Hidden in Berlin: A Holocaust Memoir by Evelyn Joseph Grossman

Author:Evelyn Joseph Grossman [Joseph Grossman, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers
Published: 2020-11-30T22:00:00+00:00

A year after Betty left for America, the immigration and visa papers came for Ernst and Lilo. Many in Berlin had already gone to America, often to Brooklyn or the Bronx, but no one to Trenton. Ernst unfolded a large map of the United States to see where their new home would be. At least it wasn’t too far from Philadelphia or New York, and since it was the capital of New Jersey, Lilo hoped there would be a theater and some nice stores.

Weeks before their trip, Ernst brought English newspapers home. He and Lilo had studied English in school, and they had a good command of vocabulary. Even so, they practiced reading and reviewed grammar books. But there’s so much more to language than lessons in a textbook. Soon after coming to America, Lilo learned that a smile and “Hello” were a much better greeting than “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

As the trip approached, Ernst packed the steamer trunk with clothes they would need and items they valued. He placed the heavy silverware in sturdy boxes. The set included a service for twelve plus ice cream spoons, fish knives, and tiny espresso coffee spoons, pieces they might never need, but Ernst had purchased it as a good investment in silver. Extra care was taken with the Bing and Grondahl gray porcelain vase from Mrs. Sotscheck and Gerdi’s painting. Gerdi’s wedding present was a watercolor of four lilies, three pale peach flowers, and one bright white lily standing tall against a soft blue background. On the back, she wrote:

Zum Hochzeitstag! Zur Erinnerung an gemeinsame schwere und schöne Stunden. Gerdi! am 19. III.47

For the wedding day! In memory of the difficult and good times we shared together. Gerdi! March 19, 1947

Lilo packed her warm beaver coat, woolen sweaters, and plaid skirts. She had some jewelry from her mother, a gold brooch with a delicate chain, an oval amethyst ring set in a wide gold band, and a coral necklace. There wasn’t much to bring, just the few things she and Hans had carried in their pockets after her parents were deported. Twice they had tiptoed back into the apartment after the Gestapo had sealed the door, after their parents were taken to Grosse Hamburger Strasse. Each piece was wrapped in tissue paper and tucked deep inside her handbag along with a handful of family photos.

Before closing the apartment door for the last time, Ernst checked and re-checked all the necessary documents and placed them in a secure briefcase along with his Leica camera. They traveled by train to Bremen and waited in a displaced persons camp for about three weeks until it was time to board the SS Marine Flasher. Just as HIAS had helped Betty, the American Joint Distribution Committee (later known as JDC) supported Ernst and Lilo, and on June 15, 1948, the ship set sail for New York City.

With choppy waters and unseasonably cold weather, Lilo and Ernst spent many days on deck wrapped in warm coats, plus a few down below battling seasickness.

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