Baruch Spergel - February 4, 2008
Experience on Kindertransport
Yeah. So, you got to Holland...
BS: Hmm?
You got to Holland on the train...
BS: Yeah.
...and from Holland you took a boat to...
BS: From where?
From Holland.
ZF: Oh, Holland.
BS: No, we went through Holland, through Holland to England and from, from Holland they took me-we took a boat.
To Harwich.
BS: To Harwich, yes.
And then when you arrived at the Liverpool Street Station...
BS: Yes?
...who was there to meet you?
BS: Well my uncles. Brothers of the-of this uncle uh, took two of them to come and to coll...wait for us-for, for me anyway.
ZF: No, I told you, you came with ???, came with you.
BS: Uh, ??? came, yes...
ZF: ??? and maybe ??? and uh, the others as well. And Paula, no?
BS: No.
ZF: ??? and Paula as well?
BS: I don't remember.
ZF: ???
BS: I think ??? was with me then, yes.
And what were you thinking then? Was it still an adventure to be in England now?
ZF: Yes...
BS: I saw-I still thought-I saw it as an adventure and, uh...
Were you worried about your parents?
BS: Hmm? I was worried about my parents but uh, you know, I knew where they-I got a letter from, from Wilna from my father. He said that he expects that soon that the war will break out and then he waited for the uh, he said he hopes ??? that they would get to, get to Palestine and later he said yes that he did every-that, that everything and all to get to Palestine before the outbreak of war um, yeah.
So, when did they get to Palestine?
BS: Hmm?
When did they get to Palestine?
BS: Nineteen...in the beginning of 1940 I think. Nine...
ZF: No, 1941 they got to Palestine.
BS: No, no, no.
ZF: Two weeks after they arri...short time after they arrived I think they-when did the Russian offensive start? About when was that?
Nineteen forty one, July 1941.
ZF: July 1941.
BS: Which offensive? Which are you talking about?
ZF: The war that Russia started.
BS: Ah, no it started later.
ZF: Not very much later.
BS: I don't remember when that was.
June 1941.
ZF: Forty-one.
BS: June 1941 but they came in '40-they came 1940, they came to Palestine.
ZF: They came to 1940, yes, in 1940 they came to Palestine.
BS: There was still peace between...
So they got out just in time.
ZF: Yes, they got out in time because the Russians has already occupied there and then the Germans came after there very shortly and uh, they were lucky. Just plain lucky.
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