Harry Olmer

Harry was born Chaim Olmer on 15th November 1927 in Sosnowiec, Poland.The face in the middle depicts a crying mother, weeping tears of blood for her lost family with a reflection of barbed wire in her eyes. Each tear has the name of a lost relative: Chana and Hersh are my father’s parents; Golda, Pesal and Adela were his sisters. Otto and Sophie are my mother Margaret’s parents who tried to escape to Palestine but ended up in a POW camp in Mauritius where my grandmother died of disease. My grandmother Chana along with Golda and Adela were murdered at Belzec and the top of the square shows a photo of Chana and Golda, the only surviving photo that my father has of any of those of his family who died. My father does not know where his father and sister Pesal were killed.
The tears of blood are falling onto a rising sun with the name of my parents and their 4 children. The rays of the sun have the names of the grandchildren reaching up to the crying mother in a sign of hope for the future.

Julia Kaye

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Our father Shlomoh Reuven (Rubin) Orzech was born in 1924 in Kelcz, Poland. He was taken to Bergen Belsen and then spent some time in a slave labour factory. Eventually he was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was tattooed with a number on his arm. He was finally liberated in 1945.

Travelling through Czechoslovakia, he was brought over to England that same year. He was placed with other survivors in Windermere (Lake District), then followed on to Gateshead where he studied in Yeshivah there. He started off a new life in London doing an apprenticeship in diamond polishing.

The square represents his children, grandchildren & great grandchildren, being the “sweets” and “joy” of his life. We have chosen this theme because after our father lost his job he owned a sweet shop in Hackney from 1957 for approximately 20 years. The information is limited because he found it extremely difficult to talk about his past, as did many of the survivors.

Dovid Karnowsky

I was born on 23 June 1936 in London. My parents and my brothers were born in Germany and when the Nazis came to power in 1936, my father was offered a job in Holland and my mother decided to come to London to an aunt and uncle and whilst she was there I was born!

In September of that same year, we went back to Holland and lived very happily in Heemsteede. Holland was invaded in May 1940. My family was rounded up in Amsterdam in June 1943 and sent to Westerbork, but we were exempt from deportation to Auschwitz or Sorbibor because of my British birth certificate. In Westerbork, my family were classified as ‘Exchange Jews’, people the Nazis wanted to exchange against Germans held by the Allies. After seven months in Westerbork, in February 1944, all five of us were deported to Bergen-Belsen in Germany. We had certain privileges in the Exchange Camp in Belsen. We were allowed to wear our civilian clothes with the yellow star and our camp became known as the Star Camp. We did not have to wear the usual black-and-white striped pyjama outfits. We did not have our hair shaved off. We were allowed to keep our luggage, a suitcase full of clothes and books and games. In January 1945 my mother fell ill and died shortly afterwards, she was only 43. In March my father succumbed to typhus – he had survived two years in the camps and died one month before liberation. My grandparents died in Sobibor.

I came to England and stayed in Lingfield House children’s home with other child survivors – I was just 14 years old. Eventually, I started work in my uncle’s gloves business and moved into my own flat in Highgate. I have always enjoyed a close relationship with the expanding Oppenheimer family and I have kept in touch with Lingfield colleagues and other child survivors.

My square shows a photo of my father, Hans Oppenheimer, he loved playing the piano and my mother, Rita, she made all my clothes and knitted all our winter clothes too, and my brother Paul who worked as an engineer in the motor industry and who received an MBE in 1990. The Memory Quilt is a lovely way to remember people and bring history to life.

The story of the square is about two brothers, Reuven and Yechezkel Orzech, born in Kielce, Poland, to Reb Sholom and Gitel Orzech who had six children: Yossef, Hindi, Rochel, Reuven, Yechezkel and Simcha. Reb Sholom was a Sofer Stam. When the war broke out, Reuven was taken along with his cousin Moshe Preis to Auschwitz while Yechezkel was taken to Buchenwald. His journey through hell began in the Kielce Hasag factory in 1939. After a few months in 1940 he was transferred to the Czestochowa factory. In 1941 he was sent to Buchenwald, in 1942 to Rhemsdorf and in 1943 to Theresienstadt, where he was liberated in 1945 by the Russians.

His later years were spent in Israel together with his wife, children and grandchildren. Our late father lived by a virtue mentioned in Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers): “Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his portion.” He was a rich man. Yehi Zichro Baruch.The Yahrtzeit candle symbolises the Ner tamid for the rest of the family who perished in the Holocaust, as well as the six million Jews, may their memory be for a blessing and never forgotten. The fruit tree symbolises the fruitful life that Yechezkel and Reuven had through their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Yechezkel married Helen and Reuven married Rita. The picture of the two brothers shows how happy they were to be together. They met each other in Prague in 1946. The picture of Yechezkel at the Kotel shows how grateful he was to Hashem for surviving the Holocaust and by saying Modeh Ani L’fonecho. The palm tree with the dates symbolises how righteous the two brothers were.

Ronit Alaluf-Orzech

Rivka Orzach: The project was very significant for me as I am one of the older grandchildren and therefore spent more time with my late Zaida. It meant a lot to me on 2 levels; firstly, it was an opportunity to do something constructive to commemorate my late Zaida, and on another level to be able to give “nachas” to my boba and to show her that his memory is still very much alive and will continue to be passed on to the next generations בע”ה .

Yechezkel Orzech

Paul Oppenheimer was born in Berlin in 1928 into a family of assimilated German Jews. His father worked for the banking firm of Mendelssohn & Co. The family moved to the Netherlands in 1936 which was then overtaken by the German occupation in 1940. Paul came to Britain in 1947 after nearly two years of incarceration, first in Westerbork, then in Bergen Belsen where his parents died. He moved to Birmingham where he combined an engineering apprenticeship with evening study towards a BSc in Mechanical Engineering completed in 1954 with 1st Class Honours. He took an MSc in thermodynamics and in 1958, joined Joseph Lucas as a nuclear project engineer and then moved to Girling where he stayed for 30 years.

He wrote many technical papers besides the Lucas Girling Book, a standard reference work for the industry and received prizes and awards. In 1990 he was appointed MBE for Services to Industry.

After a visit in 1990 to Bergen Belsen with his brother Rudi and daughter Judith, he devoted himself to speaking about his experience and the lessons of the Holocaust. He strongly believed that young people should hear the story, so that that dark history should not be repeated. Paul said:

‘We live in better times, however, we feel the necessity to reflect on the past, not for old times’ sake, nor for the exorcising of memories perhaps left alone, BUT BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE.

Salek (known at home as Yisocher Mendel) was one of four children born to Herschel and Nacha Ella in Opatow, Poland. His parents and little sister Shifra Leah were murdered in the Treblinka extermination camp; his brother, Yehuda Fischel, died in Schlieben. Only Salek, and one sister, Pola, survived the Holocaust.In 1940, Salek was separated from his family by German Nazis. Only a young boy, he was selected for slave labour in Skarżysko-Kamienna. This marked the beginning of years of torture and deprivation. On starvation rations, Salek became increasingly weak; but he survived typhus and concentration camps and was liberated near Theresienstadt in May, 1945.

Despite making heroic efforts to reach Palestine, he arrived in Windermere, only 17 years old. Salek was one of “The Boys” whose story is told by Sir Martin Gilbert. In London, Salek met his future wife, Jenny Merel. Marrying Jenny and the arrival of their four children gave Salek a new lease of life and the hope of a future. In common with many survivors, Salek’s dream was to be “a part of the recreation of the Jewish nation” (quote). In 1982, he and Jenny fulfilled that dream and bought a home in Jerusalem.

On Salek’s square, his journey is represented by flags set on a background of the walls of his beloved city Jerusalem. He was a skilled klezmer violinist and the violin depicts his love of Jewish music. The photos are of himself, Jenny, his children and his grandchildren. Salek lived to hold his first great grandchild during the ceremony of his circumcision. He passed away shortly after. To date, there are four boys named Yisocher Mendel, after him. All of “our boys” have Salek’s indomitable courageous fighting spirit and quick sense of humour!

Family Orenstein & Mindy Ebrahimoff, née Orenstein

Dad’s real name was (Jurek) Jojchene Przendza and he was born in Dobczyce in 1926 to Gitel and David. He had three sisters Chava, Shifra and Golda and a brother, Natan. His father worked in a tannery and was very religious. They were a happy family.

When he came to England, he sold handbags on the markets and was successful at it. However, he did not enjoy it. He felt frustrated because his studies were interrupted by the Holocaust and he felt if he’d had the chance he would have been a professional.

Even so, he was very knowledgeable and had a very good command of the English language and spoke perfectly. He was very capable with everything he did. He was very much an individual character – always an optimist. He did not think about what had happened to him unless it was on the television as he did not want to get upset. He had a sense of humour but was also very emotional and he was a very loving father.

Jerry was about 60 in the picture on the quilt square. He windsurfed until about 70 years old in Medano, Tenerife and also in Wardle outside Manchester. He and Eunice spent four months each winter for the last 15 years of his life in their second home in Tenerife. We have many happy memories of being there together enjoying the sun. He also liked to snow ski. He went off and on with friends over 20 years and was quite an accomplished skier.

A tragedy that he died in 2003 at the age of 76. He looked so young and handsome, we thought he should have lived until 90 and he never had anything wrong with him until cancer. We all miss him very much, we adored him and we were so proud of him.

He has two grand-daughters, Annabel and Natalie, and two grandsons, Simon and Alexander.

Eunice Parker, Gillian Bodek & Michelle Stoops

Steven Pearl

The making of Steven Pearl’s quilt square – I have to say, it has been tougher than I first thought. Whilst wanting to create a celebration of our father’s life and keep to the positives, sadly the Holocaust and its effects on his spirit have very much affected his life. When we were young he did not speak of it at all and we only learnt from our mother of the terrible atrocities that he had witnessed and suffered. However, later in life, he has spoken about it much more and it was often on his mind, so we felt that some mention of those he had lost and those who had miraculously survived had to be incorporated.
The photograph of our parents’ wedding day and the mention of his family were essential as he was a very proud husband and father. The strong yellow sun is there because Dad has always loved the sunshine and was happiest visiting our family in Israel, going to the beach or staying at Lake Kinneret with them all. The bracelet represents his profession as a jeweller; he worked for the same small company in Hatton Garden for many years until he retired.We are more fortunate than some of the second and third generation in that our father is still with us (we lost our mother to cancer some 19 years ago) but sadly – due to his advanced state of dementia – his memories and his recognition of his family and his friends, especially ‘The Boys’ that he has been so close to for all these years, has gone and so working on this square has been particularly poignant for me. The commemorative memory quilts are a wonderful idea and our family are very happy to participate and hope that the quilts will be a lasting tribute in some small way to the many that suffered in the Holocaust.

Kim Fleming

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Our father Issaak Pomeranc was born on 2nd March 1928 in Dzialoszyce, Poland. In 1941, aged 13, he was taken to the town’s ghetto and from there to Plazsow concentration camp. During the following 4 years he was taken to a further 6 camps and then on a death march to Theresienstadt, where he was finally liberated in May 1945. He was brought to England later that year and stayed in Windermere where he recuperated and learnt English. He travelled to Israel in 1947 to be reunited with his only surviving brother and the picture of him on the quilt square was taken whilst he was a volunteer in the Israeli war of independence in 1948.The square depicts his early bleak years in the camps as the roots of his family tree. From desperate beginnings he never despaired and his family tree flourished. From us two children he had six grandchildren and now two great grandchildren as well. His legacy lives on as the tree grows and his love and devotion to his family and fellow survivors continues to inspire us all.

Denise Pearlman (nee Pomeranc) and Stephen Pomeranc

JOSEF PERL was born on 27 April 1930, in Velicky Bockov, Czechoslovakia, the only son of Frieda and Lazar Perl. He had eight sisters. His journey through the camps included Krakow-Plaszow, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, Grossrosen, Bolkenhain (a subcamp of Gross-Rosen), Hirschberg and Buchenwald, from where he was liberated in April 1945 by the Americans, 16 days before his 15th birthday.
The concept for Josef’s square is that of a fictitious letter, written to him by a young pupil after a visit to her school, where he told his story. He visited thousands of children at schools throughout England and received innumerable letters from them. The images on the quilt depict his life after the war and represent the fact that the Nazis could not prevent him from leading a fulfilled and happy life.

The dog was Josef’s pet Alsatian, Bondie, shot by Nazis in front of the family when soldiers came into their home to terrorise them. The horse was his pet, Sharrie, taken away that same night. Josef would ride Sharrie to school bareback, with Bondie leading the way. Both would return to school to collect him at home time.

The Union flag commemorates his arrival in England, where he learnt a new language and started his new life. The cutting shears, tape measure, thimble, buttons, spool of thread and dressmaker’s dummy symbolise the trade of dress designer and pattern maker he learned as part of his rehabilitation. The wedding rings represent his marriage to Sylvia in Brighton in 1955.The spade and the family’s Sefer Torah are central to Josef’s story. Originally acquired by his great-great-grandfather, it was buried in 1938 to keep it safe from the Nazis. Unknown to Josef, his father had also survived the war. On returning home, Lazar dug it up and, after emigrating to Israel, gave the scroll to Josef who undertook its complete restoration. The jacket and silverware incorporate the names of the family who perished. It is still in continual use.

The ‘Hotel Full’ sign represents the 22-bedroom ‘Sunnyside Court Hotel’ they had in Bournemouth (hence the yellow sun). It was always with joy that they put up the ‘Hotel Full’ sign. The pearls represent our surname, Perl, and come from a dress of Josef’s grand-daughter, Ella.

The family silhouette depicts three generations: (L to R) Frances, Sylvia (always at his side), Josef, sitting down, and baby Ella, on Josef’s stiff leg, the leg being used as a see-saw. Shot by guards whilst escaping from one of the camps, a bullet lodged behind his left kneecap. After surgery in England the leg was saved but the knee joint was fused. The blue edge represents the blue on the Israeli flag and the blue stripes on a tallit, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl.

Mark Perl & Frances Kahan