Jewish Holocaust Survivor Rachel Gottstein Full Testimony | USC Shoah Foundation

The video script begins with an introduction to Rachel Gottstein, a Holocaust survivor, being interviewed by Renee Firestone on December 10, 1996, in San Mateo, California. Rachel provides her full name, maiden name, and the circumstances surrounding her birth in Krakow, Poland, in 1936. She recounts her family's move to Skawina due to increasing threats to Jewish people and her grandfather's unique position as a rabbi and mayor of Skawina. The interviewer inquires about Rachel's early life, her family's business, and her recollections of her father, a gentle and kind man, and her mother, remembered as strong and principled.

Rachel reminisces about her family's life in Krakow before the war, characterized by frequent visitors seeking advice and her father's involvement in the family business, which included manufacturing tires and working with wood. The family's move to Skawina is detailed, highlighting her uncle's company related to cement. Rachel's memories of her parents are vivid; her father's explanation of his work and her mother's moral lesson about not stealing, even when unobserved, are particularly poignant. This lesson stayed with Rachel, providing her with a sense of God's omnipresence and comfort during her time in concentration camps.

Rachel describes her mother as a strong, intelligent woman, and recalls an incident from her childhood involving a misunderstanding with her mother about stealing carrots from a neighbor. This story illustrates her mother's moral integrity and the lesson it taught her about honesty and the omnipresence of God. Rachel's mother's wisdom was recognized by the community in Skawina. Rachel shares that she did not attend school until after she was liberated from the concentration camp, and her first encounter with school was a comical yet serious affair that ended with her being taken home by her mother. Rachel's family life is depicted as close-knit, with her parents living with her grandparents and her being raised with strong religious values.

Rachel's narrative takes a dramatic turn as she recounts the onset of war and its impact on her family. She describes how her family was forced to leave their home in Skawina upon hearing that Jews were being rounded up. She was hidden in a neighbor's basement and then taken to an uncle's house in Wieliczka. This uncle, who had Hungarian papers, was able to provide temporary safety for Rachel and other family members. However, their respite was short-lived as the uncle was eventually taken to Buchenwald concentration camp. The paragraph ends with a sense of foreboding about what the future held for Rachel and her family.

Rachel's story continues with her time in hiding, first with a neighbor and then with her uncle's family in Wieliczka. She describes the fear and confusion of being separated from her parents and the harrowing experience of hiding in an outhouse with two young cousins to avoid capture by the Gestapo. The narrative captures the innocence of childhood amidst the horrors of the Holocaust, as Rachel tries to make sense of the escalating violence and cruelty around her. The paragraph concludes with the children being discovered and the mother of one of the cousins being taken away by the Nazis.

Rachel recounts the terrifying experience of being in the custody of the Nazis. She describes attempts to win their favor and the heartbreaking moment when she falsely claimed to know the whereabouts of other hidden individuals to save herself and the children with her. She provides a chilling account of witnessing adults being brutally interrogated and beaten, and the constant fear and uncertainty of their fate. The narrative underscores the complete dehumanization and debasement experienced by those at the mercy of the Nazis.

Rachel describes the conditions in the Grey House, a place of torture and death within the Plaszow concentration camp. She recounts the daily horrors, the beatings, and the desperate prayers of a woman pleading for her child's life. Her narrative provides a glimpse into the cruelty and inhumanity of the Nazis, contrasting sharply with the brief moments of kindness from a man named Karl, a Nazi officer who provided them with food. This paradox serves as a testament to the complexity and contradictions of human behavior under such extreme circumstances.

Rachel's story moves to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she and her surviving family members endure even more hardship. She talks about the scarcity of food, the sickness that plagued the camp, and the constant fear of death. Her narrative is a stark depiction of survival under the most dire conditions, where every additional slice of bread or moment of respite from the elements is a small victory. The paragraph also highlights the resilience of the human spirit, as Rachel and her family members cling to life despite overwhelming odds.

In the final paragraphs, Rachel describes the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by the British forces and the subsequent recovery in a hospital. She recounts the profound sense of loss and displacement, the uncertainty of her family's fate, and the struggle to come to terms with the enormity of the Holocaust's impact. Her narrative concludes with her journey to Israel, her service in the Israeli army, and her decision to embrace her new life as an Israeli citizen. Rachel's story is a testament to the power of hope and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy.