Page 70 - Anne Blufarb's Second World War

ISSUE : Issue 72

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1997/6/1

cause, they said, you couldn't recognize his body by his face at all. And they say somehow his hair grew after he was dead. He cut his hair before he died, and it was longer. But they recognized him by his shoes, by his clothes, and, you know, the watch that he had, the ring.... So they took him out, they put him on that wagon, and they covered him with white sheets. Because Jewish people are buried in white. So they just used the white lin? en sheets and they wrapped him in that. We took a shovel, and we took that cologne, and we were pulling that wagon. My sister, my aunt, my mother, until we came to the cemetery. My father used to say my sister is the smartest. When we came over and we started to dig the grave, she said, "If we ever survive, we wouldn't know where he was buried. Let's count." And she counted so many steps from one fence, so many steps from the other, and she marked it all down so we'll know (where) my father's buried and (some day) we can put a marker. At that time they didn't realize that they were going to kill us all. They were as? suming they'd just kill the men. In Pursuit of the PUBLIC GOOD Essays in Honour of Allan J. MacEachen Edited by Tom Kent A stimulating examination of how government in Canada can pursue the public good both today and tomorrow. Cloth 0-7735-1684-0 $29.95 McGill-Queen's University Press Ask at your favourite bookLStore Or call toll-free: 1-800-565-9523 VISA/MasterCard/American Express accepted Fax for USA and Canadian orders: 1-800-221-9985 Visit our Web Site! http://www.mcgill.ca/mqupress As we were digging the grave, some Germans came in. There were a lot of dead bodies around. They (brought them) from the streets and on those wagons and they just dumped them there. There was a man who used to take out the garbage from our house. They were just going around remov? ing the valuables, robbing the dead peo? ple. Taking whatever they could find--a watch, a ring. They even knocked their teeth out to get the gold. We were digging that grave for my father, and my older sister was crying very much. We couldn't dig the grave, we were all shaking. We dug just so far, and we tried to take my father down. It wasn't long enough. And that man who used to take out the garbage for us, he came over and he said, "Oh, they killed poor Mr. Zucker? man." He said to my mother, "Come on, I give you help." He went down in that grave that we dug, and he just dug out enough to put the head in so it'd be long enough. Not the whole thing. (Just at the bottom of the grave?) Yes. So we just helped him to dig out a round (space) so his head will.... And then they covered him up and..,. What could you do? You'd just cov? er it up. My mother was just glad that she could bury him. That he wasn't left down there. You know, like those other people that they took to burn or--you never knew where they disappeared. So she was just happy that she could bury him. We went home and as in the Jewish religion, we sat down to shiva. (That is, seven days of mourning.) You know, you're not allowed to wear your shoes. Sit and say prayers. (You kept up these traditions, even in that situation?) Right. So we sat down and said the prayers. There was a cousin of mine, a few other men. There has to be so many men to say the prayers. But it was a very difficult time. And we couldn't get all the people we needed. TOBACCO THE FACTS (NC) • Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death and disease in Canada t CHOW VAN f 00 Fully Licensed Restaurant mmTr{vm OPEN DAILY 11 A.M. to 1 A.M. FRI. and SAT. till 2 A.M. SUN. till MIDNIGHT Major Credit Cards Accepted Gift Certificates * Ample Parking Oriental and Canadian Cuisine in a relaxed and elegant dining atmosphere Dally Luncheon Specials Banquet Facilities Available Take Out Orders Delivered A Warm Welcome Excellent Service and Fine Food 460 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney 562-0088 or 539-2825 70

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