Selma Rich - July 17, 1984
Jail
A number of times was fine, but once they caught me. And when they caught me, they put me in jail. They called this in, in Lithuanian language the ???. The ??? meant it was a tiny little uh, room with a narrow bench like that. They didn't give you any water, any food nothing. I slept over there and they let me go with one condition. I should never do it again. Of course I was scared to death to do it and I didn't. Because the second time they would, if they would catch me would be just a bullet. It's not the fault from the, from the police was, from the Jewish police. From the Germans. They had no other choice. Everyone, of course, tried to stay alive the best way they could. Afterwards they liquidated this ghetto where I was living and they put us on two streets which they with wire all around. And the street where I used to be was ???. There we were in a barrack, was about four families. I was with the same family all the time, with my friend Shlomo. And the mother came up to me and say, look, we lost one daughter--they lost a daughter--we gained a daughter. We feel like you would be our daughter. You probably lost everybody too. Who knows if they're alive or not. My son loves you so much. Why don't you marry him? If it will be a world, you'll have a very fine, intelligent man for a husband. And he will have a good wife. If there will be no world, so what? Be happy of what every hour. And I did, because I felt very blue and lonely. When they brought the portion, what we received, the first, what they gave it to me. So I used to break up a piece, and they had a little girl. She was probably then about seven years old and I knew how hungry she was and I give it to her. When they used to catch me, say, no, don't do it. That's your portion you have not very much. She had her portion. They loved me and I loved them. I really like they would be my parents. Then after awhile, didn't took very long, they liquidated this.
[interruption in interview]
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