SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

AS TOLD BY RACHEL SACKSIONI-LEVEE

WHEN A GUARD REPEATED HIT ME IN THE FACE BECAUSE I REFUSED TO WORK ON PARTS FOR NAZI BOMBERS, ANOTHER GUARD SAID TO HER:  "YOU MIGHT AS WELL STOP. THOSE 'BIBELFORSCHER' WILL LET THEMSELVES BE BEATEN TO DEATH FOR THEIR GOD." 

THIS occurred in December 1944 in Beendorff, a woman's labor camp close to the salt mines in norther Germany. Let me explain how I cam to be there and how I was able  to survive during the closing months of World War II. 

I was born in a Jewish family in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in 1908, the second of three girls. My father was a diamond polisher, as were many Jews in Amsterdam before World War II. He died when I was 12, and afterward Grandfather came to live with us. Grandfather was a devout Jew, and he saw to it that we were brought up  in accordance with Jewish traditions. 

Following in Father's footsteps, I learned the diamond cutting trade, and in 1930, I married a colleague. We had two children-Silvain, a lively and adventurous boy, and Carry, who was a sweet, placid little girl. Unfortunately, our marriage did not last long. In 1938, shortly after the divorce, I married Louis Sacksioni, who was also a diamond polisher. In February 1940, our daughter Johanna, was born.  

Although Louis was Jewish, he did not practice his religion. So we no longer celebrated the Jewish festival that I had found so fascinating as a child. I certainly missed that, but in my heart I continued to believe in God.

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD -A Change of Religion

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001