Maurice Chandler - October 3, 1993
Returning to Parents
Was this the Jewish area?
Yeah, and it so happens it was later incorporated into the ghetto part. So we went over to them--I remember their name was Neumann and I--we told them the story, my brother and I, we just came from the Russian side and what's happening and, "I understand that Nasielsk been evacuated and where are my parents living? I understand they are living in Warsaw, where?' So, they told us uh, that they gave up one of their apartments that they own on one of the streets--it was Kupiecka 8, near the Zamenhofa Street and that's where they were, so off we went from there. And you can imagine the site of the reunion that we had? My mother's said, "Oh my God, my children," this and that, and, "from now on I'm not letting you out of sight and you'll see, the war will be over. We're all here and it's a big apartment, you know, everybody lives here, and we're functioning and you know, they were able to bring some goods with them and they're trading for bread and doing--and so and so is here--everybody is here, and uh, you know. There's talk of a ghetto, but uh, they don't know--people--all kinds of rumors. In the meantime, Warsaw is functioning and Jews are living and uh, kids, don't worry, everything will be fine." And I remember I was adamant and I said to my mother--I says, "I brought Avrum home because he didn't want to stay there--he couldn't stay there, but I am going back. I made up my mind, I am going back." She says, "Listen, look how you look. Rest a while here, you know, and you'll feel a little better and then we'll let you go, if you want to go. We'll let you go, if you want to go." This was in 1940. And when I rested up, and things they started building the ghetto, you know, they started--they outlined all the streets that are going to be in the ghetto. And this part that we were was going to be inside the ghetto, so we didn't have to move. And I started inquiring about getting back to the Russian side.
This must have been March already--at least March?
Yeah, it was March, April. We starting hearing stories that there, you know, everything is tightened up, there's no crossing anymore. The Russians closed, the Germans closed, the people got shot already, so and so got, got killed, and so and so got killed getting there--trying to get to the uh, to the zone, you know. And it was all over with. We were locked into the ghetto in Warsaw.
[interruption in interview]
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