1938
The year is 1938 and we had just been expelled from the local Protestant schools in Gemünd and Schleiden. The Jewish community scrambled to create a one room school in Kall installing Moses Fernbach as teacher.
I remembered a photograph of our new school in H.Dieter Arntz’ book, Judenverfolgung und Fluchthilfe (Persecution of the Jews and Escape Helpers).
On the back row, far left, is our teacher, I am second from the left in the front and Kurt, my best friend, is in the second row to the right.
The photograph is a little blurred but the life within each child shines through. We were beautiful.
Last night I dreamed I was sitting among a group at a long wooden rectangular table in a large room and Kurt walked in and came to join us. I knew it was him, although I didn’t recognize him. He was old and thin with whispy hair. Of course I didn’t see my own wrinkles.
Moses Fernbach’s daughter, Mirjam Fernbach, the one next to me, with her fingers covering her mouth, survived in hiding as did her father.
I escaped to Britain with the Kindertransport but Kurt was gassed in Auschwitz.
We were so beautiful.
The Jewish school, Kall, Germany 1938
History of Jewish communities in the Eifel region of Germany
Yes you were so beautiful! And the Love of of God in your life is making you so beautiful now even with wrinkles!
Thank you Gladys, I am so blessed by your kind words, Hanna????
Dear Hanna, wow, you were beautiful. You still are beautiful, and as I look at this beautiful picture I cannot believe the darkness that overcame Germany. I have been so drawn to reading about the holocaust lately and listening to survivors share that this is that, meaning what is happening in our country is similar. Some that I listen to said it’s just the beginning of more and more authoritarian government overreach. Thank you Hanna for sharing your beautiful words and heart. I’m so sorry for all the sadness you’ve experienced and so grateful for your incredible hope in Jesus.
Dear Tee, How good it is to hear from you????????????