Terezah Horniker

Terezah: “[...] I told myself ‘I would not leave my mom alone. Whatever happens to her, will happen to me’. So we went into this bunker in Zamanhof 38.

Interviewer: Could you describe that bunker, what was it like?

Terezah: That bunker, it was 3 courtyards building, Zamanhoff 38 to Nevelki 33 or 35 I don’t remember. It was this building of 3 courtyards. And they built the bunker in the courtyard’s garden. They built it in the garden, even before anything had happened, but they knew something will happen - they started to build inside that garden.

Interviewer: To dig

Terezah: Yes, to dig that bunker. They even had water, they managed to reach from the ground to the water, and they build a place that could take out the water, yes, a well. I’m missing a lot [of words] in Hebrew. And they had a generator for electricity. And they had those beds, 3-floor bunk beds. We couldn’t cook there. And you had to leave the bunker for some fresh air, because seventy-something people can’t sit together without some…

Interviewer: How did the fresh air get into the bunker? Was it underground?

Terezah: Very hard, it was underground and on top of the bunker they did this iron closing [hand gestures], and on that closing, they placed grass, so when you close the iron it looks like the garden.

Interviewer: And what was the air like?

Terezah: It was very hard to breathe there. A bit of air would have got in but at night you had to open up that gate and get outside for a bit. And in the evenings we weren’t so scared, because it was quiet and the buildings were burning. They burned the buildings and destroyed them. So you couldn’t cook inside the bunker. So what did we do? We had lots of dry food. But at night, two women would go outside and we had this really big pot [hand gestures], water heater, even larger than a water heater. We took it and some planks, and first, in the bunker we prepared what we want to cook - what we had - just some potatoes and groats and that’s about it. And we got up to a building which was already ruined, still burning, that’s where we would make the fire and cook this water heater with the food, then bring it back down to the bunker.

Interviewer: How did you walk in and out of the bunker? Did you have a staircase?

Terezah: Yes, we had this ladder, they made it all the way to the opening.

Interviewer: Was the ladder craved or a real one?

Terezah: No, it was made of wood

Interviewer: Now, did you have toilets there? Any type of sanitation?

Terezah: No. We had a designated place where you could do it, and when we went out to cook the man would take it out to empty it and then bring it back inside again.

Interviewer: And how was it with the air inside? Did it have any effect on it?

Terezah: Inside the bunker? It wasn’t pleasant.

Interviewer: What was the size of that bunker? Pretty much, if you can describe it, Like this living room? Bigger than this living room?

Terezah: It was bigger than this living room, bigger. Like the distance from the balcony to the end of the kitchen, and wider. You could stand up straight in there.

Interviewer: You mentioned you had electricity operated with a generator, how did they get the fuel or benzene to operate that?

Terezah: They prepared it all in advance, they prepared it all.”

?יתימא םלוסש וא בוצח םלוס :ןייארמ

.הז תא ושע ץעמ הז ,אל :הזרת

?והשמ ,היצטניס ?םש ויה םיתוריש ,וישכע :ןייארמ

לכש דחוימ הזכ םוקמ היה .אל ןכ םג :הזרת

תא םג ונאצישכו ,תושעל םש לוכי היה דחא

הצוחה הז תא ואיצוה םירבגה זא לשבל לכואה

.הז תא ואיבה םעפ בושו וקרזו

הז ?םינפבמ ריווא לש הניחבמ היה ךיאו :ןייארמ ?עיפשה

.םיענ היה אל הז ?םינפבמ :הזרת

וא תוחפ ?הזה רקנובה לש לדוגה היה המ :ןייארמ

לודג רתוי ?הזה ןולסה ומכ ,ראתל הלוכי תא םא רתוי ?הזה ןולסהמ

ומכ .רתוי ,הזה ןולסהמ לודג רתוי :הזרת

.בחר רתויו חבטמה ףוס דע תספרמהמש .דומעל היה רשפא

הפיאמ ,רוטרנג םע למשח היהש תרמוא תא :ןייארמ

?רוטרנגל קלד וא ןינזב וחקל

".לכה וניכה םה .םש וניכה לכה םה :הזרת

אצי 38 ףוהנמז תורצח םהו .תורצח שולש ,ןיינב הזכ היה הז .תרכוז ונב םהו .רצחב הניג הזכ היה רקנובה תא ונב לבא ,הרוק היהש המ ינפל דוע ,הניגה ךותב ךותב תונבל וליחתה - הרקי והשמש ועדי םינפב וזה הניגה רופחל :ןייארמ ,םימ וליפא ושעו .רקנובה תא רופחל ,ןכ :הזרת הזכ םג ונבו ,םימה דע המדאמ םש ועיגה םה רסח .ראב ,ןכ ,םימ איצוהל לוכי היהש םוקמ למשח ושע םהו .תירבעב )םילימ( הברה יל שולש לע הלאכ תוטימ ושעו .למשח לע רוטרנג היהו .םש היה רשפא יא לשבל .תומוק הלאכ יכ ,ררוואתהל תצק הזה רקנובהמ תאצל ךירצ …תצק ילב תבשל לוכי אל שיא המכו 70 םג הז ?רקנובל סנכנ ריווא תמאב ךיא :ןייארמ ?המדאל תחתמ

הזכ ושעו המדאל תחתמ הז ,דואמ השק :הזרת תועונת[ לזרב לש הריגס התייה הזה רקנובה לע םירגוסשכש אשד ושע םה הריגס לעו ,]םיידי .הניגה ומכ אצוי הז זא לזרבה תא ?ריוואה היה ךיאו :ןייארמ סנכנ היה .םושנל םש היה דואמ השק :הזרת תא חותפל ךירצ היה ברעב לבא ריוא תצק לכ ונדחפ אל ברעבו .תצק תאצלו הזה רעשה םה .םיפורש ויה םיניינבהו טקש היה יכ ,ךכ לשבלש הככ ,םיניינב וסרה םה ,םיניינב ופרש ונל היה ?ונישע המ זא .רשפא יא רקנובה ךותב ינש רותב ונאצי הלילב לבא .שבי לכוא הברה דואמ לודג ריס הזכ ונל היהו ,הצוחה םישנ ונחקל ,דודמ רתוי וליפא ,דוד ,]םיידי תועונת[ ךותב םש לכ םדוקו םישרק ונחקלו דודה תא ,לשבל םיצורש המ לכואה תא ונכה רקנובה והזו םיסירגו המדא יחופת- היה לכוא המ ,סורה היה אוהש ןיינב לע הלעמל ונילעו .הז ונייה םשו ,ונממ אצוי הככ היה שא דועשו םע הזה דודה תא םילשבמו שאה תא םישוע .הטמל ותוא םידירומו לכואה ?רקנובהמ םיאצויו םילוע ויה ךיא :ןייארמ ?תוגרדמ ויה דע ותוא ושע ,םלוס הזכ היה ,ןכ :הזרת תאזה הפאלקה

263 Dall E Prompt: "An illustration of a few men digging a small secret deep pit at night, in the middle of a shared empty yard between 3 buildings in Warsaw ghetto 1943"

Interviewer: “How did you get in the bunker? Did you take something from your house?

Terezah: Each one took a blanket and a pillow

Interviewer: Was it just you and your mother?

Terezah: Yes. Just us. The food there was whatever they have made. Not just them, everyone in there, whoever participated in that bunker also gave some money for the food. They had baked flour, they had… everything was ready in advance, dry food. And we used the potatoes at night when we cooked the soup.

Interviewer: Were there young men in the bunker? Or middle-aged men? 20 years old, 30 years old, 40 years old?

Terezah: Yes, there were many.

Interviewer: How many people in total were in that bunker?

Terezah: 70-something

Interviewer: Did any of them carry a gun?

Terezah: Yes, some did. Some men had guns.

Interviewer: Did they think about using it?

Terezah: They did, but they couldn’t.”

והשמ םתחקל ?רקנובל םתסנכנ ךיא :ןייארמ״ ?תיבהמ תירכו ,הכימש חקל ונתיאמ דחא לכ :הזרת ?דבל אמאו תא :ןייארמ ,וניכה םהש המ היה םש לכוא .והז .ןכ :הזרת ימ ,םש םלוכ ,םה קר אל .הלאה )?( םיקאיישה ליבשב ףסכ ןתנ םג אוה זא רקנובב ףתתשהש …ושע ,תויופא תוירטא םש ושע .איבהל לכואה ויה המדא יחופתו .שבי לכוא ,ןכומ היה לכה .קרמה תא לשבלו תאצל הליל ליבשב

,20 ,הדימעה ליגב ,םיריעצ םירבג המש ויה :ןייארמ ?הלאכ םירבד ויה ,40 30 .ויה הברה .ויה ,ןכ :הזרת םש םתייה לכה ךסב םישנא המכ :ןייארמ ?רקנוב ותואב

.שיא המכו 70 :הזרת ?והשימ םע םש היה קשנ :ןייארמ םירבג המכל םיבור ויה .היה ןכ םג :הזרת .םיבור ויה ?והשמ הז םע תושעל ובשח םהו :ןייארמ ".ולכי אל לבא ובשח םה :הזרת

Interviewer: For how long were you sitting there [in the bunker]?

Terezah: For about three weeks

Interviewer: And your life routine was as you described earlier? Going outside at night, sitting inside all day long? Were you sweaty? Was it hot?

Terezah: Very hot, yes, and you couldn’t talk and no one must hear you because someone might be… not once we heard someone walking, looking for our bunker. Because they knew lots of Jews are hiding in bunkers. And Jews who knew where it was, were telling them about it. They used to go… a Jewish man was telling on our bunker, too. We knew it, we saw him, he was a Jewish cop.

[...] Interviewer: Now, was there light during the day? Did you use electricity?

Terezah: Yes, we had electricity, yes. There was light all the time, but not a bright one, a dim light.

Interviewer: Did any natural light manage to get it?

Terezah: No, not at all. Natural light… we were underground. Buried there.

Interviewer: Did you have fresh water? Or did you only drink from the well?

Terezah: Only from the well

Interviewer: And what did you use the water for?

Terezah: Drinking, cooking and drinking. We also bathed with it, but each one had a very small ration. You need to understand there were more than seventy people there, so each had a very small ration of water. We washed our hands and our face. The body I don’t remember, I really don’t.

Interviewer: Now, may you describe how was it like in there - if you hadany space to move around?

Terezah: It was very hard, but you could move. It was built in a way that the beds were on two sides, and in the middle, there was this… isle.

Interviewer: Was there any furniture? Chairs?

Terezah: Nothing, no furniture.

Interviewer: a table?

Terezah: table…

Interviewer: Pens, to write? Paper? Did someone was sitting and writing there?

Terezah: Yes, we had that. Some people were there, one of them was a doctor. The doctor who take care of Mordechai Anilewitz when he was wounded, so he left the bunker to the bunker where he died.

Interviewer: Now, may you describe how was it like in there - if you had - any space to move around?

- המש היה ךיא ראתל הלוכי תא ,וישכע :ןייארמ ?םוקמ ךל היה ?רקנובב זוזל תלוכי - המש היה םא

.רשפא לבא ,דואמ השק :הזרת

םידדצ ינשמ הככ יונב היה הז

.רבעמ …הזכ היה עצמאבו ,תוטימה sides, and in the middle, there was this… isle.

םידוהי הברה שיש ועדי םה יכ .רקנובה תא ושפיח ,ךלוה והשימש םעפ ויה םה .רקנובה הפיא םיעדוי ויהש ,םידוהי ,םירסומ ויהו .םירקנובב ,ונעדי ונחנא .הזה רקנובה לע ןישלה ידוהי םג ונלש רקנובהו ,םיכלוה .ידוהי רטוש היה הז ,ותוא וניאר ?למשחב םתשמתשה ?רוא היה םויה ךשמב ,וישכע :ןייארמ ]...[ רוא ,לודג אל לבא ,רוא היה ןמזה לכ .ןכ ,למשח ונל היה ,ןכ :הזרת .עונצ הזכ

?המינפ סנכנ יעבט רוא :ןייארמ

רובק התא .המדאל תחתמ …םש יעבט רוא הפיא .אל ללכב ,אל :הזרת .םש

?ראבהמ קר וא ?היה םימרוז םימ :ןייארמ ראבהמ קר :הזרת ?המל הזב םתשמתשהו :ןייארמ

דואמ טעמ לבא ,הז םע םג ונצחרתה .הייתשלו לושיבל ,הייתשל :הזרת םימ תצק דחא לכ זא שיא 70-מ רתוי היה םשש ןיבת .דחא לכ ונחקל .תרכוז אלש תמאב ,תרכוז אל ינא ףוגה .םיידי ,םינפ ונצחר .ךירצ היה זוזל תלוכי - המש היה םא - המש היה ךיא ראתל הלוכי תא ,וישכע :ןייארמ ?םוקמ ךל היה ?רקנובב

,תוטימה םידדצ ינשמ הככ יונב היה הז .רשפא לבא ,דואמ השק :הזרת .רבעמ …הזכ היה עצמאבו ?תואסכ ויה ?םיטיהר דוע ויה :ןייארמ

םיטיהר םוש ,רבד םוש :הזרת ?ןחלוש :ןייארמ …ןחלוש :הזרת ?והשמ םש בתכו בשי והשימ ?ריינ ?בותכל ,םיטע :ןייארמ

םגש אפור .דחא אפור םש היה ,םישנא המכ םש היה ,היה ןכ הז :הזרת םג רקנובהמ אצי אוה זא עוצפ היה אוהשכ ׳ץיבלינא יכרדמב לפיט

.רטפנ אוה הפיא ינש רקנובל

Interviewer: Did you have a radio in there?

Terezah: We had a radio, yes Interviewer: What were you hearing on the radio?

Terezah: We heard, yes, we heard about the uprising, about the tanks

Interviewer: Who was airing? What radio station did you listen to?

Terezah: a Polish one. There were some Poles cooperating with the Jewish uprising. They got their weapons from them, that’s also how they got a safe place to stay on the Aryan Christian side, they were helping them. But later on, they had no weapon, they had nothing. They used to go to the Aryan side to get weapons using the pits and tunnels from the ghetto. And those were the canals, if you excuse my language, the city’s sewer. It was very, very difficult.

Interviewer: Did you have clothes there? To change if needed?

Terezah: I don’t remember… Whatever we had on us, that’s what we had.

Interviewer: Did you have a mirror there?

Terezah: I never looked in the mirror… I didn’t even think of it, what someone looks like.

Interviewer: And what do other people look like to you?

Terezah: Everyone looked sad. No one knew what was waiting for us in the next minute. Not the next hour, the next minute.”

דוע ונל הכחמ המ ועדי אל םלוכ .םיבוצע ויה םלוכ .הקד דוע ,העש דוע אל .הקד

Stable Diffusion Prompt: "A few men digging a secret deep pit at night, in the middle of a shared empty yard between 3 buildings in the Warsaw ghetto 1943"

Everyone looked sad. No one knew what was waiting for us in the next minute. Not the next hour, the next minute.

:הזרת ,םירצונה לש יראה דצמ תויהל םוקמ םג ולביק םה םתיאמ ,קשנ ולביק םהל היה אל קשנ רבכ םהל היה אל ךכ רחא לבא .םהל םירזוע ויה םה ושעש תורובה ךרד םג קשנ לבקל ידכ יראה דצל םיאצוי ויה םה .םולכ

.םיבויבה לכ לש ,יל חלסת ,םילאנקה ןיב תורוב ויה הזו .הצוחה וטגהמ .ךבוסמ דואמ דואמ היה הז ?םש םידגב םתפלחה ?םכל ויה םידגב :ןייארמ

.היה הז ,ונל היהש המ הז …תרכוז אל ינא :הזרת ?םש היה יאר :ןייארמ

,וליפא הזל שאר היה אל …דימת יארב יתלכתסה אל :הזרת .הארנ והשימ ךיא ?ךל וארנ םירחא םישנא ךיאו :ןייארמ דוע אל .הקד דוע ונל הכחמ המ ועדי אל םלוכ .םיבוצע ויה םלוכ :הזרת ".הקד דוע ,העש

Dall E Prompt: "An illustration of how the Warsaw ghetto area would look like if it wasn’t destroyed in WW2"

“[...] I was with my brother, he was working in the shop with me together. And then, when they closed up the shop, we start the bunker. We went into the bunkers, into the underground. We start to organize, we should have food. our group, in my bunker we had food for one year. We were thinking that the war will take maybe one year, no more. So we had enough food. But still, we had to go out into shop for hand grenades, for shrapnels (?) we call it, for food. We used to pull numbers, and every night somebody else had to go out, whatever the number was, to take a chance. It was in the dark and we had connections with the Polaks, we had connection with soldiers, which they deliver hand grenades to us, we had to pay them a high price for it, but the money wasn’t worth a thing so we spent the money wherever we had anyway, you know. [...]

Interviewer: How long were you in the bunkers? How long did you stay in the bunkers?

Jack: In the bunkers? Oh, until the end, since we build it. Till the end. But what happened, when they found us, when they came to my bunker, the Germans, and they find us, we… I was sure that those builders, those Polish builders what they build this bunker, that they told the Germans where we are. This was a bunker, I tell you, like you see on the sidewalk, you walk and you don’t see a thing. And there was the entrance to our bunker, was never - impossible - to know what entrance was to the bunker. But they find it, so I was sure that the same builders told the Germans where we are. And that’s what happened with the other ones. The same thing.”

“[...] Long before any of us understand what was going on, we had another hiding we prepared in advance. The hiding was in the apartment where I lived back then. We sealed one room by building a wall. Against that wall was an oven, a baking oven. Through the opening of that oven, we could get into the hidden room. Behind that oven was a sort of tin, that we were threading and closing so no one will notice us.

Interviewer: Who’s “we”?

Li’on: Myself and another group, number of men, people. We heard the shooting and we had this crack where we could look outside to see what was happening - we saw the German soldiers, and the fire shooting from both sides. We decided we ain’t going to be burned alive in this place. We got out of there. Whoever had the means, any means, to stand against the Germans or harm them in any way, everyone was trying. [...]”

ונייהש הזכ חפ ?ונייה הז ימ :תנייארמ תויריה ונעמש רשאכ .םישנא ,םירוחב רפסמ ,הצובק דועו ינא :ןואיל וניאר - ץוחב השענ המ תוארלו ץיצהל ליבשב הזכ ץירח םש ונל היהו ונטלחה .םינוויכה ינשב םירויש שאה תא וניאר ,םינמרגה םילייחה תא

Long before any of us understand what was going on, we had another hiding we prepared in advance. The hiding was in the apartment where I lived back then. We sealed one room by building a wall. Against that wall was an oven, a baking oven. Through the opening of that oven, we could get into the hidden room. Behind that oven was a sort of tin, that we were threading and closing so no one will notice us.

Stable Diffusion

Prompt:

"An old kitchen with brick walls in Warsaw ghetto, 1943, with a big cooking stove. The cooking stove opens up to a door"

Stable Diffusion

Prompt:

"An old kitchen with brick walls in Warsaw ghetto, 1943, with a big cooking stove. A man squeezed inside the stove and moves to a hidden room behind wall"

Stable Diffusion

Prompt:

"A few man hiding in a small room behind a brick wall in the kitchen of a 1943 apartment in Warsaw. Against the wall there’s an old (stove):1.1"

Stable Diffusion

Prompt:

"A photograph of a kid hiding in a dark small room behind a brick wall leaning against a cooking stove in an old apartment in Warsaw, 1943"

Interview Code

4528162

Hebrew Language

1999 Year New Haven, Conn., USA Location

Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

“[...] All along I just wanted to sleep, sleep as much as I can. And I thought that this night will be just the same as other nights, we will go [to the bunker] for a few hours and it will be gone within a few hours until we can go back to rest. And somehow, every new routine that happen, we got used to it. Until a new, worse routine came along, we missed the former one. But we went down to that bunker, and it was a cellar under a cellar. That’s how it was built. It was, we entered Miła Street no.3 but we actually were lying under the ruins of Nalipki 49. It was this corner, extraneous house. And this house was bombed at the beginning of the war and remained ruined. So from this basement in Mila 3, there was this maze with all kinds of curves, I honestly could never know how to get in there again. How they let us in there. Everyone was lying on the bunk beds, it was dense and frowsty but there was no fear. We thought ourselves safe in there. There were also these wall cabinets, with food supplies each brought for themselves, they brought food that can be stored and held for months. And there were all the cooking facilities, stoves, and they said there were weapons, and also a water pump in there. They built fans to bring fresh air in and dirty air out. It was elaborate. And there were so many people together, lots of young people. Mostly young people. Because the adults were already taken in all the Aktions. All those who left were the ones working in the Platzowka, real young people, strong, and so we had this hope inside. That’s how I felt, anyway, I was a kid back then. And there was electricity. It wasn’t like in an attic or a basement, that was something else. And we didn’t leave for three weeks. All those thoughts I had about the Aktion to be over in four or five hours and we can go out againno. This time we stayed. [...]”

But we went down to that bunker, and it was a cellar under a cellar. That’s how it was built. It was, we entered Miła Street no.3 but we actually were lying under the ruins of Nalewki 49. It was this corner, extraneous house. And this house was bombed at the beginning of the war and remained ruined. So from this basement in Mila 3, there was this maze with all kinds of curves, I honestly could never know how to get in there again. How they let us in there. Everyone was lying on the bunk beds, it was dense and frowsty but there was no fear. We thought ourselves safe in there. There were also these wall cabinets, with food supplies each brought for themselves, they brought food that can be stored and held for months. And there were all the cooking facilities, stoves, and they said there were weapons, and also a water pump in there. They built fans to bring fresh air in and dirty air out. It was elaborate.

תא ונב הככ .ףתרמל תחתמ ףתרמ היה הזו הזה רקנובל ונדרי

3 הלימבש

ובכש םלוכ .םשל ונתוא וליבוה ךיא .םשל סנכיהל היינש םעפ תעדוי

תא ונבשח .דחפ היה אל לבא קינחמו הזכ ףופצ

הזו הזה רקנובל ונדרי לבא .תוחפל הזכל ,וילא .הז תא ונב הככ .ףתרמל תחתמ ףתרמ היה ונבכש םצעבו 3 הלימ בוחרב וסנכנ ,היה הז היה הז . 49 יקפלנ לש תיבה תוסירהל תחתמ הזה תיבהו .הזכ ינוציח ,רנרוקב ,הזכ תיב זא .סורה היה אוהו המחלמה תליחתב ץצפוה ,הזכ ךובמ הזיא היה 3 הלימבש הזה ףתרמהמ תעדוי יתייה אל תמאבו ,םילותיפ ינימ לכ ונתוא וליבוה ךיא .םשל סנכיהל היינש םעפ הזכ ףופצ היה ,םישגרד לע ובכש םלוכ .םשל ונמצע תא ונבשח .דחפ היה אל לבא קינחמו תונורא םג ויה המש .הזה םוקמב םיחוטב ,ואיבהש ןוזמ דחא לכלו םייונב הלאכ ריק לכ .םישדוח ותוא רומשל רשפאש ןוזמ וניכה היהו ,םייריכ הזיא לשבל והשמ היה םינקתמה .םינפב םימ תבאשמ וליפא היהו ,ורמא קשנ ריווא סינכהל ידכ םיררוואמ ןכ םג ושעו .ללכושמ היה הז .ערה ריוואה תא איצוהלו .םיריעצ ןומה ,דחיב םישנא הברה ךכ לכ ויהו לכב וחקלנ רבכ םירגובמה יכ .םיריעצ בורל ודבעש הלא קר וראשנ .תומדוקה תויצקאה היה הככו ,םיקזח ,םיריעצ שממ ,תוקבצולפב יתשגרה הככ ינא .םינפב הווקת תאזכ ,והשמ ,הככ יל היהו .הדלי יתייה זא ינא ,ןפוא לכב ךכ לכ םע תויהל ,ןוחטיב לש השגרה והשמ היה אל הז .למשח היהו .דחיב םישנא הברה רחא והשמ היה ,ףתרמב וא גג תיילעב ומכ זא השולש ךשמב המשמ ונאצי אל רבכו .ירמגל שמח עברא רובעכש יתבשחש הז לכ .תועובש .אל -בוש אצנ ונחנאו רובעת היצקאה תועש ״]...[ .ונראשנ םעפה

Because of them the bunker was filled with so many new people that you literally could not breathe in there. Every time more and more people joined us, it got to a point you couldn’t light a match in the bunker. We were lying naked, almost fully naked. And we waved our hands, and we used to soak our sheets in water. Then the water ran out, the fans didn’t work, because the electricity wires burned, and all the water tubes burst. They were burning the streets methodically. One by one. So from the well, we used to soak our towels and sheets and wave in them, it was hell. A short, narrow place and so many people on the bunk beds, naked with wet rags over their foreheads

“[...] Because of them [a group of young people - see full testimony] the bunker was filled with so many new people that you literally could not breathe in there. Every time more and more people joined us, it got to a point you couldn’t light a match in the bunker. We were lying naked, almost fully naked. And we waved our hands, and we used to soak our sheets in water. Then the water ran out, the fans didn’t work, because the electricity wires burned, and all the water tubes burst. They were burning the streets methodically. One by one. So from the well, we used to soak our towels and sheets and wave in them, it was hell. A short, narrow place and so many people on the bunk beds, naked with wet rags over their foreheads, and this group of young people who kept messing around with each other and devoured and didn’t notice anyone else around who were already… It really got to that point. But that happened at the last minute when you couldn’t even light up a match and every other moment someone passed out. I have never seen anything like this, they were like flies. You were talking to a person and he was down. The other person was standing… and the next moment he was down too. And then, all of a sudden, the Germans started knocking, they didn’t know where’s the entrance and there were many, many obstacles on the way to our bunker. But they already revealed one of them and they started knocking. And I was on the edge of passing out, from this stench, the dense, and the heat. And my mom woke me up every time when they started knocking, and that’s when she said “They found us”. It was such a horrible phrase.”

טעמכ ,םימורע ונבכש אל רבכ ,םימ היה אל רבכ .םינידס םיביטרמ ,למשחה יטוח ופרשנ יכ ,םיררוואמה ודבע ופרש םה .םימ תורוניצה לכ וצצופתהו

ונייה זא .ינשה ירחא דחא .תויתטישב תובוחר םינידסו ,תובגמ םיביטרמ ונייה הזה ראבהמ ךומנו רצ םוקמ םונהג היה הז ,םיפנפנמו םימורע םישגרדה לע םישנא הברה ךכ לכו המש הלאו חצמה לע םיבוטר םיטוטרמס םע דחי וקסעתה ןמזה לכש הלאה םיריעצה םע םירחאה לע תעדל וצר אלו וללזו ינשה םע

הז לבא ,ךכל תמאב עיגה הז ...הככ רבכש

רשפא יאש רבכשכ ןורחא ןורחא בלשב היה

והשימ לפנ עגר לכו ,רתוי קילדהל רורפג היה

ומכ ,הזכ רבד דוע יתיאר אל .ףלעתהו רחא ,הז םע .בכש רבכ אוה ,תרביד הז םע .םיבובז םואתפ זאו .בכש רבכ אוה ...םיילגרה לע דמע תא ועדי אל םה ,םינמרגה קופדל וליחתה םימוסחמ הברה םג ויה לבא ,ונילא הסינכה רבכ םהו .הברה ,עיגהל הלאכ םילושכמ ,ןכ םג .קפדיהל וליחתהו הארנה יפכ םהמ דחא וליג ןוחריסה לכמ ,תפלועמ טעמכ יתייה זאו םעפ לכ אמיאו .םוחהמ ,תופיפצה לכמ ,הזה זא ,קופדל וליחתה םהשכ זא ,יתוא הריעה לכ הלימ התייה וז ."ונתוא וליג" הרמא אמיא ״.הארונ ךכ

“[...] And I was daydreaming, too. I used to have a group of friends in Moronowska Street, this small group I went to school and played with. So I kept thinking - where could they be? Maybe they live in this camp and we will meet again after the war. And I was daydreaming about this, I was imagining how we meet together, what we all look like, what stories we tell each other. And after that when I was so weak, so exhausted, and sweaty all the time, I couldn’t even go to the toilets, for three weeks all I had was one sugar cube a day and a glass of water, so I stopped, I didn’t think about my friends anymore. And my mom didn’t bother me either, she was smiling at me occasionally, to give me courage, and to lift my spirit. That everything will be alright, that this will eventually end. But at the end, when I was almost passed out and indifferent when the Germans started knocking she became energetic and said “Get up, it’s time to get dressed. Don’t sleep now, they are coming in and we need to stay awake.” She believed that our vigilance will save us. If we’ll be fast enough, vigilance enough, doing everything at the right moment and at the right time, we will be saved. So she was very sustenance about it.

We keep having that hope, I guess every human being while alive has it - at least that’s how we were… So my mother kept waking me up to be on guard, to watch. And there was an opening in the ceiling, they thought in case we will be on the verge of suffocation they will open it, but they didn’t, they were scared. All of a sudden, out of all places, the Germans throw a grenade, through that opening. Because someone snitched. We learned that later he was pointing at that opening. I don’t know if someone was harmed, but there was such turmoil… They laid a ladder and came down to our bunker with their green uniforms. And there was no way out of this. But they treated us rather kindly because they knew there are weapons, so they kindly calmed us down, “No harm will happen. Just obey our orders, you’re being transported to work, it will be alright”. First of all, a bit of fresh air got in, we were suffocating in there… and only those soaking-wet sheets gave us a feeling it was cooling down, even though it wasn’t.”

אל ,הארנה יפכ יח אוהשכ םדא לכ ,תאזה הווקתה התייה דוע ןמזה לכ

הריעה ןמזה לכ איה הככו ,ונייה תוחפל ונחנא הככ לבא םדא דוע לכ

,הרקתב חתפ םג ונל היה ,םואתפו .רומשא ונאש ,חיגשא ינאש יתוא

וחתפיי זא ,םש קנחיהל ךלנ שממ רבכ ונחנאש הרקמבש ובשח םה

,ןומיר וסינכה םינמרגה ,המש אקוודו .ודחפ ,הז תא וחתפ אלו .הז תא

חתפה תא קוידב רמאו ונל עדונ ךכ רחא .ןישלה והשימ יכ .הזה חתפב

םהו .תאזכ המוהמ התייה ,אל וא עגפנ והשימ םא תעדוי אל ינא .הזה

.הלאה םיקוריה םידמה םע ונילא תדרל וליחתהו הטמל םלוס וסינכה

קשנ שיש ועדי םה יכ ,תובידאב וסחייתה םה לבא .סונמ היה אל רבכו

קר .םכל הרקי אל ער רבד םוש ,ועיגרה תובידאב הככ םה זא ,םינפב

סנכנ לכ םדוקו ,רדסב היהיו .הדובעל םיעסונ םתאו תודוקפל ותייצת

השוחת ןתנ דוע הז הלאה םיבוטרה םינידסה קרו ...ונקנחנ רבכ ...ריווא

".היה אל םצעב לבא ריווא שיו תצק ררקתמ וליאכש

לע יתבשח אל ,יתקספה רבכ זא היהיש .יתוא דדועלו ,ץמוא יל תתל ,הככ יילא הכייח איה םשו הפ ,יתוא ,הזכ ןופליעב יתייה רבכשכ ,הרמא איה ףוסב לבא .רמגיי הזש ,בוט התייהנ איה זא קופדל וליחתה םינמרגהשכ זאו ,השידא יתייהנ רבכשכ ,ינשית לא וישכע .שבלתהל ךירצ וישכע ,ימוקת" .ךכ לכ תצרמנ בוש תוכזב ,ונחנאש הבשח איה "םירע תויהל םיכירצו וסנכיי םה וישכע ,םיריהמ קיפסמ היהנ םאש .ונלש הלצהה היולת הזב בוש ,תונרעה זא .לצנינ ונחנא זא ,םיאתמה עגרבו ןמזב רבד לכ השענ ,םיינרע קיפסמ .הז לע הדיפקה דואמ איה

Dall E Prompt:

"An illustration of an overcrowded underground bunker in Warsaw in 1943. There is no air, the people are lying on wooden bunk beds, covering their bodies with soaked wet sheets"

1994 Year Tel Aviv, Israel Location

Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

R.

“Mordechai told my husband Izhar, come over and stand with your back to me - you should know we can’t die that way. It was with Mordechai Anielewicz in January 1943 or the end of 42’. We should die as heroes, either way only death awaits us. It happened to be said where I lived at that time, the same entrance as my husband’s parents’ house, Mila 69 I think in Warsaw. He decided we should build bunkers, that’s the only thing that might save the Jews. It was Raphael Kutcher with Mordechai Anielewicz. And my husband had all kinds of ideas, like how to open the bunker. It wasn’t a bunker it was actually underground. And how would you open it? We press, there was this button on the wall over a button on the wall, like a nail, and this square thing would open up, and there was a ladder, you go down the ladder, and then up in another ladder, and there was this hiding place. January 1943. We prepared all kinds of things, not just the electricity supply. It was very large, it was the foundation of the house, it was at Zamanhoff 56 along with Moronowska 40 I think, something like that. It was right underneath it. There was the Horenstein family, Mora and Mora Rozenblum, and Rosenberg the doctors of the community, and we were about 21 people in that bunker. We got down there really early in the morning. My husband and my brother-in-law said it will be better to be there, we could see it starting in the Aktion on January 18th. He decided we will take turns going out. [...] There were times the Poles told about Jews are in all kinds of bunkers, the Poles couldn’t stand it, so they gave it to the Germans, and one bright day we sitting there and then we see a grey smoke. They release gas through the sewers and it got to our bunker, through the tubes. We had water, we had everything. But what was the great disaster? Our entire warehouse was ruined, along with the entire building. But at the last minute, my husband said, ‘Look, Rapha [Raphael], we need to think maybe this warehouse will be ruined”, so next to it we built another small bunker, 4 meters of sand on polls, just in case. And we made these beds if god forbid we will need them. And eventually, in the beginning, there were bombes and fire and bombs, and the entire building collapsed over our warehouse with all the food, and in the last second we got into this small room, and that saved us thanks to the sand and the big polls. And the heat, we were walking literally naked. And what we had? Bed bugs, lice, and flies, something else every time, every week something else, it was unbelievable where it came from, because we couldn’t bath and the heat was so great. It’s hard to describe it. Except for that, my husband told Rapha [Raphael] that we need to think about something else, maybe there’s another option. So we opened an entrance to the sewer with saws at the last minute, you need a way to get into the sewers. At first, until the uprising, we went in and out, but when the uprising started we closed ourselves in the bunker, everyone together, and we couldn’t tell anyone where we’re at, so no one will know. There were cases in the ghetto where they caught some guy who was beaten so hard if he didn’t tell where people are hiding, so we were scared about that. I remember we took an ought to not speak about it to nobody. And in that house where our bunker was, on the fourth floor there was this room where you could breathe a bit, go out a bit, so we were going there in turns. After the uprising started they knew there are places the Jews built, they were walking between the rubble with crowbars to look for something. The Poles. To show the Germans. What I remember from the uprising is that we were already in the bunker, and my brother-in-law had this idea to make a hole through the entire building, and he had this tube that he could look through and see outside. So what did we see? That they gathered all the Jews to the Umshlagplatz. We knew what was going on.”

רותפכ שממ ,ריקב רותפכ לע ריקב רותפכ הזכ היה ,םיצחול דוע ונילע ךכ רחאו ,םלוסב ונדרי ,םלוס םש היהו ,הזכ עבורמ חתפנו למשח קר אל ונכה .1943 ראוני .הזכ רותסמ היה הז ,היה םשו םלוסל לש דוסייה היה הז ,לודג לודג היה אוה .ינימ לכ ונכה ,היהי אל םא ,יל המדנ 40 הקסבונרומ םע דחיב היה הזו 56 ףוהנמז היה הז ,תיבה הרומו הרומ היה ,ןייטשנרוה תחפשמ היה .הז תחת היה הז .הזכ והשמ םישנא 21 הזיא ונייהו ,הליהקה לש האפורהו אפורה גרבנזורו ,םולבזנור היהיש ורמא סיגו ילעב .םדקומ דואמ ונחנא ,ונדרי רקנובב .הזה רקנובב אוה .ליחתמ שממ הזש וניאר זא ראוניב 18-ב היצקא התייהשמ יוצר לבא ויה םימה .תאצל םיישפוח תונרותב םיישפוח היהנ ונחנאש טילחה זא םירקנוב ינימ לכב םיאצמנ םידוהיהש ורפיס םינלופהש םינמז ויה ריהב םויו םינמרגל הז תא ורסמ זא ,הז תא לובסל ולכי אל םינלופה הזו בויבה ךרד זג וסינכה .רופא ןשע םיאור םואתפו םש םיבשוי ונחנא המ לבא .היה לכה ,ךרד ונל היה םימ .תורוניצה ךרד ,ונלצא םג סנכנ לבא .הזה ןסחמה לע ןיינבה לכ סרהנ ,ןסחמה לכ ?לודגה ןוסאה היה בושחל םיכירצ ונחנא ]לאפר[ אפר עמשת הככ רמא ןורחא עגרב ילעב עברא םע ןטק רקנוב דוע הז די לע ונינב זא ,ןכ םג הז תא סורהי ילוא תוטימ הזכ ונישעו ןוחטיב רתיל ונל היהיש ,םידומע םע לוח םירטמ תוצצפ ויה הלחתהב ,הככ תמאב המו ,הלילחו סח ונל היהי אל םאו לש ןסחמה לכ םע לפנ לכה ןיינבה לכ הסרהה ,הסרה תוצצפו הפירש יכ ונתוא ליצה הזו הזה רדחל וסנכנ הנורחאה היינשל ונחנאו לכואה .םידגב שממ ילב ונכלה ,הזכ םוחו .וליצה םילודגה םידומעהו לוחה תועובש לכ והשמ םעפ לכב ,םיבובזו ,םיניכ ,םישפשפ ?ונל היה המו תורשפא היה אלש םושמ ,אב הז הפיאמ ןמואי אל הז רחא והשמ ,הככ רמא ילעב הזמ ץוח .השק הז ראתל .לודג הזכ םוח היה ץחרתהל זא .תורשפא דוע שי ילוא והשמ דוע בושחל םיכירצ ונחנא ]לאפר[ אפר בויבה ךרד לבא ,בויבל סנכיהל חתפ םירוסמ םע ונחתפ ןורחאה עגרב דרמה ליחתהשכ .ונסנכנו ונאצי דרמה דע הלחתהב .סנכיהל ךרד ךירצ ינשל דחא רוסא היהש בצמ הזכ היהו ,םישנאה לכ רקנובה ךותב ונרגסנ וטגב םירקמ ויהש םושמ עדי אל דחא ףאש ,םיאצמנ ונחנא הפיא רפסל רוסמי אל אוה םא תוכמ הברה ךכ לכ לביק אוה ,רוחב הזיא וספתש ונייה זא ונאצי ונחנאש ינא תרכוז .לצהמ ונדחפ ונחנא זא םישנא דוע היהש הפיא תיב ותואבו ,דחא ףא ינפב הפה תא חותפל אלש העובש תאצל תצק םושנל היה רשפאש הזכ רדח היה תיעיבר המוקב רקנובה םה ליחתה דרמהש ירחא .םיסנכנו םיאצוי ימ תונרותב ונייה זא תצק םע ושפיח סרהה ךותב וכלה םה ,ונב םידוהיהש תומוקמ שיש ועדי המ דרמה .םינמרגל תוארהל .םינלופה .והשמ שי הפיא שפחל םילזרב רוח תושעל ןויער ול היה ילש סיגלו רקנובב רבכ ונייה ונחנא תרכוז ינאש רוניצה ךרד לכתסהל היה לוכי אוהש הזכ רוניצ ול היהו ןיינבה לכ ךרד .ץאלפגלשמואל םתוא םיפסוא םידוהיה לכש ?וניאר המ זא .םיאור המ ".ונעדי ונחנא

“We were in great pain, we didn’t know what to do. I remember that somehow my brother-in-law took care of the water. But he did say one thing - I’m standing here like a captain of a sinking ship. Whoever has the option, I will open up the entrance to the sewers, if you want to save yourselves. I can’t guarantee anything to anyone.”

But he [brother-in-law] did say one thing - I’m standing here like a captain of a sinking ship. Whoever has the option, I will open up the entrance to the sewers, if you want to save yourselves. I can’t guarantee anything to anyone.

1990 Year New York, USA Location

Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

At January 18th people were already prepared with bunkers. And then we started to improve the bunkers. Because this little one, some of them were very elaborate, but we didn’t realize that some of the bunkers were not on the underground but were on different floors. In the house they blocked up a room, close up, and very elaborate ways how to got in under the toilette, under stove, closet that didn’t removed. Very ingenious ideas. But all these after the uprising, the time when they finally started at April 19th, this was Erev Passover, so at that time they saw that normal faces... put every house just on fire.

1055934 Interview Code

English Language

1988 Year New Haven, Conn., USA Location

Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

Helena C.: at the beginning of 1943, again, people probably realized the end is closing, and is coming soon, and started to build these bunkers, under the basements. Huge places prepared for living for months. And even food was prepared for this type of living. Because, I remember that we were preparing, in our household all kinds of dry food. Dry pasta and dried Challas, so it would be kept for months. As I found out there was a well in the bunker. Because that how it was organized. Because the bunker had essential place with an oven, and a well and then there was a long corridor, like in a prison with little places for the… beds. Everybody was just lying down. But the place around this fireplace which was iron oven in the middle was a place where people could sit and talk.

Everybody probably contributed to building it because it was probably quite expensive. With all kind of limitations at that time. So I remember that when we prepared this dried food and put it down, and some kind of beddings. Because these were just from wood. Three stores of little beds in one cubicle. But everything happened very soon, as soon as we started these preparations. In that time Pesach came… we were preparing for the Seder and suddenly shootings started and everything was prepared, the table.. we left everything and ran away to the bunker and never came back. And stayed in the bunker for several weeks, because it was April 19th, and I end up in the middle of May.

The whole day we could only lie down in this cubicle, which was completely dark. And there was no obviously no electricity. And at night when it was quiet, I remember several times I went out with my cousin. On the surface. And we started to visit the apartments, everything was burned down, but I some of the apartments you could go still on the stairs which were from stone or cement, and find a kitchen which was still functioning and prepare a meal for example, because this little place inside the bunker was not enough for so many families, because there was probably about maybe 20, maybe 25 families in the bunker. So, at night, I remember we took this dry stuff, and try to find kitchen in the burned houses. They are very vivid pictures in my memory, because quiet, everything burned down, and the moon, was still full moon probably, was the only source of light at that time. And cooking a meal in this hanging kitchen in the 3rd or the 4th floor in a burned down area completely. But those nights when we went out, it was again a possibility to find out how everything was destroyed, because everything around, the whole area, everything was burned. There was not one house left. And after these few weeks, suddenly one day, we heard sounds that indicated that somebody digging into the bunker. And after few hours we saw light, and obviously it was the Germans.

Helena C.

asked Chat GPT to write a prompt from Helena C.'s testimony's first paragraph, to use in Dall-E.

Prompt: " Imagine a scene at the beginning of 1943, where people, sensing the looming end, decide to construct underground bunkers beneath their basements. These bunkers were vast spaces designed to provide shelter for months on end. Visualize the preparation that went into these havens, including the stockpiling of dry food like pasta and dried Challas that could be stored for extended periods. Picture the discovery of a well within the bunker, a crucial resource for survival. Envision the organization of the bunker, featuring an essential area with an oven and a well, followed by a long corridor reminiscent of a prison, with small compartments serving as beds. See everyone lying down, but also visualize a central iron oven, serving as a fireplace, where people could gather, sit, and engage in conversations. Use your imagination to illustrate this unique and resilient underground living experience."

4413723 Interview Code

1999 Year New Haven, Conn., USA Location

Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

“[...] we started preparing ourselves, to hide. We started building a bunker. And the house where my uncle and aunt were living was a huge house... Our was build under the yard, but the entrance was, you had to lift the first step of the stairs, it was very difficult, because actually when you walk into a house you stand on the first step, so we hoped that this will be a really good camouflage. We build it... I didn’t really, but people build it for 70 people. And they had bunks, and they had everything prepared. Food and water, and they took care of everything, medicine, and one of them was a doctor, one was a nurse. They really took care we prepared to stay god knows how long. Francicsanka was at that time, this part of the streets was in the ghetto, and the wall was at the middle of the streets. We were sitting always on the roof, in shifts watching the movements of the Germans outside of ghetto. And then, the bunker was all ready, and the table was all late at the 18th of April, for Seder, when we got word? That the Germans are moving into the ghetto. So we left everything as it was and we went down into the bunker. There were several young people who left the bunker and joined underground. And the ghetto was all burning above us, there was no air, as much as we provided for all kinds of air passages but it was full of smoke and dust, and you couldn’t breathe. So, at night we used to go out. Because at night the Germans were afraid of coming to the ghetto. So, we were working out at night, to breathe that air, but it was better than in the bunker. And it was terribly frustrating because you could not do anything… and you heard shootings and screamings and you didn’t know what was going on [...]”

Stable Diffusion

Prompt: "A huge house in Warsaw 1943, the first step of the stairs lifts up to reveal a bunker for 70 people, with bunks, food, water and medicines"

Stable Diffusion

Prompt: "70 people are hiding inside a dark underground bunker in Warsaw in 1943, full with wood bunk beds, food, medicines and water"

Dall-E Prompt (using ChatGPT): Create an illustration showing a hidden entrance in Warsaw in 1943: Entrance by lifting the first step of the stairs in a big, typical house. Visualize this hidden entryway with creative details, emphasizing the element of camouflage and intrigue

Dall-E Prompt (using ChatGPT): "Create an illustration showing a hidden entrance to a bunker in Warsaw in 1943: Show people entering a bunker by lifting the first step of the stairs in a big house. Visualize this hidden entryway with creative details, emphasizing the element of camouflage and intrigue."

“The entrance was built under the staircase, people got in, crawled all the way to the wall. A part of the wall was on rails, with wheels, so you could move it in, and that way people entered. It was actually a cut, the cut part of the basement. In Warsaw, each resident had a cell inside the cellar, so they cut this cell, a part of the basement and people entered with their most important valuables, so they won’t be stolen by the Germans. I call them ‘living without weapons’, hiding in the bunker. And in those bunkers, there was usually water, gas, a pump, a manual pump, and phone and radio connection, though it was forbidden. In this bunker, the food wasn’t shared with everyone, though some bunkers were sharing. This bunker held on until the fires started, meaning the third day of the uprising. The house was burning but we didn’t know about it. The youth people got outside and saw the fire, so we gave people orders to wet their clothes, cover their mouths and break out. Once broke out, we instinctively ran to the ghetto’s wall, or HaMivrashtanim [factory] in this case. They were shooting grenades and using machine guns from outside of the ghetto. Some people got killed, some were injured, and we ran back to Baube Street, there were public toilets and we hide there. The Germans passed there, shot inside, but didn’t get in. In These kinds of bunkers, or such, lots of people were hidden. But people were hiding inside the houses too, and they had to jump due to the fires, it was actually an act of suicide.

Interviewer: What street was that?

Leon: Shkentraska 38 at the Mivrashtanim [factory]

Interviewer: You didn’t explain much about the wall, correct?

Leon: Correct

Interviewer: Explain again, about the wall

Leon: The bunker was built in a way, that you had to open the cover, get inside, and crawl to the wall. A part of the wall, from the floor, let’s say a square like so – was detached, rebuilt over an iron base with wheels, and it moved using a handle you could pull in. When people entered, they moved that cart with the wall ahead, when it closed hermetically… to the external wall, and then once inside people divided into different cells. They mostly place all kinds of rags and such, people who lived outside, or they scattered the material you use to fill pillows or duvets, and then the Germans didn’t come in, they weren’t interested in that. They discovered the bunkers in a different way, by drilling holes, and then the heat came out. When a heat came out, they would throw tear gas inside or some other chemical, which force the people out. In this case, at first everyone got out when there was no air left to breathe, the heat was unbearable, the candle couldn’t lit, there was no light, nothing, and we didn’t know everything is burning, all the houses including this one [...]”

“[...] You had to crawl in, and here [pointing], this piece of concrete, was a rail and wheels. You could carry it on the rails inside and that’s how you could enter. It was about 80 cm over one meter, maybe a meter and 20 total. Quite small. Our intention was that if a German would try to come and take Jews out, a single man with a gun can kill him or make him run away.”

,]עיבצמ[ היה ןאכו ,המינפ לוחזל ךרוצ היהש ]...[״

רשפא היהו .םילגלג לע םיספ היה ,ןוטב תכיתחה

תורשפא התייה זאו המינפ םיספה לע ותוא בוחסל

רטמ לע ילוא ,רטמ לע 80 היה הז לכה ךס .סנכיהל

םאש התייה הנווכהו .תונטק ייד תודימ .םירשעו

הפ קיפסמ יזא ,םידוהי איצוהל הצריו ינמרג אובי

אוהש וא ותוא גורהל תנמ לע קשנ םע דחא שיא ״ המשמ חרבי

?הז בוחר הזיאב :ןייארמ

.םינתשרבמה לצא 38 הקסרטנקש :ןואל

?ןוכנ ,ריקה לע הברה תרבסה אל :ןייארמ

.ןוכנ :ןואל

.ריקה לע בוש ריבסת ,םעפ דוע ריבסת :ןייארמ

ךירצ היהש ,ךכ יונב היה רקנובה :גרביינ

לוחזל ,המינפ סנכהל ,הסכמה תא חותפל

,וזכ עבורמ חיננ ,הפצרהמ ,ריקהמ עטק .ריקל

םע לזרב סיסב לע שדחמ יונב ,קרופמ היה

תידי םע ועסנ םהו המידק רתוי תצק ,םילגלג

םישנא רשאכ .המינפ ךושמל רשפא היהש

,המידק ריקה םע וזה הלגעה תא וזיזה ,וסנכנ

,ינוציחה ריקל …יטמרה ןפואב רגסנ הז רשאכ

.םיאתה ךותל וקלחתה כ״חא םישנא םינפבו

םירבדו םיטוטרמס ינימ לכ ומש בורה לע

המ ורזיפש וא ,ץוחב םייחש םישנא ,םירחא

זאו ךופ ורזיפש וא ,ךופ ,תוירכל םישמתשמש

וליג .הזב וניינעתה אל ,וסנכנ אל םינרמגה

חודיק ידי לע ,תרחא ירמגל הרוצב הז תא

זא ,םוח אציו …רשאכ .םוחה אצי זאו ,םירוח

רמוח והזשיא וא ,עימדמ רמוח המינפ וקרז

הפ .תאצל םישנאה תא חירכה הזו ,רחא ימיכ

רשאכ ואצי םלוכ ןושארה בלשב ,הז הרקמב

יתלב היה םוחה ,המישנל ריוא רבכ היה אל

םוש ,רוא היה אל ,הקלדנ אל רבכ רנה ,לבסנ

לכ ,הפירשב לכהש ונעדי אל ונחנאו ,רבד

״]...[ הז תיב םגו םיתבה

ריק עטק .ריקל דע ולחז ,המינפ וסנכנ םישנא זיזהל היה רשפאש םילגלג םעו םיספ לע היה הז השעמל .וסנכנ םישנא זאו ,המינפ התוא לכל השרוב .ףתרמהמ קלח וכתח ,ךותיח היה עטק ,הזכ את וכתח ,ףתרמ ךותב את היה רייד בושחה שוכרה םע וסנכנ םישנאו ףתרמ לש הלא .םינמרגה םע תכלל אל תנמ לע ,רתויב ורתתסה ,קשנ אלל םייח םתוא ארוק ינא

כ״דב ,םירקנובה םתואבו .רקנובה ךותב הבאשמ ,הפמופ םג ,זג ,םימ היה הז רקנובב היהש תורמל ,וידרו ןופלטל רוביח םג ,תינדי ללכל ףתושמ ןוזמ היה אל הזה רקנובב .רוסא ןוזמ םע ןכ םג ויהש םירקנוב ויה ,הייסולכואה קיזחה הזה רקנובה .הייסולכואה לכל ףתושמ םויב רמולכ ,תופירשה וליחתה דוע לכ דמעמ תיבה ,סנכנ רשאכ ,תוממוקתהה לש ישילש הארו אצי רעונה .ךכ לע ונעדי אל ןיידע ,רעב ביטרהל תוארוה םישנאל ונתנש זא ,שאה תא .הצוחה ץורפלו הפה תא םוטאל ,םידגבה תא ונצרפ רשאכ יביטקניטסניא ןפואבש רורב ,וטגהמ תאצל תנמ לע המוחל ונצר ,הצוחה וטגל ץוחמ .הז הרקמב םינתשרבמהמ וא קלח .הירי תונוכמ םע ורי ,םינומיר וקרזנ הרזחב ונצר ונחנאו ועצפנ ,וגרהנ םישנאהמ םירוביצ םיתוריש המש היה ,הבואב בוחרל המינפ ורי ,ורבע םנמא םינמרגה .ונרתתסהו םירקנוב .המינפ וסנכנ אל לבא ,הסינכה ךותל םישנאש דואמ הברה ,םהימוד וא ,ויה הלאכ ךותב ורתתסה םישנא םג לבא ,ורתתסה ,ץופקל תופירשה ןמזב םיצלאנ ויהו םיתבה .תודבאתה הז היה השעמלו

The entrance was built under the staircase, people got in, crawled all the way to the wall. A part of the wall was on rails, with wheels, so you could move it in, and that way people entered. It was actually a cut, the cut part of the basement. In Warsaw, each resident had a cell inside the cellar, so they cut this cell, a part of the basement and people entered with their most important valuables, so they won’t be stolen by the Germans. I call them ‘living without weapons’, hiding in the bunker. And in those bunkers, there was usually water, gas, a pump, a manual pump, and phone and radio connection, though it was forbidden.

“[...] We decided we’re creating this hiding place in the fruitshop cellar. You take four bricks out, crawl to the second basement and then arrange the bricks back. We arranged to have a lot of baskets with fruits, we tied a string to the baskets and we pulled the string into this blind basement, as a camouflage for these four bricks. And that is how we were, when the Aktion started, we were about 18 people in this basement.

Today, when I think about it, I wonder how did we sit there? How did we go to the toilets? What did we drink? What did we eat? I can’t remember it, at all. We were lying, the floor was sand, and the walls around us were bricks, completely shut. No opening, no nothing. The only opening was to the fruit shop’s basement. We got to a situation where there was no air - you couldn’t even light a match. And at night we would come out, and everything was completely empty, dead. And we started to think about how would it be when there will be no Jewish people left.”

“[...] They ask us where are we hiding when they see us coming out but we didn’t want to tell them. So our neighbour, who was very clever, told us - look, let’s say the Germans are coming to this house, and you’re running back to your hiding place and we run after you, they will catch us all. So we told them we were hiding in the basement. They told us this is not a good hiding place, and we really couldn’t hide there together with them. We created camouflage for the entire facade because the front side of the house was on a lower floor than the other three wings. There was a closet at the entrance. We moved it, meaning closing the entrance to the attic of this hall. Underneath a shelf downstairs, we would throw a rope, and at the entrance, we place - forgive me - a pot with urine and faeces so if dogs will come to sniff, they won’t smell us. The main thing was that we had the entire attic for ourselves. We had beds there, we had food, we had water, we had medicine. We even had two holes in the wall because the second house remained shattered from the explosion of 39’, and we had rope ladders to descend and hide among the ruins of the destroyed house. We could sit there for years in this attic.”

We decided we’re creating this hiding place in the fruit-shop cellar. You take four bricks out, crawl to the second basement and then arrange the bricks back. We arranged to have a lot of baskets with fruits, we tied a string to the baskets and we pulled the string into this blind basement, as a camouflage for these four bricks. And that is how we were, when the Aktion started, we were about 18 people in this basement.

םיאצוי ונחנאש ואר םהשכ ,םיאבחתמ ונחנא הפיא ונתוא ולאש םה ]...[״

,הרמא ,תיחקיפ דואמ התייהש הנכשה זא .םהל תולגל וניצר אל ונחנאו

אובחמל םיצר םתאו ,הזו תיבל הפ םיאב םינמרגהש דיגנ - יעמשת

ונחנאש םהל וניליג זא .ונלוכ תא וספתי ,םכירחא םיצר ונחנאו םכלש

אלו היה רשפא יא תמאבו אובחמ אל הז ורמא םה .ףתרמב םיאבחתמ

יכ ,תיבה לש תיזחה לכל האווסה ונישע ונחנא .ונלוכ סנכיהל ונלוכי

היה .םיפגאה תשולש לכמ הכומנ רתוי המוק התייה תיבה לש תיזחה

תיילע לכל הסינכה תא ונרגס רמולכ ,ןוראה תא ונזזה .ןורא הסינכב םש

ונייה הטמל ףדמל תחתמ .תוחמשה לש הזה םלואה לעמ התיהש גגה

האוצ םע ריס - החילס - ונמש הסינכב םשו ,הטמל םש םילשלתשמ

םיאצמנ םשש וחירי אל םיבלכהש ,םיבלכ םע ואובי םאש ידכ ןתש םעו

,תוטימ םש ונל ויה .ונתושרל המלש גג תיילע ונל התייה ,רקיעה .םישנא

םירוח ינש ונל ויה וליפא .תופורת ונל ויה ,םימ ונל ויה ,ןוזמ ונל היה

תומלוס ונל ויהו ׳39 לש הצצפההמ ץצפומ ראשנ ינשה תיבה יכ ,ריקב

םגו םינבלה תא םירדסמ ךכ רחאו רוויעה ףתרמה ךותל םיכשומ ונייה טוחה תאו טוח םע םילסש המ ירה הליחתהשכ ,ונייה ונחנא הככו .םינבלה עברא לש האווסה רותב ,הזה .שיא הרשע-הנומש ףתרמב ונייה ,היצקאה ?םיכרצה תא ונישע הפיא ?המש ונבשי ונחנא ךיא תבשוח םויה ינא

ונבכש .ללכב רכזיהל הלוכי אל ינא ?ונלכא ונחנא המ ?וניתש ונחנא המ

ירמגלו ,הלאה םינבלהמ ויה תוריקה ביבסמ ,לוחמ התייה הפצרה ,הככ

לש ינשה ףתרמל היה ידיחיה חתפה .רבד םוש ילב ,חתפ ילב .רוגס

קילדהל היה רשפא יאש ,ףתרמב הזכ בצמל ונעגה ונחנא .תוריפה תונח לכה היהו ,םיאצוי ונייה תאז לכב ונחנא ברעבו .ריווא היה אל -רורפג ״.םידוהי ויהי אל רבכש היהי הז ךיא בושחל ונלחתה ונחנאו .תמ ,קיר

ונלוכי .סורהה תיבה לש תוסירהה ןיב רתתסהלו תדרל רשפאש םילבח ״.תאזה גגה תיילעב םינש םש תבשל אובחמה

Dall-E Prompt: "Generate an illustration that shows an attic on a ruined house in Warsaw in 1943, with a wooden floor, beds, food, water and medicine. Next to it a ruined of a bombed house, with rope ladders to descend and hide among the ruins of the destroyed house"

The main thing was that we had the entire attic for ourselves. We had beds there, we had food, we had water, we had medicine. We even had two holes in the wall because the second house remained shattered from the explosion of 39’, and we had rope ladders to descend and hide among the ruins of the destroyed house. We could sit there for years in this attic.

“[...] How was the bunker? Where we lived inside the basement, in Poland... What do you call it? Shelters, small shelters. So they made a hole and placed a ladder, and that’s how we descended. And then when there were Aktions, everyone would descend. There could be 40-50 people inside it. There were many rooms there. We descended into this shelter, into the bunker, and they closed the cover, and on the cover, they placed a bed so it wouldn’t be visible. And we were there. From time to time, they would send a child to see if it was quiet or not. If it was quiet, they would come back [...]”

“[...] We descended into our bunker. There was a bunker in Rabindzeglasa, there were four rooms. One was for the restroom, one for food, and in one room, we slept. It was a large room. But we heard gunfire. We even heard cannons, missiles [...]”

לעו ,הסכמה תא הרזח ומשו ,רקנובה ךותל ,הזה טלקמה ךותל ונדרי םעפמ .םש ונייה ונחנאו .םיאור ויה אלש הככ הטימ ומש הסכמה ויה ,טקש היה .אל וא טקש שי םא תוארל דלי הזיא םיחלוש ויה םעפל ״]...[ הרזח םירזוח

העברא ויה ,הסלגאזניבארב רקנוב היה .ונלש רקנובה ךותל ונדרי ]...[״ ונבכש ונחנא דחא רדחבו ,לכוא ליבשב דחא ,םיתוריש היה דחא .םירדח ״]...[ םינוריווא

Friday, 30.4.43

[...] Today we didn’t hand out any coffee, because a waterline had burst Mr. Sowa’s shelter. He closed the tap (i.e., turned it off). For the first time we draw water from our well. It can be used only for cooking because it hasn’t been filtered for about two months. Our shelter is like a sauna, meaning it’s so hot here. Lack of air is getting worse all the time. [...]

Morning, Sunday, 2.5.43

[...] I am on guard duty right now, and have still two hours left. Below I sketch the diagram of our bunker with all the entrance. The idea of constructing [a] bunker came up only after the January Aktion.

The diagram of our bunker Mila Street

[Clockwise]

Underground entrance

Main air [pipe]

Well

Latrine

4 electric ranges

[Beneath]

Entrance through the trapdoor(Judas)

Sleeping Bunks

[On the left]

The wall of the building up to the gate

Defensive embankment (rampart)

We had always believed that one should hide well. People who had work permits, and showed up during the blockades were taken away. Only those who went into hiding remained. This was the reason bunker construction became common. People set to work day and night with enthusiasm: for example, bed-bunks, floors, stairs were constructed, a well was dug. The timber for construction was taken from apartments (i.e, abandoned apartments).

Book: Fresh Wounds - Early Narratives of Holocaust Survival • p. 115

[...] [At Schultz’s workshop] people worked at furriery, shoemaking, [and] various trades. One of the largest shops. At that time I still had an uncle, a brother, and a sister. We were [living] together. In 1943 after the ghetto purge we perceived that the time was coming for Schultz’s as well. During the second Seder night we went down into the bunker, entirely under the ground, very deep underground. Without windows, air, or anything.Thirty-odd people were living in that bunker. We had been preparing for months in advance. We knew that a moment would arrive when they would make Warsaw completely Jew-free. [...]

Interviewer: How did people sleep and eat there?

We had made makeshift beds. As for eating, we lived on whatever we could. Because food did not enter one’s mind. They took us out on a Friday at one o’clock. [Earlier] the same day people who were discovered in bunkers were taken to the headquarters of the Jewish Council and shot. Fate wanted us to remain alive, and we were taken out and searched. [...]

Henrik Brisker

The constant dilution led to a feverish construction of both good and bad shelters. Some people built according to their own ideas in complete secrecy, while others engaged with trusted engineers. The secrecy from the neighbors did not stem from fear of betrayal, although caution had to be exercised, but rather because the limited spaces intended for shelters could accommodate only a very small number of people. Experience has shown that during times when it was necessary to hide from the Germans, people who had no predetermined shelter forcibly entered a hiding place known to them, causing overcrowding that made living conditions unbearable. Poor ventilation did not allow for fresh air flow. The shelters became terrifying places of torture.

Difficulties in water supply, sewage, electricity, and smart ventilation of the entrance were solved in various ways. As an example, I describe a few shelter designs:

First example: Disconnecting the gas in all floors of the building by blocking the doors and covering the walls of the adjacent room with wallpaper to conceal the signs of recent construction. Entry was through the roof, with a reserved exit from the apartment on the ground floor to the adjacent house’s sealed basement, from which a ladder led to a door made in the small well of the water meter. Passing between the floors was done through the false ceilings of all disconnected rooms.

Second example: Placing a brick oven next to the wall of the disconnected room and connecting the oven to a pipe in a portable tube. The oven, placed on spherical supports, could be moved from the connection fixed on the new wall.

Third example: Connecting the water pipe to the wall of the disconnected room and installing a high-sided paper basin that concealed the connection on the wall.

Fourth example: Entry through a door in the workshop floor to a sealed basement [prepared] for the workshop employees. The connection points of the removed floorboards were reinforced with the legs of a workbench installed with two “donkeys” and a plank. The “donkeys” were equipped with two evening and morning planks that were freely placed above the floor. One of them, attached to the “donkey,” served as a real reinforcement, while the plank of the other “donkey” was attached along its entire length to the connection line of the door and served as a handle for lifting it. The two sides of the door touched the planks attached around the walls at a right angle, and the fourth side touched the parallel floor planks.

רונת תבצה :היינש המגוד

רדחה לש ריקה דיל םיחירא

הבוראל רונתה רוביחו קתונש

בצוהש

,רונתה תא .דיינ רוניצב

רשפא םיירודכ םיבסמ לע

לע עבקנש רוביחה ןמ זיזהל

.שדחה ריקה

ששחמ העבנ אל רפסמ קר ליכהל ולכי םיטלקמל ודעונש םימצמוצמה תומוקמהש םושמ רתתסהל ךירצ היהש תועשב יכ חיכוה ןויסינה .םישנא לש דואמ טעומ שארמ עובק טלקמ םוקמ םהל היה אלש םישנא וסינ םינמרגה ינפמ הרשפא אלש תופיפצ ומרגו םהל עודי היהש רותסמ לא חוכב סנכיהל םיטלקמה .חצ ריווא לש המרזה רשפא אל עורגה רורוואה .אתווצב םייח .םימויא םייוניע תומוקמל וכפה

תמכוחמ האווסהו למשחו בויב ,םימ תקפסה לש תושקה תויעבה תא

םיטלקמ ראתמ ינא המגודה םשל .תונוש תורוצב ורתפ הסינכה לש ...ינונכת ירפ םידחא

ןודינה ןיינבה לש תומוקה לכב ןוטיקה קותינ :הנושארה המגודה הנה

םיטפטב ךומסה רדחה לש תוריקה יופיחו תותלדה לש המיסח ידי לע תיילע ךרד הסינכה .היירטה היינבה תדובע לש םינמיסה תמלעה םשל לש םוטאה ףתרמה לא עקרקה תמוקב הרידה ןמ תיברזר האיצי ,גגה ראבב השענש חתפ לא הלעת הכילומ ונממו ,ץצפוהש ךומסה תיבה

לכ לש תורקתה ךרד ליבוה תומוקה ןיב רבעמ .םימה דדומ לש הריעזה .םיקתונמה םירדחה

רוביחו קתונש רדחה לש ריקה דיל םיחירא רונת תבצה :היינש המגוד םיירודכ םיבסמ לע בצוהש ,רונתה תא .דיינ רוניצב הבוראל רונתה .שדחה ריקה לע עבקנש רוביחה ןמ זיזהל רשפא רויכ תנקתהו קתונמה רדחה ריק לע םימה תרנצ רוביח :תישילש המגוד .ריקה לע רוביחה תא הריתסמה ההובג ןפוד לעב ריינ

םוסח ףתרמ לא הכאלמה תיב תפצרב חתפ ךרד הסינכ :תיעיבר המגוד הפצרה ישרק לש רוביחה תומוקמ .ןודינה הכאלמה תיב ידבועל ]ןכוהש[ "םירומח" ינשמ ןקתוהש הכאלמה תיב ןחלוש יערכב ווסוה ורסונש ןפואב םיחנומ ויהש ברעו יתש םישרקב םידיוצמ ויה "םירומח"ה .חולו שמיש ,"רומח"ל דומצ היהש ,םהמ דחא .הפצרה לעמ עופישב ישפוח לא וכרוא לכל דומצ היה רחאה "רומחה" לש שרקה וליאו ,שממ קוזיחל חתפה לש םידדצה ינש .ותמרהל תידי שמשמו חתפה לש רוביחה וק עגנ יעיברה דצהו ,תוריקה ביבס ודמצוהש םישרקב הרשי תיווזב ועגנ .הזל הז ליבקמב םיחנומה הפצרה ישרקב

Fifth example: Entering an atomic shelter through an underground ramp beneath the wall. People entered through a concealed revolving drum in the ground: the person entering would place the cover on top of it, which had a small opening [added]. After placing the cover, they would extend their hand through the small opening and cover the entire surface with sand and plaster debris, and then cover the cover and the small opening in the same manner. All of this was equipped with a handle from below, making it convenient to use. This facility was located in the corner behind the door that opened into an adjacent basement. The advantage of this setup was that when the door opened, it stopped on top of the covered drum.

Sixth example: A small concrete well was built with an iron container inside, attached to the wall. Water flowed into the container through a rubber pipe and was discharged at the bottom, which was equipped with a stopper. When the container was lowered, it was possible to enter the shelter, and after lowering the container, it would be filled with water and placed inside through a small opening. When they wanted to exit the shelter, they would overflow the water from below and lift the container. On top of the fresh water, they would automatically scatter dust to make it appear as if it were dirty water that had been standing for a long time.

There were also shelters installed with great effort and expense beneath basements. Inside them, according to their capacity, there were compartments or other bunks for ten, twenty, fifty, or three hundred people. Water was usually purified, filtered, and often pumped using independent pumps. Electricity was mostly supplied directly from the main connection of the generator.

I knew shelters that were installed in the cellars of transformers, which, as usual, were closed behind iron doors with small windows and outside had a warning sign with a skull. In these cellars, a high-voltage cable was placed on the iron door, and in front of it, they placed a wet rag. This was done to deter anyone attempting to enter. These shelters had the undeniable advantage of being completely dry and warm, allowing people to lie on the floor even on cold days.

In the shelter where I stayed for two days, there was a small ventilation opening facing the street. I utilized it as a projector: I installed a white screen on the dark gate across and obtained inverted images of the street movement in this way.

םיימוי יתיהש ובש טלקמב

הנפש ןטק רורווא בנשא היה

אופא ותוא יתלצינ .בוחרל

ןבל ךסמ יתנקתה :רוטק'זורפכ

ךרדבו לוממש לפאה רעשה לע

לש תוכופה תונומת יתגשה וז

.בוחרב העונתה

לכמה לא ומרזוה םימה .לזרב

סנכיהל רשפא היה לכמה תא ודירוהשכ .םותסשב תדיוצמ

המינפ ותוא םיסינכמו םימ ותוא םיאלממ ויה לכמה תדרוה ירחאו הטמלמ םימה תא םיעפוש ויה טלקמה ןמ תאצל וצר רשאכ .ןטק חתפ יטמוטוא ןפואב םירזפמ ויה םיירטה םימה ינפ לע .לכמה תא םילעמו .בר ןמז הז םידמועה םיכלכולמ םימ ומכ וארייש ידכ קבא

םכותב .םיפתרמל תחתמ בר ריחמבו ץמאמב ונקתוהש םיטלקמ םג ויה ינב 300 ,50 ,20 ,הרשעל םירחא םיעוצי וא םישגרד ויה ,םחפנ יפל .תויאמצע תובאשמב תובורק םיתיעל ובאשנו וננוס ,וחדקנ םימ .םדא .יאנשה לש ישארה רוביחהמ תורישי בור יפ לע קפוס למשחה

םירוגס םה ליגרכש ,םיאנש לש םיאתב ונקתוהש םיטלקמ יתרכה םע הרהזא חול םיאשונ םה ץוחבו תוניירושמ לזרב תותלד ירוחאמ ומש הינפלו ,לזרבה תלד לע הובג חתמ לבכ חנוה הלא םיאתב .תלוגלוג .המינפ סנכיהל הסניש ימ לכ עיתרהל ידכ השענ רבדה .בוטר טוטרמס םימחו ירמגל םישבי ויהש רערועמ יתלבה ןורתיה היה הלאה םיטלקמל .רופכ ימיב ףא הפצרה לע בכשל רשפא היהש דע

יתלצינ .בוחרל הנפש ןטק רורווא בנשא היה םיימוי יתיהש ובש טלקמב לוממש לפאה רעשה לע ןבל ךסמ יתנקתה :רוטק'זורפכ אופא ותוא .בוחרב העונתה לש תוכופה תונומת יתגשה וז ךרדבו

Dall-E Prompt: "Create an illustration that depicts an underground room in Warsaw in 1943, show a man facing a white bedsheet hanging on the wall in front of him. On the sheet, an inverted image of the street movement being displayed."

Pictures from the Scharf Rafael Felix (doctor) Collection are taken from the Imperial War Museums (IWM) © IWM HU 60639

Screenshots from the Muzeum POLIN film "There was no hope. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 19th April 1943". Materials taken from archival collections of The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, USC Shoah Foundation, Filmoteki Narodwej, Telewizji Polskiej S.A

Pictures by Heinrich Jost are credited to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Guenther Schwarberg

Tamar Ben-Joya acknowledges the USC Shoah Foundation for its support of this research

The following survivors' testimonies were taken from the USC Shoah Foundation:

Frieda Kliger Estelle Laughlin Pinchas Gutter Larry Lesser Tola Hauptman Danna Fast

Blake Schiff Eddy Yagodzinsky Renia Britstone Lusia Haberfeld Hela Blumenthal

Haim Zilberstein · Guta Fleising · Sophie Rosenthal · Mikhal Hefer · Erna Rosenthal Irving Milchberg

Henry Tiger 'Adah Rakots Renata Roz Eddie Bachner Sima Blatman Terezah Horniker

Jack Baum Li'on Kopelman

The following survivors' testimonies were taken from The Fortunoff Video Archive:

Roma B. Helena C. Hirsch A. Anna Anka Rochman Halina B.

The following survivors' testimonies were taken from The Yad Vashem Archive:

Zola Brightbert Shlomo Sekrovich Leon Neiberg