{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/cc0tq5tb4w/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["1981 Simone Soria [ENHANCED]"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/184/original/ijhs2_logo.png?1629814295","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Simone Soria","Ruth Kaminsky"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2024-09-06"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Simone Soria recounts her experiences in Belguim dring the Shoah, how she and her immediate family survived along with who helped them."]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MPEG-4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["Interpretor","Antisemitism","Assimilation","WWII","Orthodox Jews","Holocaust","Diamond Cutter","Immigration","Belgium","Simone Soria","Family Life","Cleveland OH","Shoah"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["TheirStory"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Simone Soria recounts her experiences in Belguim dring the Shoah, how she and her immediate family survived along with who helped them."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Iowa Jewish Historical Society"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Iowa Jewish Historical Society"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/184/original/ijhs2_logo.png?1629814295","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20251201-428871-d3qzpr.mpga"]},"duration":2804.74122,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-jewishdesmoines.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/297/991/original/open-uri20251201-428871-d3qzpr.mpga?1764604161","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":2804.74122,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["TheirStory Transcript (Paragraphs with Speakers) [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e This is Ruth Kaminsky. I am interviewing Simone Solomon Soria on Monday, June the 8th, 1981 for the Des Moines Oral History Project. This is tape one, side one. Hello, Simon. How are you? I am pleased that I was selected to interview you today. I'll start by asking you to tell me when and where you were born. I was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930. November 16th, 1930. What were your parents names? My father's name is Paul. In Yiddish. Pavel. And this is the other night. The","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=40.16,106.32"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_UU:\u003c/strong\u003e night is here.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=106.32,107.22"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e And it's over now. That's all right. It's okay. And your mother's His name. As I said, my father's name is Favell in English, Paul Solomon. And my mother, Helen Solomon. A how large was your family? I have two brothers and a sister. What did your father do for a living alone before the war? My father came from Czechoslovakia and worked in a coal mine in Belgium. And then we moved to the capital, to Brussels. And then during the war, when we were hiding, he went back to the coal mine under a false name. And after the war he was in Leatherwork Leatherwork. And this was in Brussels, in Brussels, Belgium. Could you tell me a little bit about the Jewish life in your home and in your community. I know that your parents were religious Jews. Yes. My my parents were from a. We were a poor family, but, uh. But happy. We, uh, we lived a very orthodox life. My father was Orthodox, and, uh, we were raised Orthodox, but, uh, we always had food on the table. You know, it wasn't that we were missing in Hungary. Yeah, I understand. Um, what kind of education did you receive in Europe? Was it secular? Religious? Did you go to Haider? Uh, sure, we all did. Of course, we went to a city school, a public school, and then after school twice a week, we would go to the Hebrew school.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=112.35,242.13"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e And when you were a young child in Czechoslovakia, were you aware of anti-Semitism around you?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=245.49,255.63"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e I must tell you that I don't remember anything from Czechoslovakia. I was two years old when we moved from Czechoslovakia to Belgium. I see. So really, anything I would talk about would be Brussels. Yes. All right. Your question was when I was a child. Well, growing up, no, nothing until 1940, when the war broke out. Until then, I never felt anything. Don't remember anything? Yes. Not even in school. Just a nice, happy Jewish life. But nothing. I never knew there was anything different than that. I see. Uh, Simone, uh, could you describe your earliest memory of the Shoah and how old you were at the time? Uh, well, in 1940, the war broke out. And so this is from then on. I remember every day. Yes. Uh, we we refugees. We left Brussels hoping to flee from the Germans before they came into the country. And we thought by going to France we would be safe. And in fact, my uncle, who left the day after the after the Germans attacked Belgium, he made it all the way to Casablanca. And he spent the four years of the war in Casablanca not under occupation. We left the second day thereafter. He did, and we only made it up to the northern part of France. And then the Germans came in. So we came back to Belgium. I see. Uh, what about your your grandparents? How were they affected? My grandmother was alive during World War two. And her children, all my uncles and aunts and cousins were taken to camp. And she died, uh, because of that, you know, she had a heart attack as they were. Taking","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=255.72,378.59"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_UU:\u003c/strong\u003e them out of the house. I heard. Yeah. So she died in the Holocaust.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=378.59,384.89"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e But during the show, most of the time. Were you in hiding? Most of the time? No. Uh, in 1942 is when we went into hiding. This is two years later. And for two years we were in hiding. We were in hiding. But not in a room like Anne Frank. Yes. Excuse me? Sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=385.97,410.97"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_UU:\u003c/strong\u003e Okay. This is the. Last time. I will, I will. Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=414.12,426.66"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e Maggie. Uh, I'm sorry you were cut off, but. Yes, uh, you were. You say you were in hiding. Could you describe the conditions? Sure. Before going into hiding in 1941, we started. Well, the Germans started saying that all Jews had to wear a Jewish star on every item, clothing item that we wore. And So any child, I think it was six years and up had to wear a Jewish star on the left side. And then there was a curfew that Jews could not be in the street after 6:00 in the evening. And finally they started taking young men. Young women. Well, in 1819, 20 year olds. And after that, the men and then just anybody. And that's when we we ran away. We went into a village there, uh, a friend of someone that my uncle used to work with offered to help us look for an apartment. And of course, everything had to be paid double from then on. And this man was a communist, and so he wanted to help us. But during the winter of 1942, the the Russians were losing that winter very badly. He turned shirt. He changed shirt and became a scholar. He changed and became a black shirt. And we. Luckily, my mother had the intuition. My father. And we went away from that village. The first village into the night. Left for another place, for another, further away. And sure enough, a few days later, we were told later that the Gestapo had come in to look for us. Yes. How old were you then? 12 years old. I was from 10 to 14 during the war. But at the time of the hiding. From 12 and 12 to 14 years old. Then from then on, we went to many different places. The next place we stayed for three months. And then I was placed in a cafe, and I was alone without my family. And I worked there in a cafe serving drinks and cleaning the house with a Czech couple who knew that I was Jewish. But they took advantage of that. I would help them and they would have a free hand there and after. In other words, weren't you paid? Oh, no, of course not. No. I was living there, taking care of the house and working in the cafe. Now I understand. And then after five months of that, I went back to my. To the other village where my family was. Meantime, my brothers were placed by the underground into an orphanage, and my sister was in a convent. And my parents were held by the underground army and had false names. And as I said, my father worked in a coal mine there. But then I for three months I did black market. I traveled since I didn't need identification papers, I was young, I could get away with crossing the border and without any papers. And so I would take coffee grains and exchange them in a go from farm to farm in France and exchange it for bread or butter and bring it back to my family to help that way. This was your own thought to help this way. These. Well, it was a woman in a village that was doing that, and she offered to help my parents by taking me the first time with her. And from then on, I could do it. I saw how to do it. And so you were pretty strong emotionally. You were courageous. I think so, yes. I don't know. But you were. Yes. Uh, quite a few people in Belgium, especially in the French part of Belgium, in the southern part, helped the Jews in the village where my parents were. The mayor, the mayor's son. The police officer and the priest all know you. My family was Jewish and held them. But risking their own lives, surely. And then after three months of that, I went. I was placed into a farm. And this is where I spent my last 11 months of the war. Where I worked, I milked the cows, cleaned the house, helped in the fields, and necessary and clean the stables and this and that. But they were very nice. It wasn't nice. They were kind people. They were very kind. Yeah. And they risked their own lives. I know that you learn diamond cutting. Where did you learn that? Oh, that was after the war. Was it? Yes. Oh. Aha. Um. How would you say that? the shower shaped your life? In what way? It made me much stronger, of course. And more. More sensitive. I would hope to other people's feelings and other people's needs. What would you say causes memories of the Shoah to surface? When they. When they do. When they do memories, I'm sure memories come back. Oh, they don't come back. They're there. They're there. Yeah. You see, I of course, most of my family, my relatives, my brothers, my uncles, aunts, cousins were taken away, but I didn't really know them. But my friends were taken. But one, my cousin who was 18 years old who lived with us in Belgium. She was taken in, and for that there is no forgetting it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=430.56,827.2"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_UU:\u003c/strong\u003e My favorite cousin. She was like a sister to me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=828.37,831.79"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e That would be with you for the rest of your life. Now, what happened to you between liberation and your arrival in Des Moines? I know that you didn't arrive in Des Moines right after, but at that time, as many of the refugees from other countries. Well, the liberation was quite something, because in the village where I was in the capital of Belgium, the British liberated the city where I was. It was the Americans in the village. And the first things that came was the most beautiful sight. And no one in the village, no one in the village knew could speak English, and no one in the army in the American of the American soldiers spoke French. But I happened to find a Jewish American soldier, and I became the interpreter. Excuse me. Shirley.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=833.14,897.95"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_UU:\u003c/strong\u003e Shirley. I am not ready yet. No, you're. Not. Where are you? Are you okay? Very pretty.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=903.23,927.23"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/transcript/87315/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e And so I became the interpreter for the village. And he for the army. Isn't that interesting? And after that, uh, but this was in September when we were liberated in 44. Yes. And in 45. Well, we went back by December. My mother came to pick me up in a farm, which was quite an encounter there. I should think so, because I had no idea who was alive. Who was alive, you see, until. How long was it since you'd seen mother? Quite a while. And, you know, months and, uh, almost a year. And we went back to Brussels. And of course, the war did not really end until 1945. So we still kept on getting V-1s and V-2s bombing and bombing the city. The Germans were sending the B-1s and B-2s over our city. But I went to high school and of course two years. The Jewish children didn't go to school. We were in hiding. Sure. So. But we skipped a year, went into one half a year, and then skipped another year. So we went back right to the same level we had left it. Aha! We caught up, but after being in ninth grade, my father decided that I should go into diamond cutting, diamond cleaning, and he, a friend of his, taught me. And this way he I could teach my father and my brothers afterwards, since I was the oldest. And did you? Did you teach them? I started I started teaching my father and my brother. But then in 1849, we came to the United States and my brothers went to school and my father started working. There was no time for just learning. So and I worked as a cutter, as a cleaver, and I learned also cutting in Cleveland. And in 1952, I got married. But when you left Brussels and came to the States, you went directly to Cleveland. Cleveland, Ohio, because my mother's brothers and sisters lived in Cleveland. And then when you arrived there, shortly after you arrived in Cleveland, you started to school again? No, no. I went to work right away. You did? I was 18, but at night I would go to to a high school. To night school on my own. I always wanted to study, and it was fun. I even took algebra for fun. Wouldn't be fun for me. So, uh, could you tell me what your life was like when you first came to Cleveland? It was very, very difficult. It's a different culture. Entirely different. It was hard for my parents not knowing the language. I had studied English in high school. And so I was kind of, you know, not completely lost, but it was still hard. Sure. But new friends, a different life. It was very hard. I wanted to go back home. You did? So how long? Um. How long did you work? Before, uh, before you were married? I worked for three years. In fact, I decided I was going to work, help my parents, and go right back to Brussels after they didn't need my help. You missed. You missed familiar surroundings. I worked three years and then got married and got married to Mario. Converted a year before we were married. He converted. He converted before. Did you tell me what kind of work you did when you were in Cleveland? Diamond cutting and cleaving. You did that there? Yes, until I got married. Then I just took care of the children as they came. So by the time, by the time you were married, you had completed your high school education. I never I never graduated from high school. That's very interesting. All Right. What, if any, problems did you encounter during the first few years? Uh, in this country? Uh, discrimination. Any health problems? Of course there were language problems. But did you feel discrimination? No, I don't imagine you did. I forgot to tell you that in Belgium, whenever, uh, children in school, I guess I can't remember it. Before the war. It must have been the beginning of the war. I remember it that kids, when they got married. Us. And after the war, too, they would say, do you go back to your country? But we didn't have one. So you didn't take it seriously. You knew you couldn't. I said, where shall I go? Now in America. I didn't feel it. That's good. Tell me about your family in America. How many children do you have? Three girls and one boy. Right? Four children. Right. All born in Cleveland, Ohio. They were all born in Cleveland. Um, did you send the. Did you send the children to Hebrew or Sunday school in Cleveland? Yes, of course. We belong to the church in Cleveland, which was an Orthodox school. And they went to to Hebrew school three times a week. They loved it. They were very active. Uh, in fact, in my oldest daughter, when she was 14, Mahmud taught Hebrew school. She did? Yeah. But then we moved to Des Moines and everything changed. Everything changed. All right, we'll get to that. Have you shared your experiences of the Shoah with your children, and how do they respond to your discussions about the Shoah or your silence about the Shoah? Yes. I didn't for many years, I didn't I never wanted to talk about it until. It must be 80 to. 85 sometime in 1975. Yeah, because I kind of remember. It must have been about 30 years later. I was asked to speak at, uh, on 43rd, an elementary school in Des Moines. Yes. Elementary. A sixth, fifth, and sixth graders. I was asked to to speak to an assembly about the Holocaust, because those kids had studied a book about Anne Frank and others. And then, uh, that's how my own children realized all that and asked more questions. And also in the paper there came an article about me, about diamond cutting. And that's when they found out more about me, and that's when they asked questions. Do you think your experiences have affected your children in some way? Oh, definitely. Sure. Could you say how of other peoples feelings and cultures and and hurts said they're more sensitive, are more sensitive than they're human beings. Good human beings. I agree with you. Are most of your friends, or I should say, are some of your friends survivors of the Shoah, or are they people who are not in the Shoah? And where and how did you meet? Okay, I have to make a difference between Cleveland and Des Moines in Cleveland. Yes. Uh, I would say most of them were from the camps. As I came to to Cleveland to Cleveland in 1949, I belonged to a greener club, a new club, and we were very, very close and very active. This club became and we were one of the founders, my husband and I. It became a Call Israel club and over 200 members, all survivors from the Holocaust. Very close and very active too. Is that right? Dances and picnics. And they send money to Israel. But in the morning. No. First of all, the numbers are not here. We only have a few families. And so those that are from Europe I am friendly with, but not close. I have many other friends. You mean in Des Moines? In Des Moines? Yes. Now, um. Good friends. But not. It's not, uh, it's not a club. It's not a group that we belong to with them, as you did in Cleveland. Have you ever told your non-Jewish Americans about your experiences and the Shoah? I never do it on my own. If they ask me, I answer. I don't like to talk about it. But if they do ask me, yes, I am. I understand what is. What has been their reaction. Of course they feel so bad or you know they're sorry. And what can you do? What can you say? Of course, won't help now. But you feel that they are interested? Yes, yes. Or at least interested in your experiences? Yes. Yes they are. Um, in America, more so in Belgium. I never found that. Is that right? They weren't. They didn't show that much concern for you. Maybe everyone was just worried about their own life right after the war. Their own problems. And nobody ever bothered with anything? Yes. Do you feel that American Jews understand what you went through? Do you think they try to understand? Or perhaps the fact that you don't make an issue of it? You don't really know? I think the American Jews understand and feel very bad. Uh, feel guilty. But I don't see why. I mean, it's not their fault. And and if they didn't do more, I can understand why, too. Because we were right there in it, and we didn't believe what was going on. So I can understand what why in America, they didn't believe it. Of course. Um, how would you describe your relationships with American born Jews? Well, I know that you have very close friends. Yes. All of your close friends who are American Jews. Um, would you say that the Shoah in any way is shaped your relationships with the non-Jewish world? What do you mean, shaped my relationship, I don't understand. Well, affected your relationships? Yes, probably. I think that probably. If there would not have been a war, I would have. I was brought up in a ghetto in Belgium. You know, we lived the only. The only time I had anything to do with non-Jews was in my classroom, with my teacher and a few other friends there in the school. But, uh, otherwise I would not have had anything to do with anybody. It was a close, uh, a ghetto. And we were happy that way. Because of the war, I. My family Samuel became with non-Jews to the people that saved us. They're part of my course. So you would have a I made me more broad minded. Yes. You'd have a good feeling. Yes. Towards them. Um. Well. What is your feeling about Germany and the Germans? Do you have a. I don't usually talk about it because it's negative. It's negative? Aha. But not not of Europeans on the whole. I mean, uh, your feeling towards Europeans is not friendly. That's different. That's that's different. It's only one. And I won't go to the to Germany. I won't go into that country. I see well, there are many, people had similar. You wouldn't buy a German product car. Well product I don't know. I don't look at every label closely. Probably. I wouldn't if I know about it. Yes, but like a car or you don't get restitution payments from Germany, do you? Are you. My parents did. Yes, my parents did. My mother is getting something every month, uh, for for my brother and my older brother and myself. My parents also received for wearing the star and for not going to school. But that's, you know, right after the war. Well, no, not right after the war when we came to the United States. Of course I don't. I didn't get anything. What are your feelings about their receiving? Uh, I probably restitution you would not take. But they said probably you never know until it faces you. But you feel if they take it, they're entitled to it. They said after all that they have experienced. Well, have you ever personally encountered anti-Semitism in America? I said before, no, but but yes to, you know, there have been you have had some unpleasant experiences that you probably would like to forget about. Yeah. Well, remarks that people would say not knowing, not knowing that I am Jewish. Yes, of course I would say that. So right away I am and proud to be them. Um, have you have you been to Israel? I know that you were planning to go three years ago. My husband and I went and it was a wonderful experience. Our daughter studied Michelle, studied at the university there one summer, and at the same time as we were there, we were together, the three of us. Wasn't that nice? Beautiful, beautiful. And you're planning to go again very shortly? Yes. Yes. I'm looking forward to this meeting. Well, and I am looking forward to interviewing you after your visit to Israel, which is a very special mission. I understand it's a meeting of survivors, the world gathering of the Holocaust survivors, and looking forward to meeting again, Simone Veil and Elie Wiesel. Wonderful. And many other people in Friends, and may I come to visit you and to learn about that experience when you come back? I hope you come. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you. Thank you so much, dear. Thank you. This is tape one, side two of my interview with Simone Serio. The date is July 27th, 1981. And I have the privilege of interviewing Simone again after her return from the reunion of the Holocaust survivors in Israel. And this took place between the dates of June 14th and 18th. It was a world gathering. And I'm sure that Simone has some very interesting. Stories to tell us about what occurred at that time. Simone, what made you decide to go to this reunion? I knew about this meeting, or more than a year ago that it was being planned. But I didn't think that it involved me because I thought it was for people that had been in concentration camps only until three weeks before the meeting. I met with a couple that was going the schneller's and she said, what do you mean you're not going? It is for also for people that were in hiding, for the underground army, for the ghetto fighters and the people in the Holocaust, in the camps. So it is for all the people that went through the Holocaust and the of course, the next day I called the Federation, as I understood the Federation was helping. The Jewish Federation was helping any survivor Provider that wanted to go to the meeting with a ticket. I say, uh, did any other member of your family attend? Simon? Uh, if I had planned ahead of time. Yes, I'm sure that. Or my husband, my mother or my children or brothers and sisters would have gone. I know at least 2 or 3. But it was so late and everyone in the family was busy. My husband had to teach summer school and my children were all busy. And I'm very, very sorry for that because I know it would have been a quite a different feeling having someone with me. Of the family, of course. I'm sure you were nervous. Could you describe your feelings? Do you mean it possible to describe how you felt? I mean, I'm sure you were very apprehensive about going. Wondering what it would be like? No, I was not nervous before going. Not at all. I was looking forward, I was. I was apprehensive, yes, but not nervous, not knowing what kind of would it be? All sad. What? That's what I was worried about. But not nervous. People were asking me. What do you mean? Going to Israel? There is war. There is this, and I. You just don't have that feeling. Having been in Israel before, I knew that once you're in Israel, you don't have any fear. Good. Um, the reunion took place in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv. Is that correct? In two cities? Yes. It started in Tel Aviv. The opening ceremony on Sunday night were in Tel Aviv, and it was with the mayor of Tel Aviv. Navon and Simone Weil spoke, and other people from Tel Aviv, and Simone Weil spoke in French and was translated into in English and in Yiddish. The in fact, the whole meeting of the Holocaust survivors was conducted in Hebrew, Yiddish and English. Wonderful. Yes. You didn't have any trouble understanding the French and Jewish? No. No. How many days were you there altogether? I was there. There was a choice of different days. I chose the 11 days since I was going alone. I went for the least amount and I was there 11 days from June 11th to the 21st. Again, I wish my family, my children, would have been with me. I'm sure, I'm sure. Um. I'm sure I heard that other people who were present there did happen to see people whom they had seen before and had known before. Was it possible that you had a similar experience? Oh, this was very, very moving when many people went there with the hope of finding a brother or a sister or a relative they had not heard of for the last 30 years, 35 years. That was in concentration camp and never heard after. And and this was a place where you could find out maybe through the you see, they had a computer system where you could look up whether a person that had been in a concentration camp but lived in Israel after the war, we could check that in a computer, or you could find out whether a person you were looking for was registered at a meeting, since people were there from all over the world, but they expected about 3000 people, 6000 showed up. It was beautiful, just beautiful, but very, very emotional. I did have one, two very pleasant, uh, meeting I had, I looked up well, I, I, I put in the computer the name of my first boyfriend from Brussels, from Belgium, who had been in from Czechoslovakia and had been in the concentration camp. After the war, he came to Belgium and there was a teenage romance, my 15 years, and he was 18 years old, but he lived in a hachshara in Brussels with all the young people that were getting ready to go to Israel. In April 46th they left for France, and from France they took a boat to go to Israel illegally. Of course, at that time, when they got to, uh, to Israel, the British army put them in jail. And so he was in jail for three months. I did get a letter after that and then no more. And I was just wondering. I was always afraid when I went there before with my husband. We asked in a different kibbutz about him, but we were really. I was afraid to find out that he had been killed in the war, and I was sure. But this time I put his name through the computer. And then my friends, uh, in Israel and her brother in law helped me with it, too. And together we found a number in the description, the age and the name and everything. A Hebrew name, because he had changed his name. And we found him. And I called him from Jerusalem in Tel Aviv and asked him. And it was the same. It was a person. And we decided to meet the next day in Tel Aviv. And I said, but how will I recognize you? And he said, well, I'm the one without an arm. Oh how sad. So he had been in the army in the Haganah in 48. And that's when it happened. He was shot and lost his arm. But he has a beautiful wife and children, two children and a grandchild that has a beautiful family and a very, very happy. I met with him and saw him. This is a real story. It was almost like a dream, isn't it? It really was. I bet even now you can't. Sometimes when you think about it, you wonder if it really happened. If you really saw so many people and it was sad and it was happy, it was both. It was, of course, we were remembering our loved ones, but we were also celebrating life. Yes. Saying, we must go on. We must do something. And especially we must tell our children and grandchildren what happened and never to let it happen again. The meeting. There was an emphasis on the second generation, second and third generation, and there were special meetings for those children, which I hadn't. I didn't know I would have tried harder, probably for my own children. Yes, but, uh, we want them to continue with the fight. Not the fight, but not to let anyone forget it and not to let it happen again. Happen again? Yes. There there was an article in the Des Moines paper a couple of weeks ago, uh, in which, uh, some of the people from our city who attended the reunion did write about their impressions of. I recall that you were one of the people who submitted, uh, the purse, your personal, um, reaction to having been there? Uh, did you receive very much response to that? Yes. Uh, I'm glad it went. And this was the whole idea is to show people, to remind them what had happened. And so many people called me and or wrote me a note or a letter saying that they were sorry for what had happened. And, uh, they are, you know, they respect very much the Jews for that. Uh, and they hope it never happened. One woman wrote to me a beautiful note and said that she has so much love for us because of what had happened. And hope hopes it will never happen again. Well, I'm sure there are many people like myself who have read about it and know of relatives who who perished at that time and were very indebted to all of you who attended and brought back your impressions to us. Thank you. I'm very grateful that I was able to go. Thank you very much.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=934.25,2769.46"}]},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Auto-generated Index (2024-09-06 00:44:02) [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Introduction to the Interview","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=0.0,174.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The interview begins with Ruth Kaminsky introducing herself and the purpose of the interview for the Des Moines Oral History Project. She is interviewing Simone Solomon Soria, who was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930. The speaker's parents are named Paul and Helen Solomon, and they had a family of two brothers and a sister.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=0.0,174.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jewish Life Before the War","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=174.0,245.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker describes their family's Orthodox Jewish life in Brussels, Belgium, before the war. Despite being poor, the speaker recalls a happy childhood with a strong religious upbringing. The speaker's father worked in a coal mine and later in leatherwork. The speaker also attended public school and Hebrew school.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=174.0,245.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Awareness of Anti-Semitism","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=245.0,385.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker does not remember experiencing anti-Semitism in Czechoslovakia, as they were only two years old when they moved to Belgium. The speaker did not encounter anti-Semitism in Brussels until the outbreak of the war in 1940.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=245.0,385.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Hiding and Survival During the War","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=385.0,839.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker recounts the family's experience of going into hiding during the war, starting in 1942. They describe the conditions of hiding, including wearing the Jewish star, curfews, and the eventual need to flee and find shelter in various places. The speaker also shares a personal account of working in a cafe and later engaging in black market activities to support their family.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=385.0,839.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Post-War Challenges and Immigration","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=839.0,1212.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"After the war, the speaker returned to Brussels and faced the challenges of rebuilding life, including the continuation of bombings. The speaker learned diamond cutting and cleaning, which became a means of support. In 1949, the speaker immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, where they had family and began working immediately while attending night school.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=839.0,1212.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Early Years in America","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=1212.0,1359.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker discusses the difficulties of adjusting to life in America, including cultural differences and language barriers. Despite these challenges, the speaker worked in diamond cutting and cleaving until marriage. The speaker's children attended Hebrew school and were active in the Jewish community.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=1212.0,1359.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Family Dialogue on the Shoah","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=1359.0,2034.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker initially avoided discussing the Shoah with their children but eventually opened up after being invited to speak at a school. The speaker believes that their experiences have made their children more sensitive and compassionate towards others. The speaker also reflects on the reactions of non-Jewish Americans and American Jews to their Shoah experiences.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=1359.0,2034.0"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Reunion of Holocaust Survivors in Israel","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=2034.0,2804.74122"},{"id":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991/index/90262/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker describes attending the world gathering of Holocaust survivors in Israel, which was an emotional experience of remembrance and celebration of life. The speaker reconnected with a former boyfriend from Belgium, which was a particularly moving encounter. The event emphasized the importance of passing on the history of the Shoah to future generations.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ijhs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1537/collection_resources/163709/file/297991#t=2034.0,2804.74122"}]}]}]}