Sheltering the Jews: Stories of Holocaust Rescuers by Mordecai Paldiel

Author:Mordecai Paldiel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2008-10-13T16:52:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Special Rescue Stories

lestirnony of Moshe Bcjski (at a reception in Israel, 1962, for the German Oskar Sclrisrdler)

Until the arrival of Schindler I was familiar, like all of us, with what had been told by those who worked with him in Cracow, while we were still in l'Iasow camp. Which one of its did not dream of going there, compared with the regime of Anion Goeth, the commander of l'laszow? As Jor myself, I got to know Schindler only in Britinlitz, and even there file contact was mainly through Iltzhakl Stern aril my deceased brother. But Schindler was the first German since the beginning of the war of whom I was not afraid. On the contrary! And the same goes for every one of us! This was true to such all extent that we were not fair to him. Whenever a German passed through the plant, anyone who wasn't working pretended he was. But when Schindler entered the plant, nobody cored to even pretend, and the women went right on with their knitting of sweaters and underwear, from wool they had pinched from the neighboring Hoffman factory And when Hoffman discovered the thefts arid complained to the Gestapo, it was Schindler who saw to it that the case be dismissed, and also paid 8,000 marks for the stolen wool. Meanwhile, we were all dressed with sweaters and underwear.

Schindler's plant was the only one in which the building of the big presses was done for tile addition of half a loaf of bread. It was in our own interest that these presses should be erected; it gave a better appearance to the plant, as we never really produced. Pardon me, there was some production. Each one of us produced for himself a shaving machine, spoons, eating utensils, and even cigarette lighters. Not only were we not afraid of Schindler, but whenever he entered the plant, everyone expected him to stop by. It so happened that whenever he stopped, he always forgot" a package of cigarettes there, and in those days, even a cigarette butt was of great value. Sometimes, at night, he was seen walking and whispering for hours on end together with Stern. Only this morning did Schindler tell me: "What do you know of the lessons in Talmud I received from Stern?" And he added: But do you know how every talmudic elaboration ended? Willi another request for an additional half loaf of bread for everybody! He certainly could have told rite point-blank that he was talking about bread, and we could have saved time."

The case of the Goleszow people always brings back to niy mind the picture of Mrs. Schindler, walking in the factory, and behind her two follow carrying pails full of porridge, which she had cooked herself. One must really have a golden heart in order to treat those who were even more miserable than we, comparatively. When 55 Corninander Liepold decided that the Goleszow men should also be put to work, they were still half-dead, in spite of Mrs.

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