Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

• Contents
• Map
• Video

Mala Weintraub Dorfman - September 15, 2005

And during the war, did you ever stop to think why is this happening to us?

Oh many times, many times. But I didn't get an answer. I just-Where's God? Where's God?

You didn't...

A lot of people that I know went completely the opposite way, they didn't want to be Jewish anymore.

You didn't feel that way.

I didn't feel that way, no.

What about God?

I was born a Jew and I want to die a Jew.

And God?

God, I asked Him a lot of questions, I didn't get an answer. No one can answer. I asked my rabbi, Rabbi Groner. Rabbi where was God? He said, "Mala, I cannot answer you that." And I believe that, like now even, with the floods and with the water, with the uh, with the fires, God must doing all this because people are not good enough. They run away from the religion, they don't believe anymore. A lot of them.

Do you think that's why the Holocaust happened?

I don't know. I don't know. Maybe it did. I don't know. But there were such good Jews and the first one they went, the ones they really believed in God. First ones were punished.

And the children.

And the children. The innocent children. They went.

Because several times you said that you were lucky.

I was lucky, I was.

But you didn't say, God put His hand out and, and saved you, you said it was luck.

Uh, maybe it was. I don't know, I really don't know, you know, I really don't know. If it was uh, God's hand or whatever. If she was sent down from God and her save me, I don't know.

You thought Mrs. Hoffman was the key to your survival.

Yes I did, yes. And that old man that told me that I'm going to live through the war.