Nešarim: Child Survivors of TerezínFocuses on the lives of nine Jews who survived as children in Theresienstadt. They spent 1942-44 with their "madrich" or leader, 20-year-old Franta (Francis Maier), as part of a group of 40 Nesharim (Eagles). After a short discussion on various aspects of the camp, pp. 55-171 present interviews taken by the author, the wife of one of the "boys". The survivors, including Franta, relate their experiences during and after the Holocaust. Despite the horrors of ghetto life, that were felt more by their parents, these boys were mostly concerned with sports activities and their lessons. They were greatly influenced by Franta's idealism. Their reunions decades later and the contacts between them testify to the communal values they internalized as Nesharim. The boys are mentioned by their nicknames: Špulka (Erich Spitz), Kikina (George Repper), Míša (Michael Gruenbaum), Pajík (Paul Weiner), Pavel (Paul Huppert), Gorila (Jan Strebinger), Majošek (Martin Mayer), Robin (Robert Herz), and Extrabuřt (Hanuš Holzer). Franta, Pavel, Gorila, and Robin were eventually deported to other camps and Majošek was sent on a transport to Switzerland. Two additonal Nesharim survived the war but, unlike the others, remained in Czechoslovakia; they died before they could be interviewed. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Terezín Theresienstadt | 19 |
Report of Home Number 7 | 27 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
able arrived asked Auschwitz Australia Bar Mitzvah barracks became boys Brno brother Brundibár building child survivor Communist concentration camp Czech Czechoslovakia diary emigrated English everything experience Extrabuřt father feeling felt Franta friends gas chambers German Gorila Gunskirchen happened helped Holocaust imprisoned in Terezín interview Jews Kikina knew later learned leave left Czechoslovakia lessons liberated lived looked madrich madrichim Majošek married memories Míša Míša's months mother Nazis Nešar Nešarim reunion never night Ostrava Pajík parents Pavel Prague prisoners realized remember Robin Russians Sent to Terezín Simchat Torah sister slovakia Šmudla soccer someone spent Špulka started stayed stepfather story survived survivor of Terezín Switzerland talk things thought told Tomáš Masaryk took transport trip typhus uncle walked wanted weeks wife wives Yad Vashem Zvánovice