17.2.2013
Survivor's name: Rachel Schori.
Students:
Rotem Maoz, Offir Friedman.
Phone:
Offir: 050-2541942, Rotem:052-8023107.
Survivor:
Code: RelatioNetRAGO24BORO
Previous
Family Name: Goltz
First
Name: Rachel
Previous
name: Regina
Mother's
family Name: Shtenberg
Brother's
Name: Rachmiel
Sister's
Name: Tony.
Date
of Birth: 1925.
Country
of Birth: Romania.
City of Birth: Czernowitz.Background Information
Borschiv:
Borschiv
is located in the western Ukraine between Romania, Poland and the Ukraine. It is r of the Borshchivskyi Raion. City population is 11,382 (2001).
In 1672–1683 the town was controlled by Ottoman Turks. After the First Partition of
Poland, t Austria-Hungary. In 1809–1815 it was controlled by the Russian Empire and then returned to Austrians. In 1914–1917 it was taken
over by the Russian From 1919 to September 1939 it belonged to Poland and in September 1939 was annexed by the Soviet Union.
After a short period of rule by the Germans at the beginning of World War II it
was ceded back to the Russians until the fall of the USSR and declaration of
Ukrainian independence.
Important Czernowitz History
Before
the war:
Between
the two world wars there were about 45,000 Jews in Czernowitz - about 40 percent of
its residents. They engaged in trade, industry and businesses, the
professions, importers, exporters and bankers. All the Bank managers, except one, were Jews. They had textile and rubber factories.
According to the Provisions of Minorities Treaty signed after World War I, the Romanian government and Jewish community established the Jewish school network which also taught in Hebrew. But in the thirties the Romanians closed Jewish schools so students attended general high schools . At the outset of the Romanian rule in the city, Jewish children were removed from German schools.
During the war.
In
June 1940, Czernowitz was annexed to the Soviet - Union. The Soviets
confiscated all valuables in safe banks, closed all privately owned shops and factories, confiscated goods and nationalized all private property.
The Maternity hospital was converted into a military hospital. The Soviets
established a school where the language of instruction was Yiddish and did not
allow any educational or cultural activities in Hebrew. The Romanians took over Czernowitz on July 5, 1941 and more
Romanian army units arrived in the city on July 6. Romanian police along with local residents, mostly Ukrainians started looting Jewish homes and shops
and committing acts of rape and murder. That was the day Einsatzkommando 10B, a special unit of 15 officers and 15 members of the SS and Einsatzgruppe D arrived in Czernowitz. By August 1, 1941, according to reports, when they left the city, 682 Jews had been shot.
.
.
July 30, 1941, Jews were required to carry a yellow star on their
clothes and mark their homes with the word "Jew"; Jewish businesses
were closed, Jews were forbidden to gather in the streets in groups of more
than three people, and staying in public was permitted only between the hours
of six o'clock to eight o'clock; markets supplying food to Jews were only open only from
nine to half past eleven in the morning. Bread to Jews was rationed.
Jewish men and women who were detained were sent to forced labor in the
German army and the Romanian army. Others were abducted from their homes by the
Romanian police for the same purpose. Some Jews who worked with the German army
were killed.
Following
the appointment of a new governor of Bukovina, Corneliu Klotsko (Corneliu
Calotescu), more stringent laws were imposed on the Jews. Jewish doctors were
only allowed to treat Jews; Jewish schools and synagogues were closed
and public prayer was banned; Jews were not allowed to receive funds transferred to them and banks and post offices did not allow
withdrawal of funds; movement of Jews in the streets was limited to three hours a day, Jews were not entitled to food coupons, and more Jews were taken into forced
labor. Jewish patients, including the mentally ill ,were removed from
government hospitals. Romanian local newspapers incited the expulsion of Jews
and published the names of Jews who did not wear the yellow star or violated other
restrictions imposed on them. Under the laws and orders issued in late August
and September 1941, most Jewish property was confiscated including houses, shops,
businesses and factories..
Jewish men and women who were detained were sent to forced labor in the
German army and the Romanian army. Others were abducted from their homes by the
Romanian police for the same purpose. Some Jews who worked for the German army
were killed.
Rachel's
Life Story
Rachel
was born in Czernowitz, Romania in 1925 to a wealthy family who owned a farm. They raised horses and chicken
and her father grew sugar beets. She had a brother named Rachmiel, and a sister
called Tony. During this time Rachel was called Regina Stenberg or Regina Goltz (her father's family name). Rachel attended the local regional high
school for 4 years until 1941 when the Nazis conquered Czernowitz. She was 16 years old then. When they entered the city they took the Jews to the local river, Neiester, where they lined them up in
rows and shot them. Rachel's parents and her brother, Rachmiel were killed
there. Her younger sister, Tony was shot in the leg and was wounded. Rachel
and Tony were lifted on to a wagon. They were asked if everyone on the wagon
had been wounded. Rachel said yes so she would be able to stay with her sister.
They were taken to the Jewish hospital in Burshov where Rachel stayed with her
sister. She was told to go to the rabbi who told Rachel to go to
Kamianets-Podilskyi , and when her sister recovered, she would be sent there too.
Rachel replied boldly "I have walked enough now it is your turn to
walk". Rachel went back to the hospital crying and told one of the
nurses that the rabbi told her to go. The nurse gave Rachel a hospital gown and
told her she would feed the patients there which is how she stayed there for 2
years until 1943.
By chance Rachel had the opportunity to find out information about her aunt who was in Borshov, Poland. Two gentiles were willing to take her and her sister across the border into Poland for 40,000 lays. Although she didn't realize how much money that was, she agreed because she thought she had a rich aunt in Czernowitz who would pay the price for them but her hunt was in Transnitzeria. The next morning she got up at 6 am. Rachel was staying with gentiles, who gave her 10 eggs and a bottle of milk. She took her sister and they walked to catch up with the gentiles– Tony was still wounded. The gentiles talked Ukrainian which Rachel spoke well. The journey to the border was long and full of obstacles and left Rachel and Tony injured. One of the gentiles took pork fat and spread it on their wounds. They reached the border in May 1943. He took a ladder and put them in the attic and gave them food. The next morning they woke up early. The gentile's wife wanted to take a horse and wagon but that was not possible. The gentiles dressed Rachel and Tony in black dresses and a black hat like the local women dressed and they went to the market with 2 chickens and Tony took 10 eggs. Although it wasn't far, Tony found it hard to walk. They walked from morning till night. Rachel and her sister got to a bridge that the Germans were crossing. They played class on the bridge- the Germans looked at them and thought they were just local girls playing on the bridge. Then they continued till they got to their cousins and said they had promised the gentiles 40,000. They didn't have enough money but they arranged to pay 21,000 lays. Then they took them to Rachel's uncle, and aunt who had a baby. She took care of the baby. Rachel didn't have an identity card, so her uncle got her one. The authorities came to check if Rachel knew Romanian. And she did because she went to school in Czernowitz and from there on her life changed.
Rachel
joined a movement for people who wanted to move to Israel. One day she was told
to go to Constanza where there were ships that were going to Israel. Rachel arrived
at Kibbutz Kfar Glickson, Israel at the age of 20. She met her husband and
lived there for a year. Then she moved to Bnei brak. Her husband worked for the
electric company and she worked in the Elite chocolate factory. She lived there
until she moved to "Migdaley Yam Hatichon". Tony also came to Israel
she lived in Tarshiha and died at the age of 50.
