http://collections.ushmm.org
Contact reference@ushmm.org for further information about this collection
Leah Starkman 4:23. Leah Starkman was born in Charleroi, Belgium on July 31st 1929. ‐
Her father was born in Poland and was a shoemaker. Her mother was also from Poland and stayed at home and was a part time dress maker. 5:02. When she was younger she was an amateur actor. 5:20. She attended school until 3rd grade when the war began. 5:32. As far as she knew, there was no anti‐Semitism in Charleroi. 6:26. Leah talks about her family 6:52. In 1940, her life drastically changed with the German occupation of Belgium. 7:46. She and her family fled to France and stayed on a farm. 7:52. The Starkman family went deeper into France until her parents were arrested. 8:30. Her father and mother supported the family with their shoe and dress making skills. Her mother was hired by a family to make dresses. 9:14. Around February 1942, a truck came to pick up her parents ‐
Her father feigned that he fainted and avoided being taken away. 10:51. Leah’s mother wanted to travel to Poland to be with her parents. Her father’s brother in Germany had told him what was happening to the Jewish population. 11:33. In March 1942, she and her family were taken away in a truck to a ghetto. 14:00. Leah’s mother became very sick. 15:23. Germany was now occupying South France. 16:16. Children were allowed to leave the ghetto, against her mother’s will her father took her to process the paperwork. 17:45. Older children were forced to take care of the younger children. 20:17. Leah lost her clothes, eventually a woman took her under her care. 20:58. Leah was put into a hospital because her throat was closing. She was taken to a Presbyterian minister but she could not help the minister’s wife. 23:07. Another Jewish girl came, Leah was put in the attic and her asthma worsened. http://collections.ushmm.org
Contact reference@ushmm.org for further information about this collection
23:30. She was taken to a home specifically for bronchitis. 23:57. The councilman knew she was Jewish so she had to be hidden. 24:55. Her doctor and his family wanted to adopt her. Leah did not want to be adopted because she still hoped to find her family after the war. 25:45. Leah was taken to a farmer who received compensation for hiding her. She fed the pigs and milked the cows on the farm. She worked hard but was never mistreated. 28:47. She had to always be prepared to run. 30:17. Leah found her mother’s suitcase. The farmer’s wife took the money that was hidden in the suitcase. Leah was upset but she knew that they did not have much. 31:42. The farmer was also hiding a Prisoner of War. Leah was unaware that he was staying there. Because the POW was staying there, the last 6 months they were forced to flee into to woods numerous times. Eventually the POW joined the Underground. 33:44. Leah wrote to the major of her town to try to locate her father. The major rode his bicycle to her uncle, so her uncle knew she was alive. 35:01. When she left, the farmer returned the money from her mother’s suitcase. 36:18. Leah was sent on a train to another woman willing to help her. The woman had another Jewish girl she was looking after. 38:02. Leah was full of lice and she could no longer stay with the woman. The woman gave her the address of a Jewish community center. Leah left for the center however, when she arrived at the address the community center was not there. This was in Grenoble, France. 39:00. Leah met a Jewish couple and they were gracious enough to take her home with them. She slept in their house for a few days. 40:56. The man took her to the Jewish community center where she was taken to a hospital to be deloused. 41:54. Her uncle sent her a telegram to meet him at the [Leon] Train station. Unfortunately her train was delayed. A kind stranger gave her money to call her uncle to warn him that she would be late. 44:07. Leah arrived in Belgium however both she and her uncle did not recognize each other. 47:38. Leah was able to find her uncle through the post office. 59:39. Leah and her went arrive in Belgium and she is reunited with her Father. TAPE 2 http://collections.ushmm.org
Contact reference@ushmm.org for further information about this collection
4:41. Leah was unable to stay with her uncle and she went to stay with another cousin of her father’s 6:26. Her uncle was unable to continue to support her so she was taken to another friend. 7:10. Leah joined a Jewish youth group where she met her husband. 7:59. Leah and her father are able to return to her home 9:08. In 1948 Leah married her husband. 9:52. In 1952, Leah and her husband immigrated to the United States. Her husband’s cousin sponsored her. 10:56. She and her husband moved to North Carolina due to a job opportunity for her husband.