Elli: Coming Of Age In The Holocaust

Elli: Coming of Age in the Holocaust

The book Elli: Coming of Age in the Holocaust provides much information on what happened during this time. It is a biography by Livia E. Bitton Jackson. Livia Jackson was thirteen when she was taken to Auschwitz. After liberation, she completed high school in displaced person camps in Germany. In 1951, she traveled to the U.S. on a refugee ship and completed her higher education, later receiving a Ph.D. from N.Y.U. Since, she has taught at several colleges and became Professor of Judaic Studies at Herbert H. Lehman College of The City University of New York. She later married, and made her home in Israel, where she currently teaches at Tel Aviv University. This is her first book. Livia E.
With the winter over, Elli’s birthday comes. She was now thirteen. Many wonderful things were happening. Jancsi Novack, her crush, said hello to her, she passed examinations, and she wrote for application forms to the Jewish Gymnasium in Budapest. Later that night, the Nazis returned to Elli’s house. They raided the whole entire house, tearing it to pieces. They took whatever they would like from the store, plus the family’s most precious belongings. A couple of nights later, Elli heard voices in the kitchens, which she came to find out is her Bubi. He had news for the family. The Germans invaded Budapest! Nobody knew anything about it. When the father came home from the synagogue the next morning, they thought something is wrong with Bubi because no one had heard anything about this invasion. They thought it was a false alarm, and they urged Bubi to return and finish his classes. They asked their neighbor, Mr. Kardos, who also had a son in Budapest, and he had heard nothing. They send Bubi on a train at 1 o’clock. At 1:20, Mr. Kardos returns to the family, saying he had news from his son that the Germans have invaded Budapest. Father felt horrible for sending his son back. The next morning, the town received the news. Two days late. Jews are being arrested on sight everywhere. They are herded into trains, which are locked and taken away. During that night, Bubi returned from Budapest.
No news from other towns came. Then, on Saturday morning, all schools were closed. It was March 25, 1944-three months before Elli’s graduation day. Her homeroom teacher announced “Class, the royal Hungarian Ministry of Education has terminated instruction in all schools of the country-to safeguard our interest.” They were ordered to return home. That was the beginning of the end. The end came rapidly. On Monday morning, all Jews were ordered to appear at the town hall. They had to deliver all jewelry, radios, and vehicles. They had to line up and were counted, registered, and supplied with tags. A week later, Father took Elli to the basement, where he showed her a spot that he had buried the most precious jewels, in case she was the only one to return. The next morning, all Jews were declared to wear the yellow star on the left side of the chest. Any Jew seen without the star would be arrested. It also had to be painted on the wall of every Jewish home. A couple of weeks later, all kids were to report to the schools, for their report cards would be handed out. Elli found out she had received the class honor scroll. On Wednesday morning, Jews were forbidden to have any contact with Gentiles. They were prohibited to enter public places. A week passed. Another message came. All Jews were to be put into a ghetto in another town-Nagymagyar. In five days, each Jew must be ready to leave. They head out, and eventually arrive at their