THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 39, NO. 25 | FEBRUARY 9, 2018
DEFYING THE ODDS
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
Sonia Warshawski, a Holocaust survivor and subject of the documentary “Big Sonia,” speaks to a packed Curé of Ars Church in Leawood Jan. 28, just one day after Holocaust Memorial Day.
Holocaust survivor recounts harrowing tale of tragedy, triumph By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
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EAWOOD — Sonia Warshawski survived three concentration camps, a death march and a bullet to the chest. But the 92-year-old Holocaust survivor and subject of a documentary film called “Big Sonia” had a surprising message for those gathered at Curé of Ars Church in Leawood on Jan. 28, just one day after Holocaust Memorial Day. “I always start with encouraging the young people to read history,” said Sonia. And then she adds a simple request. “If any hate is in your heart,” she asks, “please take out the hate.” Sonia, who was accompanied by her daughter Regina, is the only Holocaust survivor in the Kansas City area still out speaking about her experience. She lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
Underneath the floorboards Sonia grew up in a Polish town called Miedzyrzec with her parents, brother and sister. Holding up an old photograph of Sonia with her immediate and extended family, Regina pointed out that everyone in the photo was murdered by the Nazis but two — Sonia and her sister. “The statistic in Poland alone is nine out of 10 Jews were murdered in the Holocaust,” said Regina. “Throughout Europe, two out of every three Jews were murdered.” Once Nazis took over their town, Sonia’s family lived in the Miedzyrzec ghetto from 1941 to 1943, said Regina. The Nazis performed six roundups during that time. Each time, the Jews “rounded up” were taken to the train that would transport them to a concentration — or death — camp. Sonia’s grandfather kept the family safe through four roundups
LENTEN REGULATIONS
by hiding them beneath a bedroom’s floorboards. The fifth time, she said, was different. “When they came with German shepherds, they sniffed us out of the hiding,” said Sonia.
Surviving the journey A few lucky Jews, Sonia’s father and sister included, managed to break free from their captors in the melee of the roundup. But Sonia and her mother had no such opportunity and were loaded into a cattle car bound for the Treblinka death camp. Into a cattle car meant for 35 cows were crammed over 100 people. “They put us like sardines,” said Sonia. “You couldn’t move. You couldn’t sit.” Suddenly, the train stopped. “They couldn’t kill the people in Treblinka fast enough,” said Sonia. “So our train was rerailed to Majdanek [concentration camp].
The cattle cars could be no less deadly. Sonia recalled the summer heat during one journey, when many were dying of thirst. “I was standing on dead bodies to reach the little window,” said Sonia. She had a bit of money her mother had given her and, during a stop, was able to stick her hand through a small window draped with wiring to give the cash to a worker in exchange for water. “When I managed to get this little canteen, I managed to take a sip of water,” said Sonia. “Then I tried to give it to my mom. Today, I don’t remember if she managed [to drink it],” she said. “People were just bewildered.” When Sonia and her mom made it to Majdanek, a camp on the outskirts of the Polish town of Lublin, they could see houses close by the camp. “They all knew,” said Sonia. >> See “A MOTHER’S” on page 5
All Catholics 14 years of age and older are obliged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, and all the Fridays of Lent. Catholics 18 to 59 years of age are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday — a fast consisting of one normal meal and two lesser meals, with no eating in between. It is also recommended that Catholics find opportunities throughout the Lenten season to complement their fasts with prayer, reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist, and positive works of charity.