The story of Gizela - Afik Shiraz. Abinun Shmuel

Introduction

Most of my life, I didn't know much about my mother's experiences, Gizela, during the Holocaust. Like many Holocaust survivors' homes, our homes did not tend to talk about those difficult years and I didn't ask. As a kid, I was an "unknowingly innocent to ask” and in my adulthood I felt the pain that the questions raised and avoided that topic. My mother chose to leave the past behind, to focus on building her new life in the Land of Israel and give me as happy and normal childhood as possible. However, the years have passed, and in 2003 the first crack appeared in the wall of silence. This happened with the discovery of a mass grave in Germany, where my grandfather, my mother's father, was buried. That discovery led to our trip to Germany, a trip during which my mother began to tell, bit by bit, her experiences. The crack widened upon our return to Israel and my mother, who found herself haunted by the memories which had been pushed all those years, has turned to the care of the "AMCHA" association, the specialists in the care of Holocaust survivors and second-generation children. Later she was ready to speak in front of audience at the “Living Room Memory" meetings, during which she told not only about her experiences but also about the lesser known history and existence of Yugoslav Jewry in those years. During the second "Living Room Memory" session, which was held this year, I noticed that my mother forgets names and dates here and there. It was uncharacteristic of her, because she always had an exceptional memory; she was much better than that young people of our family. Following this meeting, the idea came to my mind to write my mother's story, as long as her memory is kept with her. For understandable reasons, her story is of great importance to us, her family, but I hope and believe that even readers, who don't know her personally, will be exposed through her words to the story of the Holocaust and its revival and with acquaintance to the Holocaust the lesser known Yugoslavian Jewry.

Shmuel Abinun, 2019

The original book was written in Hebrew. Subsequently I translated the book into English. Since I’m not a professional translator, I believe it expresses the information and experience my mother intended to.

Shmuel Abinun, March 2020

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