RE: [Cz-L] Hedwig Brenner

Dear Hardy,
 
Without diminishing the greatness of Hedy, our good friend, I must correct:
Hedwig Brenner is not the only living Czernowitzer who lived under these regimes.
My mother, Sidi (Sidonia) Gross, who is (I think) only 2 years younger than Hedy, has the same life-story, if not worse.
She and her sister Berta were sitting just behind you at Hedy's medal-ceremony.
 
Sidi Gross was born on March 2nd, 1921 in Stanesti de Jos, just 21 miles west of Czernowitz. Yesterday We celebrated her 91st birthday in my house, with Hedwig Brenner's participation and some 25 other guests. She suffered the pogroms the Ukrainian neighborhood population launched on their Jewish neighbors, with the "blessing" of the Rumanian authorities before the Soviets invaded North Bukowina on June 1940.
She endured this "First Russian Period" between June 1940 and July 1941. A number of their relatives and friends were then deported to Siberia, accused to be "Capitalists" or "Negative elements of society".
My parents: my late father, Berti (Berthold) and Sidi, married during that time in Czernowitz, when there was almost no food to be obtained.
When the German army with their Rumanian collaborators re-conquered within "Operation Barbarossa", they and all their remaining family members were driven out of their homes to be put in the Czernowitz Ghetto, four families in one room.
By a sheer miracle they were saved from being deported to Transnistria and managed to stay in Czernowitz until the end of the war, or to be accurate - until the "Second Russian Period", when the Red Army invaded again in March 1944.
 
Sidi Gross has written 4 books by now (please look her up on Google) and is still active writing, volunteering and looking after her only son's family, her 3 grand-children and her 2 year old great-grand daughter Tamar.
 
Sidi's sister, Berta Sporn, who is 4 years older, is also still with us, living by herself in Tel-Aviv with her numerous cats. She has the same story, and I know several others who can say they went through almost similar "adventures".
 
For example, our relative, Sidi Kassner, who survived Siberia (she and her late husband Willy where among those deportees) even contributed her story to the Czernowitz.Ephes site. She lives in a home in Ramat-Aviv, just next door to us, and is also full of vigor.
 
So you see, Hardy, these "hard-nut" czernowitzers are still here with us, very active, independent people, who carry these memories with them without bitterness or despair, still contributing to society and leading full and happy lives.
 
See you "Oif Simches"! Nathan.
 
Nathan Gross - Architect & Town Planner
 
 
Nathan Gross - Architect & Town Planner ---------------------------------------- > From: HARDY3_at_BEZEQINT.NET > To: ariane.alpern_at_t-online.de; czernowitz-l_at_cornell.edu > Subject: Re: [Cz-L] Hedwig Brenner > Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:41:55 +0200 > > Hedwig for the beginner : > Hedwig is the only living Czernowitzer who lived under the ever-changing > regimes > of th 20 -th century in our town. > Born in Austria ,then Rumania , Soviet Union, again Rumania, Soviets > again > and now Ukraina. > You must have had "eiserne Nerven " for this ( meaning nerves of iron). > For this alone you should get a medal and more. > But she also writes and publishes books . > She also makes the best Totch in town. > Maybe now , a little less confused Ariane. > Hardy

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Received on 2012-03-04 07:00:29