Matala B. Holocaust testimony

Videotape testimony of Matala B., who was born in Hrubieszów, Poland, one of three daughters. She recalls their affluence; being spoiled as the youngest; joyous family holidays; giving to charity; cessation of school when war began; having tutors at home; her father being part of the Judenrat which helped them survive; hiding during round-ups; being held and then released when an official was bribed by a local Jew, Dr. Orenstein; her whole family being taken; incarceration in Budzyń and Majdanek; separation from her sister; a death march to Auschwitz/Birkenau when her mother was shot in front of her; seeing her sister once in Auschwitz (she never saw her again); transfer to Bergen-Belsen, then Raguhn; slave labor in an airplane factory; staying with friends who cared for her; transfer to Theresienstadt; liberation by Soviet troops; assistance from the Red Cross; return to Hrubieszów seeking relatives; and leaving due to antisemitism. Ms. B. discusses the role of the Judenrat and some of its members, and others from Hrubieszów and a recent trip there to erect a memorial.

2 videocassettes