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Estelle A. and Regina G. Holocaust testimony (HVT-2515) interviewed by Brana Gurewitsch,

Oral History | Fortunoff Collection ID: HVT-2515

Videotape testimony of Estelle A., who was born in Berchem, Belgium in 1936. She recalls celebrating Jewish holidays with her uncle's family; her father's conscription for forced labor (she never saw him again); seeking places to sleep with her mother and sister, fearing arrest; her mother placing them in a convent; the kindness of many nuns; her mother's visits; transfers to several foster homes and orphanages; receiving false names and instructions to pose as Catholics; placement in a Jewish children's home in Wezembeek; attending school; placement in another orphanage; its occupation by German troops; liberation; reunion with her uncle (her mother did not survive); living in Antwerp; emigrating with her sister to the United States to join relatives; living with an uncle in New York, then with another uncle in Pennsylvania; moving to New York after high school; and marriage at nineteen. Mrs. A. notes the importance to her survival of being with her sister and that many of her memories are from photographs. She shows photographs, letters, and memorabilia. Her sister, Regina G. joins her and discusses their close relationship and that of their families.

Author/Creator
A., Estelle, 1936-
Published
New York, N.Y. : A Living Memorial to the Holocaust-Museum of Jewish Heritage, 1993
Interview Date
February 15, 1993.
Locale
Belgium
Berchem (Belgium)
Wezembeek-Oppem (Belgium)
Antwerp (Belgium)
Language
English
Copies
2 copies: 3/4 in. dub; and 1/2 in. VHS with time coding.
Cite As
Estelle A. and Regina G. Holocaust Testimony (HVT-2515). Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University Library.
 
View in Yale University Library Catalog: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/4287628
Record last modified: 2018-05-30 11:33:00
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/hvt4287628