"All My Mothers" -The Story of Yehudith Kleinman

Yudit Kimman, born in Venice, Italy in 1938, shares her story of a childhood marred by war and persecution. After her father disappeared, she and her mother moved to Milan where they lived with her grandmother. Despite the war, Yudit had a carefree childhood until the rise of Mussolini and the Axis powers' alliance with Nazi Germany led to the persecution of Jews. In January 1944, her life changed dramatically when her mother received a distressing phone call, prompting them to hastily pack and leave, marking the end of Yudit's happy childhood.

The narrative continues with Yudit, her mother, and grandmother being taken to a building where a Nazi officer forced Yudit to choose between her family and a Christian neighbor. Yudit, confused and sensing danger, pointed to the neighbor, leading to her mother and grandmother's removal. She was then taken to a convent where she was told to hide her Jewish identity. Despite the heavy secret, Yudit befriended other girls at the convent, revealing her Jewish background to them. However, a cruel prank by an older girl led to Yudit's confusion about her identity, as she was told that Jews have a different belly button appearance than Christians.

Yudit's confusion about her identity deepened when a Nazi officer questioned the convent about Jewish girls. A sister defended Yudit, claiming she was Christian, which led to Yudit being renamed 'Daa' and further integration into Christian life. Despite this, Yudit decided to be two girls in her mind – a Christian girl by day and a Jew by night. She was one of the fortunate few who survived the Holocaust, as only 900 out of 30,000 Italian Jews returned after being sent to extermination camps.

After the war, Yudit was approached by a Jewish Brigade soldier and a woman from Israel who wanted to take her to Israel. Initially reluctant, Yudit was told she must decide where she belonged. After much thought, she chose to go with the Jewish representatives, leaving behind the friends and life she had known at the convent. Her departure was emotional, with Mother Superior giving her a cross as a parting gift.

Yudit was moved to a home for Jewish children in Selvino, where she reconnected with her Jewish heritage, learning Hebrew and preparing for her new life in Israel. She moved to pre-state Israel in November 1945 and joined a Zionist religious youth Aliyah movement. There, she finally discovered that Jewish girls, like her, also had belly buttons pressed in, dispelling the myth she had been told. Yudit's journey of self-discovery and acceptance of her Jewish identity continued as she shared her experiences with her peers.

Yudit's story concludes with the tragic confirmation of her family's fate – her father disappeared, and her mother and grandmother perished in Auschwitz. Despite the pain, Yudit served in the Israeli Army, became a teacher, and started a family of her own. She eventually found the strength to share her story, writing a book and speaking to various audiences about her experiences. Her narrative serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of remembering and passing on the stories of the Holocaust.