Miriam Monczyk-Laczkowska Ferber - December 7, 1999
Introduction
The following is an interview with Mrs. Miriam Ferber at her home in West Bloomfield, Michigan on December 7, 1999. The interviewer is Sidney Bolkosky.
Um, could you tell me your name?
Um, my name is Miriam Monczyk-Łączkowska Ferber.
And where were you born?
I was born in Poland, in the city of Sosnowiec in 1942. Possibly May or April, we don't know for sure, but uh, um, about uh, you know, sometimes in, in May maybe.
W...uh, do you know your parents' name?
My Jewish parents' name, yes. It was Faigel uh, Monczyk and her maiden name was Zeilender. She was from Chorzów, which uh, during I think uh, before the war was uh, was Krówleska Huta and then became Chorzów. And she was the only child of a very uh, balabatish family. They were not wealthy people. He was um, my uh, grandfather had a butcher shop, kosher butcher shop. And, eh, my mother was the only child. And she married uh, Monczyk, Schlomo Monczyk, who was one of uh, nine brothers. And he also lived in, in Chorzów. And they had two children. They had a uh, a son, Leibel, Leo. And then in 1942 uh, five years later, I was born, Miriam. Uh, sometime in, in May. We were--we're not sure.
Um, do you know what happened to them?
Yes, I know what happened to them. First of all, in 1942, before I was born, they moved to the city of Sosnowiec and they lived, uh. Ulica Czymirskiego at that time was trzydie?cie-trzy. And they lived in a beautiful complex. It was an old, old home with courtyard. It was like an apartment building that had about uh, I would say maybe hundred uh, and twenty families. So it was a, a courtyard built in a, a rectangular, you know. It was like a courtyard actually. So, and we lived in the front of the house, the front building. And I think my mother, my Jewish mother and uh, and uh, my father and my brother and myself lived on the second floor. Um, since 1942, I think they moved in over there January uh, January, yes. January 1942, just in the beginning of the year, they fled from um, Chorzów into Sosnowiec. And then in May, I was born.
How do you know this?
Well, we'll go back.
Alright, ok.
You know, later on I will tell you how.
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