not the nightmare; Anna had escaped the monster unscathed. Little did Ilse know
that the soldier was not the real monster that had to be contended with. The monster that
would ravage Germany and all of Europe was not a simple soldier with a swastika armband,
but an entire attitude, a mindset. The monster of ignorance, fear, and hatred had invaded,
cloaked in black and red disguise. Ilse, like all other Jewish mothers, would be powerless
to protect her child from the monster's fanatical, furious wrath without assistance from
rare, quiet protesters who would put their lives on the line to rescue innocent children
in the face of grave danger.
"The Courage to Survive"
Jena Kurek
Green High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Third place
It has been over fifty years since I went into hiding with my brother, Joseph. Even
though I have confronted my past and moved on, it still is a part of me. It is what keeps
me going when things get tough. Other people around me give up and feel as if they are
unable to go on, I imagine myself standing alone, as a child again, with a Nazi soldier
aiming a gun at my head because I am Jewish. That image has made me strong. I could have
died in Poland, but I didn't. I survived. I was a "Hidden Child" during the
Holocaust; I hid with Joseph. He didn't make it, and today is his birthday. It brings me
great sadness because he is gone, and I am remembering the details from that time in my
life that gave me the courage I have today. If I could survive the Holocaust, I can
survive anything.
My parents owned a small grocery store, so we never were in need of food, like some of
the other Jewish families during the early part of the war. We lived in a comfortable
environment. Because it was just the four of us, our house was small but big enough for us
to live in without feeling like sardines. Joseph and I had our Jewish friends, and we
enjoyed being kids. I was four years old, and Joseph was eight. That all changed when the
war began, and the Germans came.
My father lost the store, and our house was taken away from us. They forced us to go
live in the ghetto, which was a low-class area of housing for all of the Jews. My parents
knew that we couldn't stay there. My mother had a feeling that something was going to
happen, and we had to escape. But there was only one question. Where would we go?
The answer came to my father when he was walking back to the ghetto one day after
working in the labor camp. He had seen a rat scurry into a drain that led to the sewers.
When he reached our so-called house, he saw a similar opening right outside our front
door. It gave him an idea. What if he could get to the sewer by digging through the wall
of our cellar? That night he began to dig through the wall. It took him two nights, but it
worked. We had found our hiding place.
I was so frightened when I had learned of where we would be hiding until the war was
over. I couldn't imagine living in a sewer for days, let alone months or even years. I was
only four years old, and even though my sense of adventure should have been strong, my
sense of fear was stronger because of what had already happened. I didn't want to live
with the rats in the cold, foul-smelling, wet sewers. When I tried to explain this to my
father, he told me that I had no choice.
My parents put my brother and me into the sewer with some food and fresh water; they
gave us blankets and shelves from a bookcase at our warehouse, which the Germans had not
found, to lay across the water, so we could sleep. When they started moving a bookcase
over the hole my father had made in the wall of our cellar, I cried. No one had told me
that they weren't coming. I knew that something bad was going to happen to them; I just
had that feeling in my heart. Joseph told me that I was wrong. However, I cried anyway. I
didn't care what he thought; all I knew was what I felt in my heart. My parents had just
put me, a four-year-old, in a sewer with my eight-year-old brother to look after me. How
was I supposed to know that everything would be all right? Joseph did tell me one thing
that has stuck with me throughout the entire course of my life.
"Regardless of what's happening around you, you have the courage to survive inside
of you, and that's all you need to get you through anything." With that comment, I
looked up at him with my teary eyes and said that I loved him. He told me that he knew
that and always would.
Every other day my parents would bring food at night and leave it right inside the hole
that my father had made. But one night, the food and fresh water stopped coming. It was
that day that Joseph and I had heard a lot of shouting in the ghetto; it had frightened
me, but I knew to keep quiet. We knew that we always had to stay silent or else someone
might discover us. When the food stopped coming, we knew that our parents had been taken
with the rest of the Jews from the ghetto. Joseph's main concern was the fact that we
needed food and water. It was bad enough that we were both getting sick from being down in
the sewers, but now we would be out of food too. He refused to let it happen.
The next morning I awoke to find that he was gone. I couldn't find him anywhere. I was
so scared. My parents had been taken away and would probably be killed. Unfortunately, I
had already seen some Jews die while I was looking out of the drain hoping to see my
parents. I figured that this would be the fate of my loving parents. And to think that I
could have had the same fate if they hadn't put Joseph and me in the sewer. That thought
brought me back to remembering that he was still missing. I went to the opening to see if
I could possibly see him coming back.
Hours went by, I had begun to think that he might have had an encounter with one of the
German soldiers when I saw him coming around the corner of one of the houses. I smiled
with relief. He was hiding in the shadows, meaning that there were soldiers about. Just
when he thought it was safe, a Nazi soldier grabbed him from behind! I almost screamed,
but I covered my mouth to keep it in. Joseph could see the tears welling up in my eyes.
Then he mouthed the words to me, "Be strong. You have the courage to go on. I love
you, Anna."
I cried. I know that he told me to be strong, but at that moment, I had to cry. I was
only four years old, and I was alone and without food. Then I told myself that I had to
have the courage to survive. I had to survive for my family's sake. They were relying on
me to live. So, I started walking through the sewer that night in hopes of finding
something because I didn't want to stay there.
I walked for hours. Finally, I came across a sleeping couple. They heard me approaching
and jumped up in surprise. When they saw who I was, they weren't afraid any more; they had
originally thought that I was a German soldier who had found their hiding spot. This
couple told me that I could stay with them, but they had a limited supply of food and
water themselves. I was offered very little because they weren't expecting a third person
to arrive. I thanked them.
Within a few weeks, we were liberated. I couldn't believe it. I was ecstatic. However,
I then remembered that I was alone.
That day I came out of the sewer was both the best and worst day of my life. I was free
and able to walk around without the fear of being shot, even though Jews were not free of
ridicule and resentment from others. I no longer had to spend my days in that disgusting
sewer. I was now able to soak up the beautiful sun's rays. However, I was forced to go and
beg door-to-door in order to receive food to eat. As soon as they saw how young I was,
they would give me whatever extra food they could. They told me how strong I was to be
able to survive something like the Holocaust on my own. Honestly, I wasn't alone; I always
had my parents and Joseph in my heart, and they were watching over me. They were the
voices pushing me to survive, and I did. They gave me courage.
I have lived my life to the fullest, and I intend to keep doing so. My courage has
given me the strength to do so many things in life. My family is stronger because of it.
Today, I am celebrating my brother's birthday with my son, Joseph. He shares his uncle's
integrity and sense of courage, and I love them both.
"Lucky"
Katie Lecerf
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Fourth place
Lucky - This is often the first word I hear pass through people's lips
when they talk about what I went through -
"She's so lucky to have survived," or
"She's so lucky she was never caught."
What I wonder is how they exactly define "lucky"?
Is lucky how I was harshly separated from my mom, dad, and two older brothers
and placed all alone in a crowded, dilapidated orphanage,
forced to accept a completely new identity,
and learn an entirely unfamiliar religion?
Is lucky always being sick with no medical care,
being forced to stay outside during the frigid cold of winter,
and having no clothes to keep warm?
Is lucky being treated like a criminal by the nuns,
who seemed to watch over me and the rest of the children like vultures,
ready to pounce on their prey the moment
we did the slightest thing wrong?
Is lucky how I lived in constant fear of being found,
and how I was warned, time and time again,
that if I made one mistake, one accidental slip,
I would end up in concentration camps like the rest of them?
Is lucky being forced to remain silent
and put on a facade of an entirely different life,
as if my past was merely a dream?
Is lucky holding on to the hope that one day soon the terror would end,
I would be reunited with my family,
and everything would return back to the way it was?
Is lucky holding back the tears
while I longed for the feeling of warmth and belonging,
the comforting sensation of being touched, held, and loved once again?
Is lucky finally being reunited with my family,
only to witness the permanent far-away look in my parents and older brothers eyes,
and realize that things will never be the same again?
Now, decades later, I still find it difficult to share these bitter realities
of the Holocaust with others, because their response seems to
always reflect the same naive tone:
"But you are so lucky to have been reunited with the ones you loved,
to be together with your family again."
I have come to find that it often proves to be too complicated and overwhelming
to truly express the pain, silence, and emotional torture
I experienced during those years, as well as many after.
Despite all I went through, however,
I have begun to accept that my vivid memories will never fade;
the agony and torture will forever be etched in my heart.
Day by day, I face what happened and move slowly forward in my healing process.
Throughout the years, I have heard so many stories from other survivors -
unspeakable tales of hidden children much worse than my own.
In a sense, I suppose I was one of the lucky ones;
indeed, I have learned, far luckier than most.
"Unopened Eyes"
Tim Marks
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
Fear permeates the atmosphere
It is here
It surrounds me
A silent entity raking the hair on the back of my neck
And settling like a stone in the pit of my stomach
Dare I even breathe?
Light filters in-between the floorboards of the ceiling
Illuminating the floating dust
Even it seems frantic
Fleeing from the pounding boots above
Vainly hiding from voices of German soldiers
Then again, am I not myself, but dust?
I take refuge only in a shroud of cold
Fear is here
It searches for me
I am dreaming again
I lie for a while between sleep and reality
Not wanting to open my eyes
No one has opened their eyes
The sad monotony of an apathetic world has left me jaded
Am I not just as cold now as I was so many years ago?
Hiding in that basement like a rat
Just a small child
Who saw a glimmer of hope for the future
And continually searched the present for some sign of it
But time has slowly taken my tomorrows away
I am an old man now
I survived only to watch a world stumble forward
Blindly repeating history
Our world
Caught in the doldrums of a listless sea filled with so much opportunity and advancement
Yet we fail to progress
Greed and power are but parasitic symbionts that blind us
To each other
To ourselves
I know not of God
He abandoned me in that basement
A den of fear
I believe only in the power of believing
An unbreakable will is how I survived
And that never left me
I fight to open my eyes
I must
If I don't, who will?
There must be some warmth in this world
To strike the cold from me
Should I have rather died a child, hiding?
Just another forgotten voice lost in a din of agony
That is now only heard through several condensed paragraphs of text in a history book
No!
I cannot allow myself to forget
My eyes are open
Blinking out the light, my vision struggles to find focus
My family…
A picture, framed, shining
They are happy
Warmth courses suddenly through my body
"Searching"
Lisa Meier
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
Running, hiding in any place possible,
Keeping away from people who want to take us
Climbing, jumping, crawling through mud and dirt
All just to stay alive
They say that they will just send us to work camps
What happens when we are tired?
They send us away and kill us
Running, that is the only answer
Mother, Father, I love you and miss you
I think they are starting to come close now
I hear them
They are on the other side of the wall
The hidden door is opening, Help!
I am scared; my eyes don't want to open
I can feel the warm sun pouring in from the opening
I feel a hand on my shoulder
I start to cry, life as I know it now is over
I let out a sigh,
No more running, no more hiding
A voice says "it is all over, you can come out now."
My eyes open for a moment; I am blinded by the light
A tall man stands there with a welcoming face
I get up and follow him
My pain is now over
I am free!
"Birds of a Feather"
Jill Wolosiansky
Green High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
Outside a yellow bird
And a boy reaching high.
He gallops and giggles
With his chin to the sky.
His 'SS' army men
Are his favorite toy.
Hitler and the Swastika
Are worshipped by the boy.
His non-Jewish beliefs,
His blond hair and blue eyes,
Allow him to roam free
While others his age hide…
There's a black bird sitting
On the small boys shoulder.
Head tilted to the floor,
Hands and heart grow colder.
The frightened young boy hears
Outside gossip and news.
The 'Fuhrer' that he fears
Has started World War Two.
The hidden child ponders
Why the Star of David
Is the source of such hate.
Will his God ever save him?
The happy boy frolics
While the secret boy weeps.
Can the black and yellow
In their whole lifetimes meet?
They will fly together
Despite the hating past,
With the prejudice gone
They will be free at last.
"What Next?"
Amanda Platt
Green High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
Dear Diary,
Today is just like any other day. We sit in silence, with only the drip of the sewer water
to calm our nerves, and only the rats to talk to. It's been weeks now, maybe months that
my mother, father, and little baby brother Franek, and I have been stranded here, but it
feels like years. Mother and Father sit on the other side of the sewer talking in hushed
voices. They didn't expect to be down here in this horridly dark place, with no sunshine
for very long, and as the chances of being caught grow, so do their fears. We thought that
this would be over within a few weeks, but that turns out to not be the case. It's been
about twelve weeks, and still no word about the war ending and Jews being set free.
Jankele Kuperblum
Dear Diary,
It rained today and the water level in the sewer rose. Instead of just being covered to
our ankles, the water has risen up to our knees. We stay standing, but hunched over,
because we can't stand up right, but we don't want to get our whole bodies wet. With
hardly any extra clothing, we would be soaked through for days if we were to sit in the
disgusting water. Our food supplies are slowly diminishing, and we have very little water
left. I can't tell you what we will do when we run out. We all had to give up some things
when we came down here, but I never imagined food would be one of those things. Because we
are Jewish, we've always had less than the Catholic Germans families, but we've never been
without food and water. Father and Mother cut back on their rations to save food for
Franek and I, but I don't know how much it's helping. We are running out so quickly.
Mother told me that I was allowed only one cup of water a day, because we have so little
clear water left. A bit ironic isn't it? We live in a sewer, yet we are running low on
water. I know that Mother and Father are working hard to get us more food, but they have
to be careful about who they trust, for once the Nazis find out we are here, well, I don't
want to think about what would happen if they were to find out. All I know is it would be
tragic.
Jankele Kuperblum
Dear Diary,
Although I hate to complain, it is getting hard not to. When we came down here, I was
allowed to bring one book for pleasure with me, and very little else. I've read through
the book dozens of times. Although I like the story, it grew dull by the fifth time
through. I feel horribly cramped down here, and without the freedom of running and
playing, I fear my body had grown weak. I left my doll Piotr back at our home, which is
probably destroyed now. I miss it horribly, Piotr and home. I miss having somewhere to go,
where I could stand upright, talk in normal everyday voices, but what I miss the most is
not being able to laugh. Laughter would be a dead give away.
I was okay with the whole idea of living in this sewer in the beginning. I thought of
it as a great adventure, but the smell is overwhelming, and with Mother sick with
dysentery, the stench isn't improving. We haven't washed our clothing or hair since we got
down here. My head is beginning to itch, and I fear that lice are taking over my scalp.
Although I looked at the situation positively in the beginning, I fear that I've had
enough, and can not take much more of this. I wish the sun would shine down here. Without
one glimpse of it in close to four months, I think I've forgotten what it looks like.
Jankele Kuperblum
Dear Diary,
I miss my dear friends so much. I must beg pardon for complaining, but I've had no one to
talk to for almost sixteen weeks now. Sometimes, I find myself talking to myself, or I
will imagine that my friends and I are far, far away from this place, and I will talk to
them. After a short while I come back to the sewer, where I've been doomed to stay, and I
realize what I've been doing. Mother always looks at me with a sad look on her face, and I
do my best to give her a reassuring smile, to let her know that everything will be okay,
but I'm not so sure. I've tried to be strong up to now, but my strength is diminishing,
and I don't know how much longer I can keep up this fake act of happiness. Father tells me
everyday that I must be strong for the family, and in the beginning I was, but after four
months of nothing but foul smells, and dirty rats, I'm about to give up. I curse the day
that we came down to this wretched hellhole.
Jankele Kuperblum
Dear Diary,
Franek is horribly sick. We don't know what's wrong, but we can't leave the sewer to take
him to a doctor. That would mean death for all of us for sure. He's been crying his poor
little heart out all night, and Mother is scared that he will be hard. She tries to quiet
him, but all he does is scream. I'm worried for him too. I've heard Mother and Father talk
about the Zielinskis down the road. Their young daughter wouldn't stop crying, and they
had to smother her to keep from being found out. I don't know what I would do if Mother
and Father decided that's what we had to do with Franek. He's such a sweet boy, he's just
a little sick at the moment. I pray to God that he gets better, but I don't think God is
listening. I've prayed to him everyday for him to get us out of here, but it hasn't
happened yet. I feel so abandoned. We went into hiding for our God, but I feel that he's
left us here to die.
Jankele Kuperblum
Dear Diary,
Turns out, Mother and Father have had enough of this life as well. They've decided that we
can't live like this, and they have decided to send Franek and I out of hiding, risking
their own lives for my brother and my happiness. They claim to have found a family willing
to take me in, but seeing how my brother has already been circumcised, it would be a dead
give away to the German Nazis if he was taken in, so it's been harder to have him placed.
I fear that this may be the last day of my life that I will see my family for a very long
time. Although Mother hasn't come out and said it yet, I think she is very scared for us.
Her and Father will stay in hiding down here, although I don't think they'll be here much
longer. I've heard them talking about moving to a hole under someone's barn, so one can
only hope that it's more pleasant there than in this rat infested sewer.
Please excuse me while I go spend my last hours with Mother and Father. Although all I
can hope for is better, I find myself constantly asking what next? Please beg my pardon,
as I send you down the sewer. I can't have any shred of my past with me when I leave here.
Tonight is the night I make the switch from Jew to Gentile, and possibly leave behind my
roots forever.
Jankele Kuperblum
"Mommy"
Heather Carone
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Creative Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
Mommy, why am I here?
What have I done to deserve all this hiding?
I'm scared, Mommy.
If I was bad, can't you just put me in the corner like before, Mommy?
Who are these strange people I'm with, and why do I have to be quiet?
Oh, Mommy, please come back; I miss you.
Why did you leave me?
Mommy, I'm cold and lonely and you're not here to hold and comfort me.
Those strange people took me to a building, small and crowded.
It was filled with lots of other kids who had stars on their shirts like mine, Mommy.
But we couldn't play or do much of anything, Mommy.
Mommy, we can't even talk about where we are from, about being Jewish.
I miss all my toys, Mommy; I wonder what happened to my favorite dreidl, you know the
colorful one.
Why does it matter that I'm Jewish?
There are these nice ladies who make us dinner, but it's nothing like your Shabbat meal; I
miss celebrating Shabbat and your cooking.
Today they took our clothes with the stars and they gave us new ones.
They said we're going to live with a new family at school.
But before we went to school they changed our names; my name is now Anna, but don't tell
anyone, Mommy, it's a secret.
Do you remember how excited I was to go to school, Mommy?
I finally get to go again!
I'm still scared though, Mommy; we walk a lot at night and move form place to place until
we get to our new school.
Sometimes when I'm walking I pretend I'm playing hide-and-go-seek with the Nazi men.
And when I'm scared, Mommy, I pretend to squeeze my little teddy bear you gave for my
birthday.
Sometimes it works and I'm not scared anymore, but there are other times I just wish I had
you to hold.
Mommy, what are you doing now?
I hope you're all right!
I miss you so much, Mommy!
Why did you leave me?
What did I do to deserve leaving you and Daddy?
Mommy, why am I here?
Why?
"Their Story"
James Gary Gardner
Green High School
Research Writing – Division I – Honorable mention
The Holocaust was one of the largest mass genocide in the history of the world. Between
1933-1945 millions upon millions of Jews were executed merely for their religious beliefs.
The Germans thought that they were an inferior race and decided to just kill them all to
get rid of them. Throughout all these terrible mass killings and torturing, there were
some children who managed to escape from capture and survive. These were known as the
Hidden Children.
Many families found neighbors or friends that would help them hide, other families had
to pay someone to help keep them undetected from the German Nazis. People were forced to
hide in holes under barns or extremely tight cellars that weren't easily found. There was
one family that had to stay in a cabinet that was about 60 or 70 centimeters wide and a
few yards long. They could comfortably lie on each other and had to remain in that hiding
place for over 13 months. The family was so well hidden that the children of the people
that were helping the Jews didn't even know that they were there! . Some children didn't
even know where they were going until they were actually on their way. That way they
wouldn't accidentally tell someone where they may be hiding.
Every single day was to be lived in complete quiet. The children had to be silent from
the moment they woke up to the time they went back to sleep. Some children didn't see the
light of day for weeks, months, or even years. On top of that they couldn't even play,
talk, or laugh out loud. To keep themselves occupied they would read books, often reading
the same books over and over, they would draw with what little supplies they could gather
and they would listen to the adults' conversations. In some cases when a woman had an
infant it was obviously not so easy to keep it quiet. One little Jewish girl wrote in her
diary that she was in a hiding place with a number of people and a little baby started to
whine and cry. The other people told the mother to either leave with the child or take
care of it. The mother ended up having to smother the child.
As you could imagine there were many problems that arose as these people were in
hiding. When the Jews first went into hiding they brought food and supplies with them.
They obviously hadn't had enough to prepare for months or even years of hiding, therefore
their food supplies soon ran out. It was also hard to get fresh water and so it was rare
for them to be able to bathe. The opportunity to wash their clothes came few and far
between. As a result of these things there was a large amount of lice and other diseases.
Because they were in such small and tight spaces, diseases spread like wildfire. If one
person caught something, they all caught it.
Although these conditions were extreme, they were worth it to not get caught. That was
the biggest fear of all. They didn't care what they had to go through as long as they
didn't get killed.
"Not Far Away"
Renee Martinez
Green High School
Research Writing – Division II – Honorable mention
During the rein of the Nazi party in Germany and other occupied countries there were
many children having wonderful childhoods. However unknown to many people, not to far away
there were many more children being forced from their homes and made to change and deal
with the suffering and pain that the Gestapo and the Third Reich put them through.
While the Aryan children were having fun and joining Nazi social groups, other
children, many who were Jewish or gypsies, were being forced from their homes and some
separated from their families. Because of the new racist ideology that Nazi Europe was
taking on, not only adults but also children were meant to suffer and be targeted because
of their religion. Nine out of ten children were murdered. It was seen by Hitler and many
of his followers that to put a stop to the Jewish population from growing, killing the
Jewish children was the best way to stop it.
Often times, if the children survived it was because they went into hiding. In many
cases the parents would give up the children that way the children would at least continue
to live. Children went for years in hiding some in such places as sewers and haylofts,
other would live freely but act like good Christian children. There were some situations
where a whole family would go into hiding. A popular example would be Anne Frank's family
and the nightmare she went through.
The matter of the children’s continued existence depended on their parents. If the
parents had the means, whole families would try to go into hiding. If the families were
poor the parents would either leave the children with strangers or leave the children to
fend for themselves. Many had to change their names, and leave everything they knew and
were comfortable with.
It was common for these children to change their names and make up a new life for
themselves. They had to leave their religion behind and adopt a new one. They had to learn
dates and names so that there would be no suspicion. There was always the fear that there
could a slip up.
Not only were these children in danger but also the people that helped them. If the
children were found out it was certain that not only would they be out to death but so
would the people that helped them. Even with these high stakes it is estimated that more
than 100,000 children were hidden and many people speculate there are even more who still
have not come forward. Many children were too young to really remember their Jewish faith
and were shocked to find out they were Jews.
In fact it recently came to light that there is a priest in Poland who is really a Jew.
His Jewish parents were on their way to the death camps when his mother spotted a
Christian woman. The mother said since the women was Christian then she must believe in
Jesus who was a Jew and that would she take care of this Jew in his name. So the women
took the priest, however at this time he was but a baby.
The boy’s name was changed in he grew up in a strict Catholic home. It wasn’t
until his Christian mother was on her deathbed that she told him of his Jewish roots and
family. The man was left to not only mourn for his dying mother but also for the one he
never knew. The priest could not come out with his story for quite some time however.
Poland was still a communist country and the few Jewish families that were left were still
being persecuted.
Not far from where the priest lives there are the remains of a concentration camp.
There is now always the constant reminder of the family and time he lost. Now that the
priest's story is out all he can say is he is a Catholic and a Jew and the whole
experience was like being born again.
This story isn’t uncommon. Many children grew up with the beliefs that they were
Christians and some are just now finding out that they are in fact Jewish. In many cases
like the priest families were never reunited either because the parents did not know where
the children where hidden or because they had been murdered in the death camps.
In some cases children never stayed with one rescuer or family. Often children were
given new names with everyone one they went and many were just put into orphanages. Some
children when through an Underground Railroad experience. There have been reports of
children moving from place to place and being hidden in haylofts, under floors, and in
underground bunkers.
In many situations Christian groups and churches would hide whole families. They would
set them up with knew identities and homes and help them carry on with their new lives.
Then there were the unlucky ones that had no help at all. Many children and families
lived in the sewers and forests for years. In one case a young girl learned that while her
and her mother where in hiding in the forest someone had turned in her mother while the
girl was sleeping. When the girl woke up she saw that her mother had diapered and that she
was left to save herself. She lives 18 more months in the woods until the Soviets
liberated her.
Even though families would flee to other countries the Nazi party always seemed to
follow them. Some tried to get to the United States but where not able. Many "Hidden
Children" who were stuck living under floors and in the woods remember seeing the
German children going to and from school. They can remember seeing them having so much fun
and not a care in the world. In a lot of cases this would drive family members insane in
wonderment of why not all these people were trying to help their fellow Germans.
Also because of the high penalties in helping the Jewish children people who knew what
was happening was wrong couldn’t put their families at risk. It was hard explaining
the sudden turn up of children and trying to explain why they look nothing like you and
how they may be related to you. Also other things like when people would start buying more
food then they ever did would start suspicion and would lead to investigations into the
families.
Now that so many years have gone by the old generation is starting to share the many
secrets they held. The population is finding out about the heroism of everyday people.
Also it is changing the lives of many of the "Hidden Children" and once again
they must readjust to the changes.
Even though the Holocaust happened so long ago the effects are still felt by the
children. Many say they had lost their souls then and others have just emptiness.
Those who can remember what it was like before they ever went into hiding are the ones
that seem to feel the effects more since the remember having to separate from their
family, friends, and loved ones. Many others are just left with the question what if, and
also are left to deal with the fact that their families suffered during the holocaust and
that they will never know what kind of life they could have had or who their parents were.
In the case of the priest mentioned before he not only keeps a picture of his Christian
mother and family but also his Jewish one. Even though he never knew them and will never
get to he will not let them be brushed away. He wants to cherish their memory and thank
them for letting him live when they knew they would not.
Hearing these stories is a true testament to what happened in that time and will never
let us forget what happened. People just seem to look at the ones that dies and never
really seem to think about the ones that survived and what they have had to go through and
deal with. It is unbelievable that all of this was caused simply because they were Jewish
or handicapped or a gypsy.
The love the parents showed for their children in this time was overwhelming. Also the
sheer bravery of the rescuers still shows the great human kindness even though they were
surrounded by evil. The "Hidden Children" were allowed to live on and tell their
stories to the world. That way we learn of the greatness of people and what they will do
when faced with over whelming odds. I once heard someone say something that makes me think
of this, I can not remember the exact quote but is was along the lines that the only bad
people the good people that stand there and do nothing to help the victims.
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