Lusia Haberfeld

“Soon enough my father decided that the time had come for us to go to our bunker. When we go to work he said now we are going to go to our bunker, and not come out anymore. The bunker that we had on Ogradova 29 prepared for us because he could feel already that things were going to go bad for us as well, but the catch you see, it was coming to Pesach and my father said that, and my mother- lets be together with Jewish people, Juden Pesach, and said after Pesach we will go to our bunker and won’t come out anymore. It was 1943, in April. That’s when my parents made their mistake because the Germans used to do all the most terrible things to Jewish people on Jewish holidays, and they started the aktion. I remember that the Jewish people had bunkers all over the place- attics, cellars, everywhere. And some very nice people, I remember we were eating Mazza, it was Pesach, and some very nice people took us to into their bunker, it was the most terrible difficult place to get into the bunker, what they did was a bricked up room, in all the floors, and this bunker, you only went to this one room, but so the Germans don’t know that there is another room in each apartment, they bricked it up. And we had to go through a oven you know, and we stayed there not very long because someone came and said get out of here quickly, they put the house on fire. We ran. Eventually we came to another house, and in that house we got to another bunker. People let us into the bunker. It was in a cellar. And it was a lot of people there [...]” some very nice people took us to into their bunker, it was the most terrible difficult place to get into the bunker, what they did was a bricked up room, in all the floors, and this bunker, you only went to this one room, but so the Germans don’t know that there is another room in each apartment, they bricked it up. And we had to go through a oven you know, and we stayed there not very long because someone came and said get out of here quickly, they put the house on fire.

“... So we started to build this hiding. Our house was next door to a building ruined in WW2. And there were only ruins. But guess what? the cellars underneath the ruins remained intact. So we built a tunnel, or more accurately, dug a tunnel, and we reached the walls of those cellars, broke part of the wall and got inside - they were intact. It’s hard for me to describe how we built the camouflage later. But it was built in a very good way so the Germans couldn’t figure it out. And in the winter of 43’ the Germans got inside the ghetto, wanted to demolish the ghetto. Of course we went into hiding straight away, and by that time of winter of 43’ the resistance was starting, the Jewish uprising...”

“... The way we prepared the hiding - Since some of the people, as I mentioned, were still working on the Aryan side - they were our food suppliers. We mostly prepared toasts because we knew it could last for a long period of time, and all kinds of fats were brought from the Aryan side, and they even managed to smuggle a water pump. Because we were afraid the Germans might disconnect us from the water supply and we won’t have water. So we dug in this hiding, we dug and we managed to set the water pump, and we had a water supply. The thing we didn’t have in this hiding was ventilation. We were afraid the Germans might find our hiding place because of it since they were walking with dogs, dogs that can smell you, and we were afraid they will find us. And then, in April 1943, a large German force walked into the ghetto and they came across severe resistance from the Jewish underground forces. There was shooting, and we got straight to our bunker and stayed there [...] We were there until May 1st. In the bunker, the day was night and the night was day since the Germans were entering the ghetto during the day. They were walking around with different tools and machines, standing and listening next to cellar windows looking for Jews. Then they would throw grenades at the houses and set them on fire. That way, people who were hiding there were coming out or if they set the house on fire you could see people jumping from the 3rd or 4th floor. I saw it with my own eyes. How people jump outside of the windows. And we were sitting in the bunker, turning the day to night and the night to day, because as I mentioned the Germans would enter the ghetto during the day, and too afraid to enter the ghetto at night. So the nights were quiet in the ghetto. So we were thinking if the nights are quiet, then we can walk around the bunker and talk, open up the opening to go and get some fresh air. Because in our case, all the people in the bunker were living in the same building [yard], about 70 people. All of us went into that bunker to hide so none will talk or tell about it, no one could snitch. So everyone was in the bunker. But what happened to us?During the day while we were sitting there, breathing, in the evening there was no air left in the bunker. And I remember all of us running towards the door and I remember looking at the people, how everyone are walking with their breath [demonstrating heavy breathing], we simply had no air left to breathe. We used all the air that was there, with no fresh air coming in. But thank god, when it started to get dark the Germans went out of the ghetto and we could open the bunker and get some fresh air in the courtyard. And so we left the bunker open and we stayed on guard until sunrise. At sunrise everyone would go back inside, we closed the entrance and just set there in the bunker. One night, when I went out, I got up to the second floor of a building around that courtyard to see what the ghetto looks like. It was horrifying. The entire ghetto was burning. I went back down because I couldn’t look at it anymore. I went back to the bunker, and this is how it goes until May 1st 43’ [...]”

ןייטשרבליז םייח

ונכה המו אובחמה תא ונכה ונחנא ךיא …״ םיקפסה ויה הלא זא ,יראה דצב ודבע דוע ,יתרמאש ומכ ,םישנאהמ רשפא םימינצש ונעדי יכ ,םימינצ בור יפ לע ונכה .לכוא לש ונלש וליפא ואיבהו יראה דצהמ ואיבהש םינמוש ינימ לכ .ןמז הברה קיזחהל וקתני םינמרגהש ונדחפ ונחנא יכ .םימ תבאשמ חירבהל וחילצה ונרפח ,אובחמה ךותב המש ונרפח זא .םימ ונל ויהי אלו םימהמ ונתוא ונל היה אלש המ .םימ וליפא ונל ויהו ,הבאשמה תא ביכרהל ונחלצהו יכ ,ונתוא ולגי םינמרגה רורוואה ידי לעש ונדחפ יכ ,רורווא הז אובחמב ולגי הז ידי לעש ונדחפו ,םיחירמ ויהש םיבלכ ,הרימש יבלכ םע וכלה םה ולקתנ םה זאו לודג חוכ לע םינרמגה וסנכנ 1943 לירפאב ,זאו .ונתוא ונחנא ,תוירי וליחתה ,תידוהיה תרתחמהמ הפירח תודגנתהב רבכ רקנובב תבשל ונקפסה ונחנא ]...[ רקנובב ונבשיו רקנובל רשי ונדרי ,םויל הלילהו הלילל םויה תא ונכפה רקנובב .יאמל ןושארה דע הזה ינימ לכ םע םיכלוה ויה םה .וטגב םויב םיבבותסמ ויה םינמרגהש ןוויכמ ,םיאובחמ הזיא ןיא םא םיפתרמה לש תונולח די לע םיעמושו םירישכמ םיתיצמ ,םינומיר םיקרוז םיתבה לע ויה םה ךכ רחא .םידוהי ושפיחו םהשכ םישנאש וא םיאצוי ויהש וא היה דועש ימ הככו ,םיתבה לכ תא -תישילשה המוקהמ םיצפוק םישנא תוארל היה רשפא ןיינב ותיצה ונבשי ונחנאו .תונולחהמ םיצפוק םישנאש ךיא .יתיאר ינא .תיעיבר ומכ םינמרגהש ןוויכ םויל הלילו הלילל םויה תא ונכפה ,רקנובב הלילב זא .וטגל סנכיהל ודחפ םה הלילב ,םויב םיבבותסמ ויה יתרמאש ונחנא זא ,וטגב טקש הלילב םא- הככ ונרמא ונחנא זא .וטגב טקש היה תאצלו חתפה תא חותפל ,רבדלו ישפוח רקנובב בבותסהל םילוכי ויהש םישנאה לכ רקנובל ונדרי ונחנא ,הרקש המ יכ .ריווא תצק םושנל תנמ לע רקנובל ודרי םלוכ .שיא םיעבשכ ונייה ,רצח התואב םירג זא וא ןישלהל לכוי אלש ,והשמ לע רפסל וא דיעהל לכויש והשימ היהי אלש המש ונבשישכ םויה ךשמב ?הרק המ לבא .רקנובל ודרי םלוכ .הזכ והשמ ונלוכש ךיא רכוז ינאו .רקנובב ריווא היה אל רבכ ברעה תארקל ,ונמשנו םיכלוה םלוכש ךיא ,םישנאה לע לכתסמ יתייה ינאו חתפה ןוויכל ונצר ,םושנל המ םע היה אל רבכ ,]הדבכ המישנ םיגדמ[ הככ המישנה םע רבכ .רקנובל סנכנ אל ירט ריוואו ריוואה לכ תא ונלצינ .ריווא רסח היה טושפ לש תולועפה וקיספה ,ךישחהל ליחתהשכ ברע תארקל ,לאל הדות לבא ,רצחל ,ררוואתהל םיאצוי ויה םלוכו רקנובה תא וחתפ זאו םינמרגה דע רמשמה לע ונדמעו חותפ היה חתפה הככו ,ריווא תצק סופתלו תא םירגוס ויה ,םיסנכנ ויה םלוכ םעפ בוש רקוב תונפל .רקוב תונפל יתילעו יתאצי ינא חתפה תא וחתפשכ ,דחא ברע .ונבשי הככו חתפה לכ .העווז היה הז .וטגה הארנ ךיא תוארל ,רצחב ןיינבב היינש המוקל םייחב יתיאר אל הזכ הזחמ ,ביבסמ תובהלב דמע לכה .רעב ביבסמ וטגה ,רתוי הז לע לכתסהל יתלוכי אל יכ הרזחב יתדרי זאו .רעב לכה .ילש ״]...[ ׳43 יאמל ןושארה דע רקנובב ונבשי הככו רקנובל הרזחב יתדרי

“[...] We had no choice, the turmoil in the bunker was severe. Some tried to escape, but there was no way out except for the chimney. There was a chimney there. Some got inside it, but it was impossible. I can see it in front of my eyes until this day [...]”

הלאכ ויה .הלודג התייה רקנובב המוהמה ,הרירב התייה אל זאו ]...[״ םש התייה .הבוראה ךרד אלא טולימ יכרד ויה אל לבא ,טלמיהל וסינש .ירשפא יתלב היה הז לבא ,הבוראה ךותל וסנכנש הלאכ ויה .הבורא ״]...[ הזה םויה םצע דע םייניעה ינפל יל דמוע הזה הארמה

Our house was next door to a building ruined in WW2. And there were only ruins. But guess what? the cellars underneath the ruins remained intact. So we built a tunnel, or more accurately, dug a tunnel, and we reached the walls of those cellars, broke part of the wall and got inside - they were intact. Its hard for me to describe how we built the camouflage later. But it was built in a very good way so the Germans couldnt figure it out.

During the day while we were sitting there breathing, in the evening there was no air left in the bunker. And I remember all of us running towards the door and I remember looking at the people, how everyone are walking with their breath [demonstrating heavy breathing], we simply had no air left to breathe. We used all the air that was there, with no fresh air coming in. But thank god, when it started to get dark the Germans went out of the ghetto and we could open the bunker and get some fresh air in the courtyard. And so we left the bunker open and we stayed on guard until sunrise.

Interviewer: “So this went on until early 1943?”

Guta: “42’ I think when they started to liquidate everything. When we were working for the Germans we thought that we are the one that will be safe. But it looks like one day they started to… actually, they started to burn the ghetto, where the people were not working, just hiding. There was one ghetto and a open one. Ours was a closed one, for the working people. Hmm… well, people got smarter, and when they knew whats going on, so people were hiding. We used to make bunkers, made bunkers in the cellars, made bunkers on top of… of… on the floor and used to close the door, and got through the roof end, we had a step ladder and we used to take the step ladder in. But it didn’t help. We prepared in advance we prepared some food, cause we thought if... The last will be gone. We thought that the war is going to an end, but it wasn’t [...]”

Stable Diffusion

Prompt:

"an underground Jewish bunker under a cellar in Warsaw Ghetto in world war 2. The bunker is small but crowded. a step ladder leads to the entrance"

Well, in order for us to cook, we had to use the stove, there was no gas or anything like that. Now, if the smoke would come out of the house that we were in, then they would know somebody is there. So they diverted it to another house. There weren’t that many bunkers, it’s not that you did it on the expense of somebody else. The only two ones that I knew were the ones that the house that we lived in.

“...[talking about her father] He was a very… a rare individual, very capable to just… build a bunker by itself and have the electricity coming from the German border, had this… smoke coming out to another house.

Interviewer: could you explain that? About the electricity?

Sophie: well, in order for us to cook, we had to use the stove, there was no gas or anything like that. Now, if the smoke would come out of the house that we were in, then they would know somebody is there. So they diverted it to another house. There weren’t that many bunkers, it’s not that you did it on the expense of somebody else. The only two ones that I knew were the ones that the house that we lived in.

Interviewer: and the electricity came from…?

Sophie: The electricity came from the German border, you know, the border of the ghetto, from the wire, barbed wires. That’s where it came from because they always had it [...]”

“[...] Somebody escaped on the train from Treblinka. And he came back. And word got around very quickly. Because they took out so many people, nobody ever returned. So, if you take people to work, they eventually come home. But they never came back. Somebody escaped on the train, came back to Warsaw. And they knew about it. That’s when they [...] building the bunker. Hide out as many people as you could. And you were afraid to have other people, because you didn’t know who was who. It must have been about at least 35-40 people in the bunker. And then another one in our house, too. On the other side. It was a very big house. Are you familiar with [...] high school? Where they have the big court? The house was all around. So there was another one, and we knew them, we knew the people, because it was in the same house.

Interviewer: And you had food and water?

Sophie: As little food as there was. Water, yes. Everything else we had. Everything else we had.

Interviewer: What do you remember about being in the bunker?

Sophie: [takes a deep breath] cold. damp. people being upset, people being nervous, other people screaming. There were too many people in too little space. Umm... trying, trying to be as quiet as you could, at that time. Making yourself (??) so you shouldn’t be in somebody else’s way. If you had a book you were lucky, if not you would just… vegetating there. I wasn’t really alive, I wasn’t alive. Not in the sense that you know life, not at all.

Interviewer: Were you afraid?

Sophie: of course. Of course, we were afraid. We were afraid every minute of the day. I remembering two days before they took us out, it was the second day of Passover [...]”

Interviewer: What do you remember about being in the bunker?

Sophie: [takes a deep breath] cold. damp. people being upset, people being nervous, other people screaming. There were too many people in too little space. Umm... trying, trying to be as quiet as you could, at that time. Making yourself (??) so you shouldn’t be in somebody else’s way. If you had a book you were lucky, if not you would just… vegetating there. I wasn’t really alive, I wasn’t alive. Not in the sense that you know life, not at all.