1 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: I ever said I was your shif. Did you a shift? 2 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: Could you just say, welcome back to she Pivots, Welcome 3 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 2: to she Perfect, Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm your host, 4 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: Emily Tis Susman. We're releasing this episode in honor of Holocaust, 5 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 2: a of remembrance. I'm honored to be sharing the story 6 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 2: of Elizabeth Ballack, who is the author of Renie's Diary. 7 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 2: This book is an extraordinary recount written by her sister 8 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: during the start of World War Two. Just like Anne Frank, 9 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,959 Speaker 2: Renya's Diary is a record of her daily life as 10 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: the Nazis spread through Europe. It's a moving and harrowing 11 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 2: account of what happened during that time, and I want 12 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: to take a moment. As a Jewish woman, the last 13 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 2: six months have been extremely difficult. It's been a mixture 14 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: of disappointment, confusion, anger, and most of all, fear. I'm 15 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 2: so honored to have a platform to be able to 16 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 2: share stories like Elizabeth, like renye'z. Those who went through 17 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 2: the tragedies of World War Two and the Holocaust are 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 2: getting older and their stories are more important than ever 19 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: and relevant as ever. Speaking with Elizabeth, it was fascinating 20 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: to hear how she and her mother survived the war, 21 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: and even more fascinating to understand the perspective that she 22 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 2: has now looking back on her experience, something she experienced 23 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 2: over eighty years ago. Like many survivors, Elizabeth struggled to 24 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 2: confront the traumas of her past after building a life 25 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: here in America. It wasn't until she was married with 26 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: children that she even knew anything about her sister Renya's diary, 27 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: and it wasn't until a few years ago that she 28 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: had the strength to read it. Elizabeth's life is steeped 29 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: in a pivot that was forced upon her at a 30 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: young age, and it's dictated how she views and approaches 31 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: her life. I hope you get as much out of 32 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 2: this episode as I did speaking with Elizabeth. 33 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: Hi, my name is I was born ariana speaker. Then 34 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: when during the war, when I was about ten, I 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: was baptized and they named me elizabus Yaroslava Aricha Lushinshka. 36 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: It was on false papers, and when I married George Bellach, 37 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: who was six weeks old, I became Elizamus Bellach, but 38 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: still Elizabeth Why Belach? So right now? My name is 39 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: Elizabes Bella. 40 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: Elizabeth previously Arianna, as she mentioned, was born in Poland 41 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 2: in nineteen thirties to an upper middle class family. She 42 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: was the younger of the two siblings. Between her and Rhenya, she. 43 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: Was six years older than I. My sister was an 44 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: extremely intelligent girl. My grandmother sent her outside of school 45 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: to this professor, yes Sina. He was a Polonistic professor. 46 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: So her Polish was beautiful. And you know, during when 47 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: we were in Warsaw and they read part of the books, 48 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: they say that she was so sophistic. There was a 49 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: lady who was a literary clitic and she read some 50 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: passages of my sisters, you know work, and she said, 51 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: how great was the Polish. I remember how we lived, 52 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: How wonderful she was. She was so romantic. She loved love, 53 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: She liked the birds, thing, she likes the windlow, She 54 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: saw the as tencha, you know, the rainbow. She saw 55 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: every beauty in everything. My sister, I mean, she was 56 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: just great. My sister unfortunate. She had to go to school. 57 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: And when my mother took me to be on the actress, 58 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: she could not manage my sister. But my sister adored 59 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: my mother. And in the book that she writes, she 60 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: writes that in every chapter, and she missed my mother terribly, 61 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: and she missed the warm hands, the hug, the feeling 62 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: of having the mother. She missed it terribly. And every 63 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: step of the way. She writes, timmy promoter's bulue she 64 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: brought it. We used to call my mother bullu whatever. 65 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 1: And she writes, you will help me, mom and God. 66 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,239 Speaker 2: So you were called the Polish Shirley Temple. 67 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: Oh yes I was. I was Paul Shirley Temple, and 68 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: I had a wonderful life. So there was this lady 69 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: in Warsaw. My mother took me to Warsaw. My sister 70 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: stayed with my grandparents in the town of Sheemish in Poland. 71 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: She studied and stayed there, and my mother took me 72 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: to become an actress. So there was a lady in 73 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: Warsaw who lived in the palace. Her name was Alcisceska. 74 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: She was Jewish and she used to be an actress herself, 75 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: and she took me under her wing, and she taught 76 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: me all these wonderful poems, which I still remember many 77 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: of and I became an actress. I was in two movies. 78 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: One was called Granita and one was called Gehenna. And 79 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: they wrote about me in the magazine and said this 80 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: is now a wonder child. My mother saved that, so 81 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: she had a little strip that's in the book and 82 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: it says Ariyana Polish sharing Temple. And I was on 83 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: the radio when I was five years old telling my 84 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: sister's poetry. Actually, so my mother thought that my sister 85 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: was gifted in writing and I had a gift in speaking. 86 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: I was also always in person in a nightclub called 87 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: Serruris Varshavski, and I resided many poems. So I recited 88 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: poems of Julian Tuviman and Jan Yesha. They were wonderful, 89 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: wonderful people, and they loved the way I recited the poems. 90 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: So this is what I did when I was Shirley Temple. 91 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: Do you remember when you started acting? Did you have 92 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: dreams of being like a lifelong actress. So my career 93 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: started when I was really quite young. My mother thought 94 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: I was good. I yess I was. They sent me 95 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: to ballet school, they sent me for piano lessons, they 96 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: sent me everywhere to study. So I figured, well that's 97 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: my career. So I went to school very little, but 98 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: I studied, you know, how to act, and I was 99 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: the famous actresses in the movies, and I was very happy. 100 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: And then it was a summer of thirty nine. That's 101 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: why we have all these pictures. My mother was in 102 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: Warsaw and she sent me to my grandparents. I would 103 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: join my sister for the summer. When the war broke out, so, 104 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: of course my career was finished and I just forgot 105 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: about it. I just went to Russian school. The Soviet 106 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: occupied that town. A sterile life. But how my career 107 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: was gone. 108 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 2: Do you remember for you the first time you started 109 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: to feel things shift. 110 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: During the war when the Soviets arrived in nineteen thirty nine. 111 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: That was fighting. 112 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: You know, you were. 113 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: Petrified walking on the street. The Germans start taking the 114 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: coat away, the fur coat, they took the piano, they this, 115 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: they died. I mean they came to the house, you 116 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: took you paying I don't know what. It was a 117 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: terrible situation. So when the Germans came live, became here, 118 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: they were shooting Jews right away. You had to wear 119 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: a star. I didn't because I wasn't twelve yet. My 120 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 1: sister had to wear stars we were forbidden to go 121 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: to school. They came, they confiscated our piano. My grandpa 122 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: gave away all the fur coats to the Ukrainian men. 123 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: They started to make actions and they started to build 124 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: the ghetto. 125 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 3: For many months, the occupiers considered a project to create 126 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 3: a Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, including its plan and location. 127 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 3: In the end, it was decided to create a ghetto 128 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 3: in the very heart of this metropolis. 129 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: So now we are with the Germans and life is terrible. 130 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: There's building a ghetto. We lived in our building, and 131 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: the policeman comes and says, we have to move. We 132 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 1: can only take twenty five kill each person. Now what's 133 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: twenty five KILLO? It's nothing. So my grandfa knows the 134 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 1: police when he's Polish. He gives him something in our 135 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: little bit, this and that money, of course, and it 136 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: says to him this and maybe you let us stay awhile. 137 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: So we are lucky. We stay in a while in 138 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: our place, and then in the summer of forty two 139 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: we finally have to move. So we are now in 140 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: getto well. 141 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 2: Elizabeth lived in the ghetto with her grandfather, still united 142 00:10:57,679 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 2: with her sister. Her mother lived in Warsaw. 143 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: So we had a little communication with my mother and 144 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: it was really pretty bad. My sister, you know, she 145 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: took care of me like my mother. When the Germans 146 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: were on one side of the river Son and we 147 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: were on this side on the river, and these were 148 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: the Soviets and these were the Germans. So one day 149 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: my mom came from the German side to the German 150 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: side there and we somehow we smuggled through, I don't know. 151 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: So we saw her and we found out she was alive. 152 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: You know, there was some big story because we only 153 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: saw her very little. And then she went back to Warsaw. 154 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: She couldn't come back to us, and then we stayed 155 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: and went to Russian school. My sister writes about it 156 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: in the book. Now, when she was under the Russians 157 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,679 Speaker 1: in the school, she is the write poetry for every 158 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: professor said we needed for this or that she would 159 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: present it with the poem. She was a little president 160 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: of the literary club. She was in some Russian paper. 161 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 1: So she had a friend. Now she becoming friend. How 162 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: we got the diary, you know. So Zigmund Swarza is 163 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: her boyfriend. He's very cute guy. Oh my god, he 164 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: has green eyes, curly dark hair. He's jest, gorgeous guy, 165 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: and he loves my sister. 166 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: Zigmund becomes integral to both Elizabeth's survival and the survival 167 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 2: of Renia's diary. 168 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: Zigmund becomes a friend. The girls are all jealous, and 169 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: my sister is jealous. Here you know half of these 170 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: poems to green eyes and whatever else, and some about 171 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: the terrible war. So now we living in legircho, my 172 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: sister and I very short time. 173 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 2: Pressure was building and building quickly, so Zigmund took on 174 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 2: the responsibility to save Renya, Elizabeth, and his parents, later 175 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: writing in the diary this passage quote, First of all, 176 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 2: dear Diary, please forgive me for wandering into your pages 177 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 2: and trying to carry on the work of somebody I'm 178 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 2: not worthy of. Let me tell you that Renia didn't 179 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 2: get the work permit stamp she needed to avoid being deported, 180 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 2: so she has to stay in hiding. My dear parents 181 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 2: have also been refused work permit stamps. I swear to 182 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 2: God in history that I will save the three people 183 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 2: who are dearest to me, even if it cost me 184 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 2: my own life. 185 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: So Zigmont takes his mother, the father was a doctor also, 186 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: and my sister. He takes him. I don't know how 187 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: he teaches him who he drives out of They get them, 188 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: so he takes them out and they're going to hide 189 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: the garret and me, I don't know who she rives. 190 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: He takes me out and I go to Jica's house. 191 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: So Zigmund takes me there, and I stayed there a 192 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: week and when somebody knocks on the door, they shoved 193 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: me under the bed. You know, I don't know. By 194 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: now my sister is died, and so are his parents. 195 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: Somebody ritage on them and they kill them. 196 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 2: Three three shots, three lives lost. It happened last night 197 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: at ten thirty pm. Fate decided to take my dearest 198 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 2: ones away from me. My life is over all I 199 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 2: can hear are shots shots, shots, My dearest Rhia, the 200 00:14:55,880 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 2: last chapter of your diary is complete. Still in hiding, 201 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 2: Elizabeth had no idea her sister had just been killed, 202 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 2: as Sigmund made arrangements for her to escape with a 203 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 2: Christian man named Vesinski. 204 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: Chris was the story. My impact gives me a little 205 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: lunch box to take and he says that inside is 206 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: you know, there are golds twenty dollars gold notes, and 207 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: they are paced to my little thing inside and some 208 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: gold things in the handle. And he says, you know, 209 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: you probably need some money. Sometime she'll be able to 210 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: sell it, and you have a little money if you need. 211 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: So all I have is just a little lunch box, 212 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: a little dress and a coat. That's all I have. 213 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 2: Standing on the press pits of escape, little Elizabeth clenched 214 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 2: her lunchbox on the train station platform, her last connection 215 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: to her family. 216 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: So I see the first time the railroad station that 217 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: I was going to with what fear. And we have 218 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: to change in crack off and then crack off there 219 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: are all this gifts stop on people and with the dogs, 220 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, those big shepherd dogs, and everybody has to 221 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: show the papers what it is, you know. And he's 222 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: holding me by my head, says this is my daughter. 223 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: I have nothing, no papers, nothing, and that's it. We 224 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: take anothersh train to go to Warshaw now and we 225 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: come to the station in Warshaw and the guy suddenly 226 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: appears and set and you know, frightened. I'm scared. So 227 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:10,399 Speaker 1: I'm about nine, and he says, you are tearing a 228 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: Jewish child. So he's telling it to mister Rashushki and 229 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: he turns to him. Now he was nice looking man 230 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: with him, you know, mustache, elegant, and he says, gets 231 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: her red and he said, if you think anything like that, 232 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: I'm going to kill you. The man runs away and 233 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: I'm saved. 234 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 2: He took her to live with the butt of your family, 235 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 2: owners of a hotel. The husband is a Christian man 236 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 2: who married a Jewish woman named Helena Pareta. 237 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: She had two children. She lived on a fancy street. 238 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: She had a butler. You know, they were wealthy. Not 239 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: Bereda is helping us. They helped my mother to get 240 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: the false papers. Help Clada Jewish and he helping me. 241 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: So now he's gonna baptize me and they get me 242 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: the papers. If it wasn't for the Christian guy, I 243 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: wouldn't be here. But it was real, real. He took 244 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: me under this. You know, he could have been killed 245 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: any minutes, and his kids and his wife, but he 246 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: wanted to save my life. 247 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 2: It was there the little Ariana was baptized and named 248 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 2: Elizabeth to hide her in plain sight. 249 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: And I stay there for a while with my mom, 250 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: but they shoved me into a convent. One convident after another. 251 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 2: When you were baptized, and when you started moving from 252 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 2: convent to convent, did you think of it as just 253 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 2: a way to survive and you still thought of yourself 254 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 2: as Jewish? Or did you really believe? 255 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 1: Now, I didn't know anything about the Catholic religion. What 256 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: did I know? But the nuns ruth that I was Jewish. 257 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: Now only the nuns know that I'm Jewish baptized, nobody else, 258 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: And I feel funny. I must tell you, I'm put 259 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: into this situation that she's so novel. Not show me, 260 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: but I play my role. 261 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 2: Elizabeth remained at the convent until her mother was able 262 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 2: to find work under her false papers and move Elizabeth 263 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 2: in with her. 264 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: My mother takes me where she lives, and she works 265 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: in the hotel Offa and I live with her. Now 266 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: I'm so happy. You know, I got away from this convent. 267 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 2: How old are you about now? 268 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: Ten eleven? Yeah? And every Sunday we always go to church. 269 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 2: So your mother used the connection start working for Americans 270 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 2: and then used the connection to get to America. 271 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: A German Man, he's an officer, falls in love with 272 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: my mom. So he falls in love. He wants to 273 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 1: Maria and said Maria, let's your name. He gives all 274 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: kinds of papers now and we get into an ambulance 275 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: with a couple of suitcases. It was a big red 276 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: Cross and they take us to the German line to Germany. 277 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 2: They drove down through Dresden, Berlin and all the way 278 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 2: through to Austria, where her mother found work. Not quite free, 279 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 2: but safe. 280 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: And it's the Americans who freed us in Bathgastani and 281 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: they're coming in and we are just so enthused to 282 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: see that now maybe we could be alive. So she 283 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 1: gets a job with the Americans. She and her mother 284 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: would continue to live in Europe for the next year, 285 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: making sure to keep their cover. So of course you 286 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: go to church in Germany every day. We lived there 287 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: a year, so then we finally get freed. 288 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 2: Finally freed. Her mother knew that life for her and 289 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 2: Elizabeth was not possible in Germany, so she began to 290 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 2: arrange plans to either go to France or America. 291 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: She says, she's going to America. She just wanted a 292 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: new life. She was lost everything, everybody. So my mom 293 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: decided what she was going to do. So she goes 294 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: to America and the son of the Noubilia comes and 295 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: gets us at the boat. It was called Marine Marlene, 296 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 1: a diggy little boat. We went to Breyman House, Bremen, 297 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: where we lived also in a little camp till we 298 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: left the boat. And it was December of forty six. 299 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: It was after the war, and my mother did everything. 300 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 1: I don't know how she did so fast. The war 301 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: was over in forty five. She had all these jobs. 302 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: She was just great. 303 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 2: Finally they made it to America, ready to leave behind 304 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 2: the horrors of their life before and build a new. 305 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: So my mother sends me to a boarding school because 306 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: I have no place to live, and she gets a 307 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:43,479 Speaker 1: job in Greenwich, in Kent House. My mother sent me. 308 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 1: They gave me a scholarship. She had no money, so 309 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: I went there. I graduated in nineteen forty nine. 310 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,439 Speaker 2: Elizabeth was a brilliant student and went on to study 311 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 2: at Columbia University, where she received her master's degree in 312 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 2: child psychology. She later went on to teach in New 313 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 2: York City, which is where she met her late husband, 314 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 2: George Bellack. 315 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: I met him teaching high school. I used to teach 316 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: school for twenty seven years in New York City. But 317 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 1: I retired in nineteen ninety five. I was a public 318 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: school teacher. First I thought, I have two lice Russias, 319 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: three licenses, one for Russian, one for German, and one 320 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: for elementary school. Since they didn't teach my languages anymore. 321 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: I went to Columbia undergraduate. I have a master's in 322 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 1: child psychology, but I needed three points to be a 323 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: guidance counselor buy in field going back to school. So 324 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: my husband had a doctorate from Columbia and she taught 325 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: school and college for forty five years. 326 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 2: She and George had two kids, her daughter Alexandra and 327 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 2: her son Andrew, and built a beautiful life, setting aside 328 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 2: the difficult journey to get there, until one day Sigmund 329 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 2: showed up at her mother's doorstep with her sister Rennie's diary. 330 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: He finds my mother in New York and he comes 331 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,880 Speaker 1: with this diary. We haven't seen him. 332 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 2: How we found my mom? 333 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: It was it was nothing like today, and he finds 334 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: it and there it is. She finds me and my moa. 335 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: Of course, you can't imagine the crying and the hand on. 336 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 2: You know, the premise of this show is that sometimes 337 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 2: things happen to us, and when we're in it, we 338 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 2: think this is terrible, I'm never going to come out 339 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 2: of this, and then we become who we are after 340 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 2: it because of that thing that happened to us. So 341 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 2: looking back, can you think of one moment where you thought, Okay, 342 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 2: this is terrible, I'm never going to come out of 343 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 2: this and that Tournto positive When we were in neghetto, 344 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 2: I thought that was the end. 345 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: You have no idea behind those wires. 346 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 2: This part of the audio is a bit difficult to understand, 347 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 2: but Elizabeth made the connection between the atrocities she and 348 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 2: so many other Jews experienced and how it led to 349 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 2: the creation and publication of her sister's diary. 350 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: It was because of my daughter that this book is existing, 351 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: because it was in the vault. My mom never read it, 352 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: neither did I. I started to translate and cry. 353 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 2: The diary sat in the safety deposit box and possession 354 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 2: of Elizabeth's mother until her tragic early death at the 355 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 2: age of just sixty three. From there, it was Elizabeth's daughter, 356 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 2: Alexandra who pushed to understand what the diary said. Once 357 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 2: she got a taste, she knew it was not only 358 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 2: a historic document, but a brilliant piece of literary work. 359 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 2: She worked tirelessly for over twenty years to accurately translate 360 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 2: the more than six hundred page diary. 361 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: And finally the book is translated into twenty two languages. 362 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: It's so because of my daughter. 363 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: You know. 364 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: I was Christian, of course, and I went to church 365 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: for years and all that. But because I was born 366 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: Jewish and now that the situation is bad, I wanted 367 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: to defend the Jewish. Why should they be so murdered again, 368 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: that's no right, There's so few Jews around, for God's sake, 369 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: Why should they be murdered all the time? Hate like that? Hey, 370 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: it's terrible. It never was like this when I came 371 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: here nineteen forty six. Wasn't that bad? It just developed Now. 372 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 2: I want to get more of your opinion on this 373 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 2: because I think for me, as a young Jewish person 374 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 2: who grew up basically without anti Semitism, I really wasn't 375 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 2: aware that it existed in the same way that it did. 376 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 2: It concerns me right now that not just the rise 377 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 2: of anti Semitism, but the apathy I think from non 378 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 2: Jewish people concerns me that it feels comparable to the 379 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 2: apathy in nineteen thirties and forties. 380 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: Well, you suddenly see people ya don't want to die. 381 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: I understand the Palestinians, but it's not well, you know what, 382 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: it's fault here and there. I don't think that Nata 383 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: Yahoo was right what she was doing a trouble team. 384 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: He wasn't aware that the people were right there, you know, 385 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: rather than fighting with their own people. Right, that wasn't 386 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:44,880 Speaker 1: so good. There should be unity for God's sake. Look 387 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: how we watched that woman gold on my ear, look 388 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 1: for a great woman. Not there was unity. You know. 389 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 1: The Jewish a very small group. They've got to have unity. 390 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: Why people full of religion, Hey, you go to church, pray, 391 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 1: you go to synago, you pray, you go to a 392 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: marsk pray, you praise the God. Why if you praise 393 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 1: your God you kill the other guy for God? Why? 394 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 2: Terrible? 395 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 1: That's why I say for me important to say that 396 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 1: there should be more tolerance in the world. We need tolerance, 397 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: we need acceptance. I know what suddenly happened. You know, 398 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: it's weird and it's in a short time, right, So 399 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: my sister's book is very up up to it. 400 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 2: Well, I know that we want to have time to 401 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 2: go upstairs and play the piano, which I'm very excited 402 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 2: to see. But I know that we just need to 403 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 2: get us saying goodbye and thank you so we can 404 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 2: wrap it up. So thank you so much, Elizabeth. 405 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: Well, it was lovely to you. 406 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 4: Thank you as well, Stiff bye, nice, got you, shed. 407 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: That's got you, You get everybody else. 408 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 2: At ninety five, Elizabeth still lives in Manhattan and talks 409 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 2: proudly of her children and grandchildren. Standing at fairly five feet, 410 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 2: Elizabeth has a wonderfully large presence and zest for life. 411 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 2: Be sure to pick up a copy of Rena's diary. 412 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 2: It is truly a story important document. To learn more 413 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 2: about Elizabeth, you can actually follow her daughter Alexandra on 414 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 2: Instagram at Alexandra Belleck. Thanks for listening to this episode 415 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 2: of She Pivots. If you've made it this far, you're 416 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 2: a true pivoter, so thanks for being part of this community. 417 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 2: I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you did 418 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 2: leave us a rating, please be nice tell your friends 419 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 2: about us. To learn more about our guests, follow us 420 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 2: on Instagram at she Pivots the podcast, or sign up 421 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 2: for our newsletter. Where you can get exclusive behind the 422 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,480 Speaker 2: scenes content, or on our website, she Pivots the podcast 423 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 2: talk to You Next Week. 424 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 5: Special thanks to the she Pivots team, Executive producer Emily Edavlosk, 425 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 5: Associate producer and social media Connaisur Hannah Cousins, Research director 426 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:55,479 Speaker 5: Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeline Sonovak, and audio 427 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 5: editor and mixer Nina Pollock. 428 00:30:57,840 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: I'm yours, She Pivot