Biography
Heidi Urich is the only child of Samuel Urich and Masha Iszajewicz Urich. She was born on October 12, 1946 in Munich, Germany. Samuel was born on July 12, 1917 in Lvov and was one of six siblings. Masha was born on December 1, 1919 in Zawiercie to Hasidic parents and was one of eight children. Following the start of World War II, Masha fled to Lvov, which was under Soviet occupation. There she met and married Samuel Urich. They lived in the city until the surprise German invasion during the summer of June 1941, after which they were forced to move to city's ghetto. While living in the ghetto Masha gave birth to a child who was subsequently killed during an Aktion. The Germans liquidated the ghetto in 1942. Masha and Samuel managed to escape the round-ups and fled to Krakow where they lived with false papers. At one point Samuel was arrested. During his interrogation, he was on the point of admitting that he was Jewish when the interpreter intervened and persuaded him to say he was only an adopted Jew. This saved his life, and some months later, Masha arranged for his escape. At first Masha and Samuel remained in Krakow after liberation trying to live as Poles, but then they fled to Munich. They lived in the city and had their own business, "Argentums," manufacturing and selling Judaic silver such as candlesticks and flatware. In 1951 they immigrated to the United States. Though Samuel and Masha survived, their parents, all of Samuel's siblings, and all but one of Masha's siblings perished during the Holocaust.
