Yesterday, we had the honor of paying a visit to our dear friend Betty, a 98 year old Holocaust survivor.
Betty is always an amazing inspiration to visit and shares so many fascinating and powerful memories from her time growing up in the small village of Ruscova, Rumania (and sometimes Hungary).
Betty told us so many stories and details yesterday about her life in the Shtetl, and our daughter couldn't get enough of the stories and neither could we.
The pails of water they would carry to use for drinking, cleaning and washing.
The fresh bread and food that they always made from scratch.
Chopping the wood...
Saving the potatoes and other vegetables for the winter... but eating up the fruit from their two fruit trees.
The crops they grew so that they could eat.
Milking the cow, Betty didn't like that job, he sister would do it.
Sleeping on the stove to stay warm.
Her mother making her a special dress for Passover.
Her father doing back breaking labor at the rail station in the next village, to which he walked each day.
The simpleness of life, yet the joy of each day.
Did she ever complain? "How could I? Our parents worked so hard to look after her and her five siblings and struggled to make it. just like everyone else".
Was she bored? "No, we worked hard to do our chores for the house and we played with each other".
Did you have a doll or toys? "No way, I had three little siblings, Chaim, Rochel and one more, to play with all the time".
Life was hard, but so beautiful and meaningful and they lived with an innocence with no idea of the storm that was coming her way.
Her three little siblings as well as her parents were all murdered in Auschwitz, such beautiful and special children, but they never had a chance...
Betty, one sister and one brother survived....
Of the more than 1000 Jews in their village the vast majority were killed by the Nazi's.
Betty loves being Jewish...
Betty is carrying on the light of Judaism...
Two children, lots of grandchildren and lots more great grandchildren... the oldest of whom will soon be Bar Mitzvah G-d willing!
Betty's faith and love for life and Yiddishkiet is so hard to describe and put into words...
She did not let Hitler win... the world is a much brighter place because of Betty and her family!!
Wishing Betty continued good health & Gezunt!
ב"ה