Letter by a mother to her 2yo daughter during holocaust.

cookiewriter

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 9:50 pm

Dear Mirele

I can’t believe I have one night to fill a lifetime of love into this letter.

Tomorrow morning – if 4am can be called morning I am giving you up. I am taking you, Mirele, to the back entrance of dear, brave Herman’s grocery store and the child rescuers will be waiting there for you and the thirty two other children under the age of three. They’ll inject you with a sedative so you won’t cry and then they’ll slip you off in the predawn with you- my life, my love, out of this barbaric country to safety.

We pushed it off, Mirele. We didn’t want to believe we would have to give up our child probably never to see here again, but this is the last child rescue. After this there will be none left to rescue, because tomorrow, our informers tell us, is the last round up. Tomorrow they come for men, women and children. And I’ve been convinced by these words, spoken by our trusted informer, Herman, the brave gentle grocer.

“Any child they take away either dies immediately or dies on the way to the death camp.”

The word death, three times in one sentence! We were the last ones to be convinced to give up our child. He said, finally with the deepest sadness in every exhausted wrinkle in his face “I cannot force you. But if you keep her with you, she will be dead in a month. They will have no use for babies, she cannot work for them. If you want to give her to us, bring her to the back entrance of my grocery store at 4am. No belongings, whatever food you have. Goodbye”.

Mirele, do you see why I have to give you up? He said no belongings, but I will beg, I will plead that this letter be allowed to go, sewn into your undershirt. And then, I will pray to G-d that the letter stays with you until you are old enough to read it. You must know why you are alone, without parents. Not because they didn’t love you….but because they did.

It’s eerie to think that by the time you read this, I will probably be dead. That’s what Herman says is going on. People either die immediately or on the way or after a week after a week or two of forced labor and no food. But I won’t have lived in vain, Mirele, if I know that I have brought you into the world and you will live and survive and grow big and strong and you will be happy. You can be happy, Mirele, because we loved you.

What makes a difference in the lives of adults, it seems, is if they have secure childhoods. Secure, with lots of love and acceptance and needs fulfilled and predictable routine and the like. You’ve had that up to this minute. You’ll have it up to 4am, but then you won’t. Who knows who will end up taking care of you? Some family who will take you in for the money Herman will pay them? They will surely be kinder to their own than to you.

Here is where the pain mixes with rage! I rage at the animals who are making it possible for you to cry and I won’t be there to comfort you.

But you will have this letter, and this letter will make you feel secure, if G-d answers my prayers. You have us, Mirele, even though you can’t see us, we’re with you. We’re watching you and praying for you. Every time you have troubles we are pounding on the door to G-d’s very throne room, insisting on an audience and demanding mercy for our Mirele down on earth, alone, without her parents.

And G-d will listen to us. We won’t leave Him alone until he agrees that you deserve health, love and happiness.

Mirele, you’ll wonder what your first two years were like. You’ll wish you could remember. Let me remember for you right now, tenderly, on this piece of paper.

You like hot cereal in the morning, with lots of milk and sugar. Except there is no milk and sugar now, none in this whole city. But I will make your cereal anyway and you eat it with big smiles between every bite. Then you become ready for your nap, so I will rock you, after putting the rocker where the sunlight will fall in it. I rock you until you fall asleep and then I put you in my bed. You sleep well there, you like my smell. What will you smell tomorrow night? Surely nobody will rock you tomorrow, not even in the shade. Oh G-d I cannot do it! But I will do it. For you Mirele, so you will have at least a hope for life.

Mirele, do me a favor. After you’ve grown, after this dirty nightmarish war is over…I know there will be some who underplay the tragedies going on here every day. They will say “A war is a war. It was just a war.” Mirele, tell them about this agony! Tell them how you felt secure in my arms rocking to sleep in the sunlight. Tell them how your father ran one night, a year ago, to get you medicine, past sentries, whilst breaking the curfew. He risked his life to ease your pain, Mirele. And now the three of us are being torn apart. “Just a war” …? Tell them, Mirele that all the wars in the world don’t add up to the agony in my heart right now as I write this.

G-d! It’s 2am already. Only two more hours with me, my love, my baby, my Mirele. I’m going to hold you now, Mirele for two hours. Your father and I are going to wake you, feed you and tell you over and over how much we love you. You’re barely two years old, but maybe, if G-d is good, maybe, you’ll remember it. And maybe you’ll keep this letter until you are old enough to read it.

There will be bad times for you Mirele, I know. But just think about me holding you, rocking you to sleep in the sunlight. Keep that sunlight in your heart always.

I love you. Your father loves you. May G-d help us all.

Mama

Dear Readers,

Miracles do happen – my mother’s letter stayed with me, sewn into my undershirt and now, I am getting old myself and have decided to share it with you. After almost fifty years of keeping it private, why did I translate it from Yidish and decide to share it with you now? A few reasons………

Firstly, one doesn’t hear much about the Holocaust much these days. There are even those who claim it was made up, not true, a brilliant Jewish ploy of sympathy. My mother asked me to remind that it wasn’t “just a war.” It was a monstrosity.

Secondly, my mother’s faith in G-d, even at that dreadful hour, never ceases to amaze me. Even though she was almost certain that she would die soon, as indeed she did, she believed firmly in G-d to whom she can turn both before and after her earthly life ends. This strengthens my own faith and perhaps it will strengthen yours.

And lastly – I know I’m from a different generation. Nowadays, I’m told, all mothers work. But sometimes I look out of my window and see the little children, just two years old. That’s how old I was when my mother was forced to give me up to a stranger. And I look out of my window and see these two year olds cry because they want to stay with their mothers, but their mothers are putting them on the bus because they want to be free of them – and something doesn’t seem right.

You mothers who are lucky enough to have your babies – raise them too. Don’t throw them out before they’re ready. Go now. Rock them in the sunlight. For my mother.

Miriam Bas Leiba
(In my mother’s letter, she didn’t even leave her name, but I always think of her as Leiba –“love”. I am lucky. Many of the children rescued with me don’t even know their names).

chocolatecake

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 9:57 pm

Wow. Just curious where was this published

flowerpower

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:01 pm

This breaks my heart. I guess the mother didn’t survive?

amother

Powderblue

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:02 pm

I’m bawling Teary Eyed

cookiewriter

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:12 pm

Someone sent this to me right before the end of Tisha B’Av and it made me break down and bawl and beg Hashem to bring moshiach, more than any of the amazing shiurim I heard over Tisha B’Av did.

simba

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:15 pm

Oh my god. The pain is so strong. I can't breathe right now.

amother

Scarlet

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:24 pm

This letter is moving but it is fiction. I know the person who wrote it. It was written for a specific purpose and has been re-used and re-distributed multiple times in the ensuing years in all sorts of inaccurate ways.

leah233

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:25 pm

chocolatecake wrote:

Wow. Just curious where was this published

Not the OP but I think I saw this published in Our Lives by Sara Shapiro

amother

Beige

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:28 pm

amother wrote:

I also know the woman who wrote it. Her purpose was to write a screed against day care. While I see her point to an extent (cherish the time with your babies and don't forgo it unless absolutely necessary) I think this was an exploitative and emotionally manipulative way to make her point.

amother

Purple

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:31 pm

amother wrote:

Is this true? That’s so disappointing. I hate when people write fiction about the war when there are more than enough true heartbreaking stories. And to exploit the holocaust for your cause? Disgusting.

Coffee Addict

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:37 pm

I’m having chest pains in my heart reading this. Unbelievable, unbearable, indescribable cruel world they lived in.

What a miracle though, the ending! It soothes my heart that Hashem hasn’t forgotten about us!

Stories as such from the holocaust makes me weak.

May Hashem send moshiach soon!

amother

Beige

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:38 pm

Quote:

I know I’m from a different generation. Nowadays, I’m told, all mothers work. But sometimes I look out of my window and see the little children, just two years old. That’s how old I was when my mother was forced to give me up to a stranger. And I look out of my window and see these two year olds cry because they want to stay with their mothers, but their mothers are putting them on the bus because they want to be free of them – and something doesn’t seem right.

You mothers who are lucky enough to have your babies – raise them too. Don’t throw them out before they’re ready. Go now. Rock them in the sunlight. For my mother.

^^^

Coffee Addict

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:39 pm

Now I see other posts that it’s not true Mad

Regardless, such stories happened unfortunately during the holocaust.

cookiewriter

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:47 pm

Op here. Even if not true this probably happened countless times during the holocaust. Let’s all be appreciative we are able to live with our children and give them food clothing and shelter. And let’s pray to our Father to bring us home!

cookiewriter

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:50 pm

Really whats the difference if true or not. And even if people don’t send out their babies at young age. Everyone just love and be kind to your babies. And be happy with what you have even if not as fancy as your neighbor. We are so lucky we can be Jewish and not be persecuted.

anon for this

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:55 pm

amother wrote:

I agree with you. The last paragraphs are really jarring and make it obvious that the piece is fiction. I don't think that a woman who really lived through this situation would compare a child going to daycare to one leaving her parents forever.

Mommyg8

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 10:55 pm

Here ladies, is a link to an actual true story:

http://www.aish.com/h/9av/mm/A.....e=yes

I watched this today. I gave my daughter lots of extra hugs after watching this Sad

amother

Pearl

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 11:06 pm

The problem with letters such as this one is that I can't read a holocaust story without wondering if the specific story is fiction or actually happened. Even as I'm reading this heartbreaking letter I'm wondering did a mother really write this or was it written 10 years ago as an example of a letter that "could've" been written during the holocaust. And sure enough when I read the responses on this thread I see it was made up.

I was recently a guest at a shabbos table where the host was saying wonderous stories about a gadol. Before we left he said "even if only 25% of the stories I told you are true, it's still amazing". What? You mean it's possible most of what you said was bubamaises? There is no need to make up stories about gedolim. The holocaust I can hear if it's in the form of a book with the word FICTION clearly stated on the cover.

WhatFor

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 11:29 pm

OP, I think you should edit the original post to clarify on top that this is fiction.

Who cares if it's true or not? When "Holocaust stories" are revealed to be false, it gives more ammo to Holocaust deniers.

amother

Khaki

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 11:35 pm

That was actually really painful. I'm a working mother and my baby goes to a wonderful home day care but this brought out all the emotions I had when I came to the decision that for me to work would make me a better mother. Oh the tears I shed. But looking back, we're both healthier and happier now. And then reading this made me beat myself up again. And then it's made up. Sigh. If only the author knew how much she hurt me and mothers like me. If it were real I could pen a letter back explaining my journey to this decision. But no, it's just someone trying to play with my emotions and boy did she succeed.