Karolina's Twins (27 page)

“The winter of 1942 to 1943 brought major changes to Chrzanów. Orders came down to clear out and destroy the ghetto, orders in compliance with Reinhard Heydrich's implementation of the Final Solution: strong and healthy Jews living in ghettos were to be sent to slave labor camps. The rest were to be sent to one of the six extermination camps: Sobibór, Chelmno, Belzec, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Transports were to begin immediately. Of course, deportations had been going on in Chrzanów for months. Now there was an observable increase.

“The winter of 1942 to 1943 also impacted the German presence in Chrzanów. Before the winter, our town was crawling with German soldiers, SS officers, and Gestapo, filling the square, the restaurants and the bars, and harassing us on every corner. Now there were noticeably fewer Germans in the square. We didn't know it at the time, but it was due to the carnage in the eastern campaign.

“Hitler's Russian strategy was a disaster, which most historians regard as the turning point in the war. The Wehrmacht suffered over a million casualties in 1941 to 1942 in their unsuccessful drive to take Moscow. After the army's retreat, Hitler changed his strategy and in 1942 sent his armies south to take Stalingrad and the rich oil fields of the Caucasus.

“The Battle of Stalingrad was the bloodiest of the war. One million Russians died. Eight hundred and fifty thousand Axis troops died and what was left of the German Sixth Army surrendered. The city of Stalingrad was bombed to rubble. Total lives lost in the battle exceeded two million. When news of Germany's defeat and surrender at Stalingrad spread across the world it had an emotional effect. To the Allies it was a sign that Russia was a powerful and competent ally and that Germany could be defeated. To the Germans it was demoralizing.

“For us, totally uninformed about the progress of the war, the winter brought an increased demand for wool coats and a sharp reduction in the German presence in Chrzanów. Week by week we'd see the number of young German soldiers in our shop decrease. Rumors spread that things were going badly on the Eastern Front and that's why enlisted men, especially those who worked in the Shop, were being redeployed.

“Because of the need for coats, Major Fahlstein received permission to keep one hundred Jewish women free from transports to work in the Shop. I went to him and asked if he intended to keep Karolina and me.

“‘Where is Karolina?' he said. ‘I would keep her if she'd return to work. She's one of my best. But she's been out for almost a month.'

“‘She'll be back in a week or two.'

“‘Not good enough. Either she comes back on Friday or I'm releasing her name for resettlement.' I started to object, but he turned and walked away.

“Friday was just two days away. Karolina was healthy enough, but what about the babies? She couldn't leave them alone. There was certainly no day care in the Chrzanów ghetto, and no babysitters. In fact, it had been strongly against Judenrat policy to conceive any children since 1940. That night, I asked Muriel to meet with Karolina and me in the basement apartment. I had a plan.

“‘Major Fahlstein says that he'll only keep Karolina if she returns by Friday,' I said. ‘We know we can't leave the babies. The only solution is to juggle our shifts. I can stay on the day shift. If we can get Karolina assigned to the evening shift, I can watch the babies until she comes home.'

“‘What about shift change?' Karolina asked. ‘There's an hour when neither one of us will be here.'

“I looked at Muriel. She nodded. ‘I'll cover the hour.'

“The next day at the Shop I informed Major Fahlstein that Karolina would be back and that she preferred the evening shift. He was delighted. He was getting one of his best seamstresses back, and one who even volunteered to work the evening shift.

“Muriel was a godsend. Not only did she help us with the babies, but she found baby supplies in the abandoned apartments. She brought over several one-piece outfits, little pink bodysuits, baby blankets, hand-knit sweaters and two coats. She also found three baby bottles and an assortment of nipples to feed the babies when Karolina was at work.

“‘Where did you get all this stuff?' Karolina said.

“Muriel smiled, but it was a smile tinged with regret. ‘They were left behind.'

“That realization made Karolina cry. ‘How can I take these? They were given to other little children with love, children who were rounded up and sent off on the trains. These clothes belong to those children.'

“‘They're not here anymore,' Muriel said in a consoling tone. ‘I'm sure the parents would want you to have them rather than see the Nazis throw them away.'

“Karolina nodded. She hugged the clothes. ‘I'm sure you're right. I'll treat them with love and care.'

“As we entered March, we felt reasonably secure for the time being. The basement apartment was warm, we were well stocked with food, drink, clothing and coal, and we had solved the day care dilemma. After all, as Colonel Müller had said, it's all about survival. One day to the next. Little did we know what would happen within the next thirty days.”

 

T
HIRTY

K
AROLINA'S BABIES WERE ADORABLE.
I couldn't wait to finish my shift, return to the apartment and hold Rachel and Leah. By the middle of March, the babies were two and a half months old and growing quickly. Both of them smiled so sweetly and would eagerly make eye contact. They could lie on their backs and grab at ribbons that I dangled in the air.

“I'd come in from shift change and Muriel would be laughing and giggling with them. She wouldn't want to leave. There were many days when Muriel would curl up and spend the night just to be with them. Imagine that. Two babies and three women in a tiny little furnace room. But there were no complaints. The three of us were raising those twins. Despite the horrors of the occupation, there was joy in that room.

“Those babies were
our
babies. They belonged to the three of us. When we looked at those babies, we saw hope. We saw the future. No matter what happened around us, we never saw despair. The twins were
our
hope, they were the hope of
our
people, they were Poland's hope. They were
our
twins!

“By now the ghetto population was sparse. There were no more Jewish shops, no Jewish bakeries, no townsmen coming through with black market goods. Very few of us remained. Even the hundred or so that were held back to work at the Shop were decreasing in number. Rations were passed out in the Shop during the day, but many found them insufficient. They certainly didn't contain sufficient protein or vitamins. Malnutrition was taking its toll.

“The harsh winter hung on through March and was unrelenting and unforgiving. Snow was deep on the way to and from the Shop. Many did not have warm clothes, and no one but the four of us had any heat. We felt guilty about having a heated room, but Siegfried's few pieces of coal were only able to warm a very small area. People died from exposure. It seemed like if a person didn't die from starvation or hypothermia, then she'd die from typhus. And, of course, that suited the Nazis' purpose.

“You can't imagine how important Siegfried's provisions were—those few pieces of fruit and a balanced meal could stave off disease. Our stockpile of coal was nearly gone, but April was arriving and we felt relief in having survived another winter.

“I was coming home from my shift, eager to see the twins, when a German soldier stepped out of a darkened alleyway. ‘Fräulein Scheinman,' he said quietly.

“‘Siegfried! Did you come to visit? Karolina's working, but Muriel and the babies are here. Rachel and Leah want to thank you for all the milk and food and coal.'

“He was solemn. ‘I've just been given orders. Ten minutes ago. I am being sent to Ukraine. My train leaves right away.'

“He took a piece of paper from his pocket. ‘This is the address of my mother's house. She lives on a farm a few miles south of Regensburg in Bavaria. I have written a letter to her to tell her that I am married to Karolina. I told her that my wife would be coming to live with her but I didn't know when. I told her we wanted to live on the farm and make a family. Tell Karolina, if I die in battle, she should go to my mother's and tell her that we were married. That this is now my family. I hope my letter will get to my mother, but the war…'

“As he turned to leave, I put my hand on his shoulder. ‘Come and say hello to Muriel and the babies that you've been keeping alive. They're beautiful.'

“Siegfried shook his head. ‘I can't.'

“I pulled on his sleeve. ‘Yes, you can.'

“The two of us entered the ghetto and walked down the stairs to the basement, where Muriel was holding the babies. At first he was afraid, but when Muriel handed them to him, his mouth dropped open and he got all teary-eyed. ‘They're beautiful.'

“‘They're alive because of you, Siegfried,' Muriel said. ‘They're beautiful and strong because a caring German soldier provided for them.'

“Through his sobs, he made attempts at speech with phrases that were totally incomprehensible. The only thing I understood was ‘Damn this ungodly war.' He hugged them tightly and sat on the bed.

“‘Which is which?' he asked.

“‘This one's Rachel. This one's Leah.'

“He kissed each one. ‘Good-bye Rachel; good-bye, Leah. I hope to see you again soon.' He handed the babies back to Muriel, bowed slightly and quickly left the room. That was the last we ever heard from Siegfried. I put the paper with his mother's address safely away in my duffel.

“That night, when Karolina came home, we told her about Siegfried's visit.

“She walked over to look at her sleeping babies. ‘I told you he loved me. I told you he cared about all of us. He's kind, Lena. He's done whatever he could to keep us and the babies alive. It hasn't been easy for him.'

“Two weeks later, Major Fahlstein called a meeting and addressed all of the shop workers. ‘We have received orders to close the Shop on April fifteenth. All material will be shipped to other centers. All Jews will be sent for resettlement. There will be trains to take you to other work centers. The ghetto area in the northeast section will be demolished. I have given each of you a strong recommendation.' He swallowed hard. ‘Of course, I do not have so much influence, but I requested that each of you be sent to a work center where your sewing skills will be valuable. I am sorry. Truly so.'

“All I could think about was the babies. How could we protect them? I already knew the fate of Jewish babies sent for resettlement. I knew what awaited them when they disembarked from the train cars. That night, we gathered in the basement.

“‘We only have days,' I said. ‘We need to find a home for Rachel and Leah.'

“‘Why do we need to find a home?' Karolina said. ‘I'm a top seamstress. Fahlstein will recommend me. I'll take the girls with me to wherever they send me. You'll come too, Lena, and we'll work the shifts just like we do here. We'll all be together.'

“I shook my head. ‘They won't let you take the babies to a labor camp.'

“‘What will they let me do with them?' Her voice was cracking.

“All I could do was shake my head.

“‘Oh no. They can't take my babies from me. I'll hide from them here in the ghetto.'

“Again, I shook my head sadly. ‘They'll sweep the ghetto. You've seen them on roll calls. They'll search every room.'

“‘They've never searched the basement.'

“‘I'm sure this time there'll be no room left unsearched. Besides, Karolina, they've made plans to destroy the ghetto. They'll bulldoze these buildings.'

“‘I can't let them take my babies.' Karolina became agitated. She paced quickly back and forth, her muscles twitching. ‘They can't have my babies!' she shrieked.

“I picked up my duffel and took out the folded paper. ‘This is the address of Siegfried's mother in Germany. He has written to her and told her to expect you.'

“‘What good does that do us? How am I supposed to get to Bavaria?'

“I took a deep breath. ‘I have an idea. Would you trust Colonel Müller to take you and the twins to Siegfried's mother's house?'

“‘A Nazi colonel? Absolutely not. What kind of idea is that? The Nazis murder Jewish babies.'

“‘I trust Colonel Müller.'

“‘Why would you trust him? Do you think he got to be a colonel by befriending Jews?'

“‘I can't tell you why. I just do. And I think you can depend on my judgment here.'

“Muriel walked over to Karolina and put her arm around her. ‘I don't think we have much choice.'

“The three of us stood together in a group embrace. I said, ‘Let me talk to the colonel tomorrow night.'”

 

T
HIRTY-ONE

T
HE NEXT NIGHT, AFTER
work, I left the twins with Muriel and made my way to Colonel Müller's. The evening was unusually warm for a spring night and the square had seen many such nights filled with German partiers. But it was April 1943 and Chrzanów was quiet. Most of the Germans had left. The ghetto was almost vacant. I didn't see a soul on the way to my house.

“It was nine o'clock when I arrived. The lights were on in the living room. If only time could reverse itself and I could open the door and walk into 1938. I stood at the door a few minutes before I knocked.

“Else opened the door and stared at me. She had a martini glass in her hand and was dressed in a full-length, black sequined party dress. Her blond hair was pulled back tightly and clasped with a pearl ring. She looked at me and made a face, like she had encountered a slug in the middle of her sidewalk.

“‘I suppose you want to see my husband?'