“the most important thing was to find a job…”

We moved to the ghetto in the city of Stanislavov. The most important thing was to find a job. Those who worked received food. My uncle, my mother’s brother, was a well-known upholsterer in town. The Germans took him to work as an upholsterer and curtain maker, in a hotel outside the ghetto. After a few days of work, my uncle told the German in charge of work that there was a young Jew, who used to work with him and that he needs his help. He meant me….

Everyday at four o’clock, a group of fifty Jews went to work on the Aryan side . We walked to the other side of town. The members of the group used to give me jewelry or small items of value and I would dodge out of work and exchange them for some potatoes and vegetables. For them, it was the only way to obtain some extra food for their families in the ghetto. I got a small portion of the “produce” I brought in and took it home to my family.

No one was allowed to leave the workplace. German soldiers guarded the entrances of the building. I used to sneak into the street through a small hatch I found in the cellar and came back with the food the same way (…)”