Vera Schiff Extended Testimony

My name is Vera Schiff, born Katz, and I was born and lived in Czechoslovakia, the country which no longer exists today, in the capital of Prague and we have lived there, um, for generations. A Jewish presence in that part of the world, dates back to 10 decades. I was a child, so things seemed to be just great and fine up until the time when, uh, the country became eventually occupied and divided and ruled by the Nazi government from Germany. So this is really in very short few sentences is where I come from. And by how I we have lived really in this part of the world, up until the deportation.

So we have stayed in Prague for sometime really, hoping and perceived ourselves that this is our home. Because for generations, we have lived there and we perceived ourselves as Jews or the Czechs of Jewish village and that what was defined for generations. So in 1945, after we have rehabilitated physically, was a long process after all these starvations and sufferings in camp. So we had thought that we could, again, replant our roots back into the country. But, you know, it's, it was very difficult even before the coup d'etat. And it was a democratic government of Czechoslovakia in 1948 and the communist party staged a coup even then, it was very difficult because from a flourishing warm family setting, we have all returned alone, or many families had no returnees.

And it was like going from day in, day out to a cemetery because on every corner, there was some memory in a park or wherever someone lived you're left and, it was forever different. And also, I thought that, um, 1945, we have found that the general population, which was perhaps not sympathetic in generally, but the Czechs are not flagrant anti-Semites. I'm not saying that they're, they're not antisemitism, but there was no pogroms. I don't remember aggression, but in 1945 that except the reception of when we returned back was much cooler and much less friendly than I remembered our life with our neighbors and I think it was a consequence of the six-year occupation in which, day in and day out, the Nazis hammered into the press and radio to the Checks that Jews are guilty on all the disaster of the world and that we are not to be tolerated.

I think if you do this systematically, something perhaps sticks in their mind, which already, maybe slightly from different reasons hostile toward the minority. So I found 1945, I didn't find the same country. Maybe it was me who was of course wounded and bleeding from a thousand wounds. So the few survivors, almost all left Europe. Because Europe is the continent soaked with blood and tears, and it's difficult to jumpstart new life on such conditions. So to leave to a different part of the world was of course a blessing. So we have left 1948, sorry, 1949 for Israel, which was already established as an independent state and there we lived for 12 years, by the way, I mean, my husband, my son and myself, because by the time I was married and had a child. And there we stayed for 12 years, 1961, we transitioned from there to Canada where my husband's family lived and we lived here ever since. So this is kind of in briefed, uh, our travel through, through the world.

Oh, before the war, I really have only good memories because we have been living in the nicer residential district of Prague that I hope the Stolpersteine will be soon placed. And, uh, if it was a street which connected to beautiful parks we have. If there were any problems in those days, my parents they never shared any problems with us. So we had a wonderful childhood. We, my sister and I , I had a sister, a year and a half of my senior. I don't, we have of course, duties to school and private lectures after school because education and knowledge was really very much emphasized. That was the important part for my parents, but my sister and I we had a very good childhood. That's the first really worry. And even when the adults are talking about the impending dangerous, um, we kind of thought this for the adults to deal with. So really the first traumatic event I do recall as a young girl was when I had to wear the yellow star of David, which came at 1940 on one to be attached to our outer clothing. And that I remember the very, very difficult transition. Up until then I kind of thought that my parents dealt successfully with all problems, to my knowledge. So why not with that? Uh, but then from then on, I saw that it was above and beyond the strengths or abilities to help.

But nobody really believed that 20th century Germany will do something like that. So it was kind of horror propaganda, but not really something which is happening. So Theresienstadt was a transit camp for us and for my family, it became more than that. because my father had a friend there. So when we had arrived, we contacted Mr. Bleha, the friend of my father and we stayed. And I think I must've been one of the very few who was there from 1942 to 1945.

Unfortunately, all my family perished there but I don't know why I found it a comfort that they were not choked by zyklon b, that they didn't go through poisoning by carbon monoxide, that they were not shot. That they died in horrible conditions in terrible situations in those bunks, but at least I was able to be there. I don't know why still today I find it so horrible to think that you kill people, by gas, and the worst of it was sister became so early ill with strep throat. And because we had all try to offer her something that she could be getting out of it. And we have, of course, exchanged everything we had. And from then on, it went downhill because my parents and myself denied ourselves of everything but unfortunately all the efforts to help my sister were in vain and nothing helped, no matter what we did. It was an emotional disaster for my parents to see a healthy teenager dying and withering away in front of their eyes. But also we have denied ourselves even the sustenance of the rations, which is more run down because they did not use even that little bit that they got. I'll say after that, my sister passed away, it was a downhill for my parents very quickly.

She was after 50 when she died. To me this diary meant kind of contact with her, and whenever there is bad times, whatever in my life, I go back to it. Because I know it by heart. So she has on the end written me a letter and you can see the agony of a parent. She knew that I'm alone because by that time my father was dead, my sister was dead, my grandparents were dead. So she had left me a message, or she wrote me a letter and, she stressed what I should do. Till today I admire her strength. She still generated the worry or the love to write me what I should do when I come back to Prague. I should not be absorbed by my heartbroken heart and and go back to school. It offered a great deal of support. And then, because, you know in every life there are ups and downs in our lives was quite difficult. I think that this little diary, meant the world to me, till today it's one of my most valuable possessions. I wouldn't part for it for nothing. And I see her behind it, and I still admire that strength with that dying person who was physically so finished and still she generated the energy to write down, you when you come out, you should do A, B, C, D. And I still admire the depths of commitment and love she had for me, to give me this blueprint, how to live my life.

Well, I think the first time I heard about the Stolpersteine it was a few years ago. I don't think at that point it was, uh, achievable in Prague. I was in contact with the Prague Jewish museum, but it was only the promise that it will come there. I'm sure it's provides that net of the Stolpersteine in different cities. So this will be a reminder of what has happened when what happens if we do allow the world allows hatred and biases to prevail because it can get out of hand and maybe people didn't believe it will get that far. But these Stolpersteine are a reminder that we should not take anything for granted. We should believe that it can have, enormous tragedies did happen and could repeat themselves if we choose to forget the past. So I think it just got them great importance for the next generations. Not for people who know, but for people who come after us and who will see it and wonder what it's all about. You read the names and will see that they were murdered And it's not only time perhaps of remorse and acceptance of guilt by the past in Germany, but also a lesson of history to dispense to people who will go by and wonder what it's all about. And to us, the survivors, you have to understand, we have lost many relatives. I've lost all my relatives, but I don't have a grave. I don't have one grave where I could go and say a prayer or remember.

I don't have one grave where I could go and say a prayer and remember, uh, pay respect. The closest I come to is where my grandmother's resting in a mass grave in Theresienstadt because she arrived already unconscious. And in those days they didn't have crematories in Theresienstadt. So they would put people into mass graves. So hundreds that be put into this big mass grave. And if you were to come there, you can see the big Magen David kind of over the expanse. And that is in one place. My grandmother, I don't know, in which one. But all the rest of them, over 50 people, I have lost it after I've actually made it so that their ashes are scattered, uh, Europe over. And my sister and parents their ashes were thrown into the river, which flows nearby.

So we, the survivors never had a place, I don't know to, when we felt that we need emotionally, some remember or support to go to service. Stolpersteine will provide it for me many people. There are not many of us left anymore, but I think it is important for the posterity, and it's important also to see that the German nation acknowledges that it was wrong what they have done, that they shoulder responsibility because, um, I think this is important too. And I think this Stolpersteine are the living proof of it. If you have inlets in the places where the people have lived so you understand that the people who have committed these atrocities, or that of their descendants are genuinely sorry, and put perhaps like to reverse if they could. I think we should take all the lessons from this unfortunate era and the Stolpersteine to my understanding is a part of the mosaic, not only the books and not only talking to the survivors, but also visibly on the pavement of Europe, where the blood was so spilled. To see here lived such and such, and he died and all of those camps. So I think it's a very important project, which can achieve a lot in an educational sense, because people will wonder what it is.

Not people like me, but the next generations who will pass by and read it and learn, and this is educational.

Is a reminder that what can happen if we are not vigilant, and if we aren’t not doing the right thing. We do know today that all of this was preventable. If people would've dealt with it properly and it should be the lesson for the future generations do the right thing, you will not live to see that type of tragedy. And it, because it is scattered to different metropolises in different cities, it really embraces most of Europe. And I think it will continue perhaps goes to many cities. So it familiarizes people with past tragedy, and hopefully it will deliver a lesson to next generation to offer tolerance, respect. I think the world is right now quite polarized, if we could learn the art of civilized exchange of ideas, the debate, if we may not agree on much, but we should be able to exchange our ideas in a civilized form. People have hurled insults at each, and this is counterproductive.

So Jews were historically a very vulnerable minority as we know, from studies from European, ghettos, shtetls and settlements. That was a minority, which to people kill or rob. There were attempts made by enlightenment to change a situation but somehow, uh, I always keep on saying that we Jews are wrong minority. They are minorities who are sheltered that people understand they need help, but no matter what it is, we are somehow always a privileged minority, which I don't understand why. Well the problem of, well we Jews to have not never been united, and we are too polarized, and you'll have the Jews on the left and on the right and in the center. And they do not necessarily all see that it be important to fight antisemitism to show to the world what a horrible, uh, emotionally based and how wrong it is and try to make people understand that we were never really a privileged minority because we were just a minority. In some parts of the world a very bad situation, in some parts of the world where the population was more enlightened in a better one. But it never lasted. So I think there is no simple answer to that.

But I cannot say that I would have in Canada ever suffered. I know that there were people, of course, incidences and of synagogues being defaced, and swastikas were painted, but personally, individually, I cannot say that I would have had incident. And I don't think that I made any secret out of it, I'm proud I am a Jew. So I, I would single out Canada as a country, at least in my, from my point of view enlightened and fair and giving opportunities in which allowed my sons to study. And for this, I'm very, very grateful because not every country did allow Jews to study. In Europe as a Jewish child, you had no chance to get into university, no matter how good or bad he or she was. So I think that we have got to appreciate what we have here. In my heart I'm very grateful to Canada, and I think it's a wonderful country. Nevertheless, we cannot leave people uninformed because it's up to us to stress the need, to know and deal with the realities so that the next generation will have a safe life.

Because I believe that the Holocaust, if there is any purpose at all, then it's education. It should serve for the future generations as warning. For the last years of my retirement, I have diligently worked at it. I think if it served a purpose to warn people and create a better relationship with the people, then there is maybe sharpness of the pain to be a little bit dulled by the fact that it wasn't in vain, if that could be achieved. But it takes, I think, efforts, systematic effort, never to give up on educating people. And to my disappointment, I hear that a lot of young people nowadays do not know.

I think it is a hard work, persist, try to convince, and have a productive rapport, civilized dialogue, you know what? I think what we are doing go wrong within 2 minutes, the tempers fly high, they would hurl at each other insults, end of debate. We have to start the work now very hard to teach people what happens, and try to find ways, how to bring together the extreme left and the extreme, right. If nowhere centre we cannot debate each other, it is a very good approach to teach people tolerance. And I don't want to sound panicky, but we have always to think that we have the weapons of mass destruction and the biological weapons, at our fingertips. You know what you can think, if Hitler would have had what we have today, we probably wouldn't have the conversation. I think it should not be ignored.

What I would like to say to people is don't take the privilege, the good life, what we have in Canada for granted, It's not. In fact we have an issue, and we have got to work on it to pass it on to the next generation in the same, or perhaps even improved version. Nothing is a free gift. We cannot like turn back and say, well, the job's done. It's not done. Have to work on a better world, day in day out. And this is systematic efforts for all involved teachers and people who have the ear of the young generation. Everybody else goes about the opportunity, so much depends on it.