Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-03-26
The Ghetto
In Warsaw
By Tosha Bialer
(WNC Feature-Through special
arrangement with Golfers Weekly

kWNO' FeaCure-l nrOuSn SpeCldl
arrangement with Golfers Weekly
My husband, my son and | are
the only persons in America to
have escaped from the ghetto set
up by Germany in Warsaw. The
amazing set of circumstances by
which we escaped cannot be told,
because it would mean death to
all who aided us.
Of those whom we left behind,
l can say little. This is the third
winter they will have passed
through, and how many will sur
vive l cannot say. There can hardly
be many left now of the 100000
that were once there.
l, who lived with them through
dark years, who shared their bitter
fate, humbly bear witness to their
martyrdom. Anything may say OF
write about it is in memory OF
those who died, tribute to the
courage and determination of those
who are still living. I join with
them in a prayer for new world
in which they will resume their
place as free human beings.
Location of the Ghetto
The ghetto, as set up by the
Nazis after they took possession OF
Warsaw, included the oldest ano
most deteriorated sections of the
city, a district that had been ar
! eyesore for years and should have
been torn down long ago. 1t com.
prised many blocks completely de-
stroyed by bombing, without 6
habitable building left standing
With intentional foresight, not one
park, playground or public garder
was included behind the high ghet.
to walls. There was no access tC
the river banks. The modern Jew.
ish hospital the Liberal Jewish
Synagogue and the Old Peoples
Home were left outside.
The Germans were set on our
destruction. With cold logic
they concluded that overcrowd-
ing, inadequate housing, malnu-
triton and reduction to subhu-
man standards would save them
the trouble and ammunition re-
quired to massacre half a mil
lion people outright.
Against this situation, the Jew
ish Council, religious committee
took over the responsibility as best
they could. The president was ;
Mr.. Czerniakow, a fine man. | say
"was" advisedly, because a few
weeks ago we learned that hi
committed suicide when the Ger
mans directed him to draw up {
list of 100000 people for deporta
ton.
Business With Outside World
All business with the outside
world had to be handled through
the Commissar for Jews of tn,
German government. l never saw
him. He was remote personality
but his shadow fell deeply acros!
our lives. A court building was tn,
only place where our world me
the outside world. Here Jew ant
Christian were allowed to see eacl
other for the last time. Here mel
terminated old partnerships start
ed by fathers or grandfathers
Here husbands and wives met t.
say good-by, to see each other M
more. For the Nuremberg law ha.
been applied in Poland, and mar
riages between Jews and non-Jewi
had to be dissolved.
We had no electricity, no radios
no telephones, no musical instru
ments, no street cars. The post of
flee would handle nothing but post
cards, and every card was exam
ined by a German censor. Our of
ficial bread allowance was fiv,
pounds per month.
One morning we woke up to fint
a number of Jews lying dead il
Kupiecka Street. They had beel
caught outside the wall, shot dowl
and then the bodies thrown into tn
ghetto. We never knew whethe
they had passes or not. The Ger
mans never bothered about littl,
technicalities like that.
For our own sake and that of ou
families, we were always terrified
at any harm coming to our jailers
Day after day we saw friends ant
relatives murdered in retaliation
for deeds in which they had n,
share, no knowledge. On one occa
sion Polish policeman had beer
killed while on duty. The Gestap,
carried out an extensive search, il
the course of which building at
Nalweki Street put up a stubborn
resistance for several hours. Whel
the defenders were finally over
ooo,o 20 y,,o1o ;,,ho 1;tn-ts e A.