Judith B.
Judith B (1923- )
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Berlin, Germany
Born June 19, 1923. Judith's mother was 32 and her father was 34 when they got married. Judith was both 11 months after their union. Judith's father was very proud of her birth and donated covers for the local synagogue to use.
The synagogue used the covers for Rosh Hashanah. Every year when Judith went to the synagogue for Rosh Hashanah her father pointed out the linens and this made Judith very proud.
Judith had three siblings. Born 1925, 1928, and 1930. She had two sisters and a brother.
During her upbringing, Judiths father had a business selling cigarettes, cigars, tobacco. Her mother helped with the bookkeeping.
Judith's father served in World War One for Austria, and was wounded as a result. Her father received his German citizenship 1927 but lost it in October of 1933. Her entire family became stateless as a result.
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Listen to Judith B's testimony
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Berlin, Germany
Judith left school in 1937 because she realized that they would have to leave Germany anyway or end up in a concretion camp, so what was the point of school? April 1st 1937 Judith started a homemakers school so that she can still have the ability to live if they had to immigrate or they couldn't get a work permit.
When she finished at the school she became an apprentice with a local dressmaker. On her 15th birthday she had to stop working as she was no longer permitted to work.
A day before her 15th birthday. Judith's father was picked up and incarcerated in the conceration camp in Sachsenhausen. Her father was eventually released some time after he was incarcerated.
Judith would care for her family as well as relatives that came to live with her and her aunt. While out doing errands, she would run into old friends and often here that their loved ones who were taken to camps were sent home in urns.
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Stockholm, Sweden
On March 14, 1939 Judith left for Stockholm, Sweden. Judith went alone as she was the only one in her family who had a passport. Her sibling came two weeks after she arrived. Nervous but excited about starting a new life in a new country she wanted to say good-bye to her father at the train station. Her father did not do that for he feared that he would break down crying in public. She was escorted to the train station by her mother and uncle. She wondered if she would ever see her family again.
All of the children on the train were all picked up by either family members or people willing to take a child. Judith was picked up by a couple, Edith and David, who had a 3 year old son. Judith put her knowledge of housework to use and Edith, who hated housework, loved Judith.
The families who took children in were paid by the local Jewish community. Judith never knew that Edith and David got paid because of her. She later found out that they saved the money and all of the clothes she received were from the store they owned.
Judith went to a training school, graduated and worked in a hospital as a nurse caring for children up until she left for the United States in 1946
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New York, United States
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Staten Island, New York, United States
Approximately 6 weeks after arriving to America, Judith began working for a Jewish couple as a nurse for their 7 month old son. She made $50 a week plus room and board. More than most people she knew. However Judith was unhappy and wished to return to Sweden.
After Speaking to her father, Judith decided to remain in America and began looking for a job as an infant nurse. While looking for this job she learned all of her experience and education from Germany and Sweden would not work and she would have to have at least, a high school diploma.
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New York, New York, United States
In June, 1948 Judith married her husband. Whom she met through a coworker at her job. She continued to go to work and participate in school even after she was married. At this time she bagan to work at a Children's Day and Night Shelter.
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The City College of New York
Judith started college in the fall of 1950 after receiving her high school diploma.
However, during the second semester she became pregnant and ended up withdrawing from college.
Her eldest daughter was both April 26, 1951. Judith worked part time at a diner until her second daughter was born in June 1958.
In the fall of 1961 Judith returned to CCNY where she received her bachelor's degree in 1967. In 1907 she received her master's degree and was offered a full ride to spend a summer in Germany.
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Munich, Germany
While with her host family in Germany, the gentleman that she was staying with said that there needs to be another Hitler, in reaction to an armed bank robbery in the town.
Before leaving for Germany, Judith was told to not antagonize anyone. She was American and they have to make a good impression. Judith was naturally hesitant about this.
Another teacher who went on the trip with Judith begged for pardon because of what Judith had to endure while on the trip.
Once the trip was completed, Judith's husband and children came to Munich to see her and to visit Berlin to see how everything looked like.
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New Jersey, United States
Judith's last job was for the New Jersey State of Labor Department where she retired in 1986.
Judith's daughters both had 2 children and combined Judith had 3 granddaughters and 1 grandson.