Eva L. Holocaust testimony

Videotape testimony of Eva L. who was born into a well known Hasidic famiy in ?o?dz? in 1924. She remembers the outbreak of the war; the actions against Jews which followed; and her brother's wedding, which took place just before the family was transferred to the ?o?dz? ghetto, where they led a relatively privileged life due to family connections. Mrs. L. describes life in the ghetto, including the constant round-ups and raids; widespread starvation, disease, and dehumanization; slave labor; spiritual resistance and religious observance; and the closeness of her family throughout their ordeal. She recalls the liquidation of the ghetto and her deportation to Auschwitz, where she was separated from her mother; her internment in Birkenau, where her group of five women supported each other, and where their hatred and the desire for revenge motivated them to survive the dehumanization; the torturous march from Auschwitz to the railroad station; and her transfer to the slave labor camp of Oederan, near Dresden, where she was aided by a German. She recounts the nightmarish journey on open coal cars at the end of the war, until, after three weeks, she was taken to Terezi?n, where she was liberated. Mrs. L. also reflects on the impact of her wartime experience on the rest of her life; her own disbelief at what she experienced; and her relationship with her children.

4 videocassettes (3/4" u-matic)