Edith M. Adlam papers

Estera Margolis (later Adlam) was born September 11, 1917. Her parents were Max and Mania (Maria) Margolis. Her younger sister Roza was born April 19, 1921. The family originally lived in Twer, and eventually moved to Łódź, Poland. In 1939, Estera moved to Paris to study economics. In July 1939, the family joined her in Paris so that Rose could have ear surgery. After the surgery, Max and Mania returned to their home in Łódź on August 21, 1939, and Estera and Rose were to join them later. At that time the war broke out, and the sisters were stuck in Paris. When the Germans were planning to seal the Lodz Ghetto, Max and Mania fled to Warsaw. Eventually they were sent to Majdanek concentration camp, where they perished. The sisters went to Bordeaux and in June 1940 they fled to Avignon, and in 1942 they received affidavits to go to Portugal, but they were thrown out. The sisters stayed in Avignon until August 26 1942. Just ten days before, Estera had appendicitis, and her doctor issued a certificate that stated she could not be moved. The French Gendarme came for them, and their landlady attempted to save the sisters. Estera presented her certificate, and the village Doctor was called in. The doctor was working for the underground and directed them to the hospital, where Estera then stayed, while Roza was in hiding on a farm. Roza was hiding with another girl, Esther Sapir, whose father made arrangements to take them all to Perpignon. Once they arrived, they hid for six days, and the smuggler was going to take them on to Spain. The Gendarme caught and arrested them, and after the smuggler sold them out, they were taken to jail. The sisters were then sent to Camp de Gurs, where Edith worked helping to compile deportation lists. They were liberated from Gurs on April 10, 1943. The sisters went to Bollene, where they stayed until August 1944. Their new landlady had helped secure their release and guaranteed her support. The sisters were then liberated by the US Army, and made their way to Marseilles, so that they could be hired for English. In 1946, Rose and Estera immigrated to the United States.