From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: letter from Chaika Klinger, Bedzin, 27 April 1943

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Underground letter sent by Chaika Klinger, a member of the HaShomer HaTzair movement in Bedzin, to Schwarzbaum (or Natan Schwalb) in Switzerland on 27 April 1943. She refers to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and uses coded language. Klinger thanks Schwarzbaum for his letter and writes that Samek visited her with his friend Helf (1) and that Frumka, Szlomo and other brothers (2) also present. She asks Schwarzbaum to report to Grandpa Meir that his dear children who had worked for Mrs. Raszit - Tosia, Mordechai and Mira - have joined Josef K. (3). She describes Mordechai as the grandfather of Agna (4) and writes that she is feeling sad but will write a longer letter to Heini (5). She criticizes Natan and asks him how come Yaari has not yet met with Arie Hadarom (6). (1) Helf = Help. (2) Frumka = Frumka Plotnicka; brothers = movement members. (3) Meir Yaari was one of the leaders of HaShomer HaTzair; Raszit (Main) = the movement leadership; Tosia = Tosia Altman; Mordechai = Mordechai Anielewicz; Mira = either Miriam Heinsdorf or Mira Fuchrer; Josef K. = Josef Kaplan; who had in fact perished in 1942. Kilnger seems to be under the impression that all three members had already perished. In fact, they were still alive when the letter was sent, but were killed a few weeks later. (4) Agna = the Jewish Combat Organization (ZOB). (5) Heini = Heini Bornstein, a HaShomer HaTzair activist in Switzerland. (6) Arie Hadarom (Southern Lion) = Latin America, presumably referring to the obtaining of Latin American passports. 1 page, typewritten original, in German Source file: 27356 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.