Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Bella Camhi - November 18, 1999

"Being Jewish"

...just for being Jewish.

That's why you were...

In concentration camp.

You suffered. Let me ask you another question. If just being Jewish was responsible for...

Being there.

being there, when you got out did you maybe not want to be Jewish anymore?

Oh no.

You never.

I wouldn't... Oh no.

It never occurred to you.

I wouldn't, I will never you know, we were in a group of people. If I find, I'll get all the pictures together and I'll call you. Uh, that guy was so dang good looking uh, I don't know, I don't know what they see in me. I--it depends. The uh, the eye is tricky. He wasn't Jewish, he had five sisters. This was in Athens. "You're not going nowhere. I'm going to marry you." And I says, "Says who?" He says,"???" ??? means me. I says, "Listen, if you were Jewish maybe it's you. But since your not Jewish, it's not you. Oh I will never, never, never, never in a million years."

It never, never crossed your mind...

Never!

that you should stop.

First of all, I don't know if my parents are dead or alive. I wish I can erase this from my head. Uh, that will haunt me every night.

Not knowing for sure.

No, no, I mean if I ever marry a Gentile.

Oh.

First of all they would erase me you know, completely if they were alive. And I won't do it. I won't do it. And I got more Goyisheh falling in love with me than Jewish. I mean, that guy, it was something else. I says that uh, "You can turn Jewish, you can turn African. You are not marrying me." The sisters they were so upset you know, five girls. They thought they were going to brainwash me. No, no, no, no. I, I was born Jewish and I wish this never happen to any religion, to any nationality. I hope it's not another concentration camp.


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