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Sala Garncarz, via the World Jewish Congress Relief and Rehabilitation
Department
Letter to Raizel and Blima Garncarz, in Polish, Bergen-Belsen, Germany, October
10, 1945
NYPL, Dorot Jewish Division, Sala Garncarz Collection
My Beloved Sisters Blima and Raizel,
Unfortunately, fate did not decree that we should finally meet
after six years. However, this does not scare me so much anymore
because I have finally located you, and I hope that we will meet
soon. I had already lost all hope that I would find anyone from
our family. I went back home right after the war ended. Alas,
our home is no more! I found nobody there, and you can imagine
how I felt in my heart when I entered the main gate. It’s
best not to write about it.…
I left Sosnowitz on the same day, since I could not stay
there even a minute longer. We have nobody left, nobody!
I have some regards from Moshe David from 1945, but nothing
specific. Rozia, Sala, and Abram Grünbaum from Olkusch
are there. Rozia married Leo. I have no other news about
anybody else and I don’t expect anybody else to have
survived at the hands of Hitler’s bandits.
I was living in Waldenburg, some 800 kilometers from Sosnowitz.
An acquaintance came by to tell me about a list from Bergen-Belsen
in Sosnowitz, and that your names are on it. The following day
I had a chance to drive to Czechoslovakia but, unfortunately,
I had to stop in Prague for three weeks.
Now I reproach myself that maybe I was too late because of
that. As I entered the American sector, I found out that
you had already left for Sweden. It hit me like a bolt of
lightning but, at the same time, 1 was glad to have the assurance
that you are alive. All along I doubted that you would survive
the “Gehenna” [“Hell”].
Having found out that you were no longer [in Bergen-Belsen],
I stopped in [Ansbach] Germany, near Nuremberg. I am OK here,
and I was promised all kinds of help from American acquaintances,
but I would prefer to be together, finally.
I have a lot of girlfriends, good ones, with whom I spent a lot
of time in camp. In fact, I did not have it bad while I was in
camp, because I had help…. I had some mail from [our sister]
Laja Dina till 1944, but then it stopped coming. I feel sorrowful;
however, we need to accept our fate as others in our situation
do. Now I would be very happy to receive some news from you.
I have the pictures of our dear father and dear mother, together
with all the mail I received from home, starting from the
first minute that I left for camp. All along, I watched it
and guarded it like the eyes in my head, since it was my
greatest treasure.
Thank God I am healthy, 1 look well, so you don’t need
to worry about me. I will send you a recent picture of me, where
you can see me wearing my pullover sweater, which I still have
from home….
Do remember that I am waiting impatiently, for any news from
you. Personally, I don’t know what to write anymore as it
is so hard to remember everything. Please write to me and let
me know who else is still with you. After I receive your first
letter and you let me know whether you need anything, I could
send it to you.
Meanwhile, I will bid you farewell. I kiss you both warmly.
Your sister Sala
