From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard from Gucia Rechnic, the Bedzin ghetto, July 1942

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard sent by Gucia Rechnic from the Bedzin ghetto to her brother, Abram Liwer, in Switzerland, 12 July 1942. The postcard is addressed to Schwarzbaum in Lusanne. 2 pages, handwritten, copy, in German Rechnic thanks Schwarzbaum for his postcard, which she read to her father. She has not yet received the package he sent. She writes that the family is well and her father is still busy, and that Schwarzbaum's friends wrote to him but did not receive answers. She blesses Alfred, Ewa and Jadzia. Gucia, daughter of Chaim Liwer (b. 5 October 1867) and Rivka Liwer (b. 6 July 1868), married Eliezer – Leon Rechnic and the couple lived in Bedzin. Gucia had eight more brothers and sisters (six brothers and two sisters): Abram Liwer; Szmuel Liwer; Szymon Liwer; Rizel Schmidt nee Liwer (born 1897) who lived in Monaco before the war; Estera – Edzia Bialka nee Liwer (born 1901); Szlomo Liwer; Marek Liwer; Josef Liwer. Survived: Abram & his wife Chawa; Szmuel & his wife Leonia; Josef & his wife Bronia; Marek & wife. Perished: Gucia & her husband Eliezer; Szymon, his wife Regina & their son Icek; Rizel & her husband Mosze Schmidt; Edzia, her husband Zvi & their daughter Judith; Lewia Liwer, the wife of Szlomo Liwer (who passed away before the war); The parents – Chaim & Rywka Liwer. Notes: 1. This file contained copies of two postcards that are in files 35622 and 40213. Other postcards were transferred from this file (Collections 2047) to file 27249, 41495 and 41496 in the Holdings Registry. 2. For a letter sent by Eliezer to Abram, see file 41500. For more letter sent by the Liwer family from the Bedzin ghetto, see file 24048 and 41499. About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzin, Poland, who fled to Switzerland after the occupation. In Switzerland, he set up a relief enterprise, and supported hundreds of Jews. Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was born in 1896 in Sosnowiec, Poland. He later moved to Bedzin, became a businessman and started a family. In late September 1939, following the German occupation of Poland, he sent his daughter to England. In November 1939, he was jailed for several weeks in Myslowice and was interrogated by the Gestapo. After his release, he turned down an offer from Mosheh Merin, head of the Sosnowiec Jewish council, to be his deputy. Using his connections and his fortune, he was able to obtain visas for Switzerland. In April 1940, he left Poland and settled in Lausanne. Schwarzbaum soon started sending out food, clothing, money and papers to Poland. He managed to navigate between the often uncoordinated Jewish and Zionist organizations based in Switzerland, to transfer financial help to Jews in Poland. He sent hundreds of parcels to German occupied localities, via Lisbon, Sweden and Turkey. He visited refugee camps in Switzerland, and corresponded with persons living under the Nazi rule. He also produced passports, which led him into trouble with the Swiss police, who feared for violation of the country's neutrality policy. In 1945, he immigrated to Mandate Palestine. In Israel, he supported funds and provided stipends for students in need, in several Israeli institutes for higher education. He died in 1990.