Rivka Honig- Spiegel
Rivka Honig
Rivka Spiegel
Rivka Honig
Rivka Spiegel
Survivor Code:
RelatioNet RI HE 23 MU
CH
Family Name: Spiegel
Previous Family Name: Honig
Previous First Name: Rivka
Present First Name: Rivka
Father Name: Laush
Mother Name: Tzila
Brother Name: Bela/ Aharon
Brother Name: Itzhak/ Icho
Family Name: Spiegel
Previous Family Name: Honig
Previous First Name: Rivka
Present First Name: Rivka
Father Name: Laush
Mother Name: Tzila
Brother Name: Bela/ Aharon
Brother Name: Itzhak/ Icho
Brother Name: Natan/ Nati
Brother Name: Michael/ Miki
Date of birth: 30.3.1923
Country of birth: Czech Republic
Date of birth: 30.3.1923
Country of birth: Czech Republic
City of Birth: Mukachevo
My Email- Doronbenari95@gmail.com
Grandma's birth certificate
Standing on the stairs leading to their home.
From right to left:
Gradma, her father-
laush (Arie), her mother- Tzila, her brother- Miki (Michael) and her brother Nati (Natan).
Grandma's mother, Tzila
and her son- Icho (Itzhak), one of gradma's big brothers.
Grandma's father, Laush,
and his firstborn son, Aharon- Bela.
Grandma's youngest
brother, Miki.
Interview
with Grandma, Rivka Spiegel
Grandma Rivka (Rivchu)
Honig (later- Spiegle), was born in Mukachevo, chekoslovakia.
From a very young age, grandma went to elementary school and later - the Jewish-Hebrew high school of Mukachevo (“Gimnasia”), named “7 gimnasiot”. the school had only Jewish students.
A video clip: Jewish
youngsters dancing "Hora" in Mukachevo.
A video clip: Hebrew
high school students of Mukachevo, singing "Hatikva".
The
Nazi troops entered Mukachevo only at the last
phase of the war, during 1944, which was kind of "lucky" for my
grandma. She and her parents and brothers were sent to the local ghetto. They stayed together the whole time at
the beginning. After two weeks, trains
took them to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The train journey was horrible and unbearable. the wagon was closed completely, and there were no
windows, no toilet, no food and no water. The ride
took two or three days. In addition, my
grandmother and her family had no idea where they were
taken. They were all under complete uncertainty.
When
they arrived at Auschwitz, they were shocked. A lot of
men stood around with their weapons and threatening dogs. It felt
as if there's no escape. "They told us to stand in
rows of four people. Mom and Dad stood in the
middle, on one side my brother Miki and on the other me,
slob arms. Suddenly, a solider approached and told
me in German – “you are still too young.” He pushed my Grandmother away from her family, and that was the last time she saw them. "I did not
understand- says my Grandma - why he saved my life”.
“Life
in war is very difficult. It was
cold and raining most of the time. Each of us, the Jewish prisoners, got a simple thin dress and a pair of sandals without socks. The miracle
was that we didn’t become sick. We probably had natural
immunity. The first thing they did was
to shave our heads, so we did not recognize each
other.
They moved us
to a huge block - Birkenau C 30 - of about a thousand people. 12 people slept
on each woden bed. Of course, we did not get a mastress and a blanket. It was very
crowded, so when a person wanted to change his position in bed, she had to coordinate it with the other 11 girls...
Every morning they placed us in lines for hours to count that no one escaped. It was very difficult to escape, if at all, since the camp was surrounded by electrified barbed wires.
Every morning they placed us in lines for hours to count that no one escaped. It was very difficult to escape, if at all, since the camp was surrounded by electrified barbed wires.
Among
the blocks, there was a special block for
bathing. Along the whole block several rows
of valves were arranged for washing hands and
faces, nothing more. We had no soap, toothpaste, and
certainly not a towel. It's hard to imagine how we
were holding up for six months without a
shower and without changing clothes.
We
had not done any serious work. Every morning we filled a
wheelbarrow with stones and moved it to another
place. The next day we took the stones and we
brought them back to where they were the day
before, just employment.
The
biggest fear was when a rumor passed that
Dr. Yosef Mengele arrives. That meant more
selections, choosing ill and weak people that will be
sent to the crematorium.
Once, in heavy rain, there was a selection. The block was divided into two parts. On one side stood Mengele who chose the prisoners to be send to death. A Friend of my mother was standing by me. She told me: “If he sees you, you're finished”, as I weighed only 40 k.g then. She went on: “I'll throw you over the partition so you do not pass by Mengele”. I told her she was crazy. If they caught us, they would sent both of us to the crematorium. She told me that we had to try, and gave me a boost and I managed to get across and I was saved for the second time.
The food
we were given was not even eatable - a portion of
bread per day, of 100 or 150 grams, and a
little warm water they called coffee.
After 6 months, in December, a rumor was spread that the Russians were approaching the camp. The Nazis were looking for 500 women to work at a military factory in Germany. We did not know if it's true or not, but we felt we should try to get out, since it was our dream. I did not believe it, but I was chosen.
After 6 months, in December, a rumor was spread that the Russians were approaching the camp. The Nazis were looking for 500 women to work at a military factory in Germany. We did not know if it's true or not, but we felt we should try to get out, since it was our dream. I did not believe it, but I was chosen.
They
took us by train, which went all day until we
reached the town Zittau, on the German border. From there we were driven on
trucks to a factory of airplane parts. Our section
was in a big house, each of us was given a bed alone, we
received new clothes, and the situation had improved. The food
was barable, but it was impossible to get a shower.
In the factory we worked with German women and German soldiers from the Wehrmacht. There were no S.S. soldiers around. I had a boss who kept encouraging me that the Russians were approaching and it would not be long before the war would be over. He wanted me to teach him some English phrases, hoping he would be able to avoid from falling in the hands of the Russians. He was afraid of them, scared to death, and prefered to be an American prisoner.
Encouraged by the press reports of the failure of the German army at Stalingrad, we hoped that this might be over. We were there from December 1944 to May 1945.
In the factory we worked with German women and German soldiers from the Wehrmacht. There were no S.S. soldiers around. I had a boss who kept encouraging me that the Russians were approaching and it would not be long before the war would be over. He wanted me to teach him some English phrases, hoping he would be able to avoid from falling in the hands of the Russians. He was afraid of them, scared to death, and prefered to be an American prisoner.
Encouraged by the press reports of the failure of the German army at Stalingrad, we hoped that this might be over. We were there from December 1944 to May 1945.
One
day it happened: German guards exchanged their clothes and
put on our dresses, waved goodbye and said- "Now you'll
be good!"
We were left alone without any protection. It was a night with lots of bombardings at our area of staying. The next morning the Russian army arrived and freed us. There were also Russian-Jewish officers who were guarding us. The soldiers were very wild, they took their revenge on the German women.
We were left alone without any protection. It was a night with lots of bombardings at our area of staying. The next morning the Russian army arrived and freed us. There were also Russian-Jewish officers who were guarding us. The soldiers were very wild, they took their revenge on the German women.
Later we
found out, that if the Germans hadn’t taken us to
work in their factory, we would have had
to participate in a "Death March", to walk bare feeted on frozen snowy ground. Most of the people died on the way. Whoever
died, remained in the snow and was covered .My
two cousins perished there.
End
of the War
Grandma went
back home to Mukachevo. The ride
home was very hard, it took a long time. The
railroads were full of trains going to Russia. When we
asked for a break, the answer always
was - a little more. It seemed to us that we
were standing more than driving.
"We
arrived to our city on Friday evening. All the
apartments of Jews were occupied by the
Ukrainian women, who joined their husbands as an
occupying army. The feeling was very unpleasant.
Before the war, we had many uncles and cousins in Mukachevo. Now, after it ended, we had
no place to spend the night.
The gentile family who lived before the war in the basement and were responsible for cleaning the whole house, now lived in our apartment. When we knocked on the door they would not let us in, and told us that if they had not taken the house, there would have been others. I looked and saw all our furniture. They did not offer us even a glass of water.
The gentile family who lived before the war in the basement and were responsible for cleaning the whole house, now lived in our apartment. When we knocked on the door they would not let us in, and told us that if they had not taken the house, there would have been others. I looked and saw all our furniture. They did not offer us even a glass of water.
Standing there, a
relatively old Jewish neighbor approached us suddenly and asked me: "Are
you Mr. Honig's daughter?" when I said yes, he told me the following story:
"Just before the "Akzia" - sending the Jews from Mukachevo Ghetto
by the trains eastwards, I referred to your father and offered him to join me
at a hiding place I prepared in advance. Your father agreed, but insisted to
take his wife and kids with him too (your mother, yourself and your young brother).
Unfortunately, this wasn't possible, since the place had very limited space. So
your father had one request: he handed over to me a small box, and asked me to
hide it until the war would be over. Of course I took it and kept it for him.
Since he didn't return to the city, allow me to give it to you, Rivka".
Opening the box, I
was shocked to see again some of the family's jewelry: my father's golden watch
and my mother's diamond ring and another piece of beautiful golden ornament. 3
pieces of beautiful jewelry, which brought my family's memories back to me. I'll come
back to this story later...
At that time, we
were desperated and did not know where to
turn. My friend suddenly remembered that she
had non-Jewish friends without children, who lived in a
nice house. In despair we went to their
house, hoping that they would at least invite us for the
night. It was already dark. We were very tiered. I can
not even remember how long the road took. When we got
there, they immediately recognized us, they invited us to
stay as much as we liked.
I
went into thier bathroom to take my first shower in months. When I washed my head, I realized that
I had lice! Seenig it on the bathroom floor, I started crying. I was so shamed and really
afraid, that they'd throw us out.
The house owner, who was a Doctor, knocked on the door, asked if everything was okay and why I did not go out. When I told them, they were not angry at me. On the contrary, they comsorted me and insisted we stayed with them and of course, not go to any other place.
The house owner, who was a Doctor, knocked on the door, asked if everything was okay and why I did not go out. When I told them, they were not angry at me. On the contrary, they comsorted me and insisted we stayed with them and of course, not go to any other place.
Mom
and Dad, Tzila and Laush, of course weren’t there. Miki perished with them. Luckily, Grandma said, one
night, just before the war arrived at Mukachevo, her father took her little
brother Nati, who was then 13 years old,
to Budapest, the Capital of Hungery, where Icho, their older brother, lived. In That
way, her father saved Nati.
Grandma
said with certainty, that her older brother Aharon-Bela, was executed in
Russia.
“Aliyah” to Israel
Before grandma
immigrated to
Israel, she moved to Bratislava, Capital city of Slovakia. She stayed there with her aunt Shari and her uncle Hershu (later, they immigrated to Chile).
Grandma worked with Jewish orphaned teenagers, roaming the streets alone. She took care of them and made sure that they had shelter and food. In addition, she gave them Hebrew lessons, so they would be able to adapt easily to the life in Israel, when they made "Aliya".
Aunt Shari, Uncle Hershu and little Chorche
Grandma worked with Jewish orphaned teenagers, roaming the streets alone. She took care of them and made sure that they had shelter and food. In addition, she gave them Hebrew lessons, so they would be able to adapt easily to the life in Israel, when they made "Aliya".
Grandma with her Hebrew studentds
After about six months, the Jewish Agency people kept their promise to her: when they found her two brothers (Icho and Nati) in Israel, they immediately updated her and helped her to make "Aliya". She and her young students made their way to Palestine, illegally.
The British authorities put them at the "Atlit" refugee camp, where they stayed for editional six months. After
the liberation from the British Mandate on Palestine, the children went to different Kibbutzim and gradma
went to visit her brothers - Nati, who lived with his wife, Bat-Ami, in Kibutz Eilon in the north, and Icho, who lived then in Kibutz Negba in the south part of Israel.
It was then when she opened the jewlery box she carried with her from Mukachevo - 3 pieces of jewlery, for the 3 "kids" that survived the Holocaust... As if her father knew in advance how many of the family members would stay alive...
"I decided", said gradma "to keep the ornament for myself. Here it is. If you look at it carefuly, You'll notice it has the shape of a Tora Scroll. Is it a coincidence???"
later on, Icho and his wife Eva moved to Holon, so Grandma went to stay with them there.
It was then when she opened the jewlery box she carried with her from Mukachevo - 3 pieces of jewlery, for the 3 "kids" that survived the Holocaust... As if her father knew in advance how many of the family members would stay alive...
"I decided", said gradma "to keep the ornament for myself. Here it is. If you look at it carefuly, You'll notice it has the shape of a Tora Scroll. Is it a coincidence???"
later on, Icho and his wife Eva moved to Holon, so Grandma went to stay with them there.
Nati and Bat Ami.
Nati plays his vilion.
Icho
and Eva.
That’s why Grandma came to Holon, where, with some friends, she met Grandpa Arie. Those friends decided to introduce her to him, because they knew they both spoke the Czech language. After a week, Grandpa proposed to grandma! Grandma said that they both did not have many relatives in Israel, they were really lonely so they got married about a month after their first meeting...Not long ago, they celebrated their 60th marriage anniversary...
Grandma and Grandpa on their wedding day (1947).
Icho and Eva
had a boy, Arik Honig. They left the apartment in
Holon and moved to Tel Aviv. Grandpa and Grandma came to
their apartment and stayed there. They moved to some other locations in Holon, until two years ago. Then, they relocated to “Bait Bakfar”, a nursery house for elderly people, which is very close to where we live in Kfar Saba.
Rivka,
my grandmother, and Arie, my grandfather, gave birh to my father, Yossi, and his late brother, Uri. Uri died from cancer in 1986.
Uri and grandma
Uri had two wonderful kids: Mor, who is 35 years old
todayand has two cute boys- Ari (named after grandpa), and Tamar, and Tal
who is 29 years old today.
My father Yossi married Ilana and gave birth to my two
sisters, Hadar and Sivan. Then they got divorced. Later, Yossi met Yehudit, and both of them gave
birth to my brother Or, and myself - Doron.
"The oldest and the youngest" - Grandma and her young grand grandson- Ari
Grandma Rivka Spiegel's "Tribe"
Sitting, from right to left:
Ari Spiegel, Rivka's husband;
Rivka Spiegel; Roni Kameo-Ben Ari, Rivka's great granddaughter; Hadar Cameo-Ben
Ari, Rivka's granddaughter; Asaf Adiv, Rivka's step grandson; Tom Cameo-Ben
Ari, Rivka's grand grandson (leaning on Asaf); Elad Adiv, Rivka's step
grandson; Yossi Ben Ari (Spiegel), Rivka's son
Standing, from right to left:
Gal Cameo, Hadar's husband; Inbal Spiegl,
Mor's (see next wife); Ari Spiegel, Rivka's grand grandson; Mor Spiegel,
Rivka's grandson; Yehudit Adiv, Yossi spouse; Ilana Amarilio-Ben Ari, Yossi's
divorcee; Doron Ben Ari-Adiv, Rivka's granddaughter; Sivan Ben Ari, Rivka's
granddaughter; Or Ben Ari-Adiv, Rivka's grandson.
Missing: Tamar Spiegel, Ari
Spiegel, Rivka's grand grandson; Tal Spiegel, Rivka's grandson, Uri Spiegel,
Rivka's late son.
