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Kasriel K. Eilender, M.D.

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THE BARBER OF GOERLITZ - A MEMOIR

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A rumor was spread 

in our camp that 

all the Jews in the 

Slonim Ghetto 

and the neighboring 

little towns were 

killed.

The rumor proved

to be true.

We continued to stand, while they were discussing our fate. Finally, in the early morning, we were released and sent back to our barracks. The camp continued to be totally surrounded and nobody went to work for several days until the decision by several levels of command could be announced and carried out.

The punishment for the killing of the noncom was a selection of 60 prisoners who were going to be executed. Four days later on the 21st of February 1943, we were lined up according to our workplace. 

I stood among the soapmakers in spite of the fact that I did not work anymore in this shop. Together with us stood our boss Lipa Rosenthal as the first and the most important person. Behind him was his co-worker. The last in the row was I.

The commandant, accompanied by his entourage, was picking out from each group of skilled workers two or more persons. Finally, when the commandant came to us, he selected Lipa. At that moment, Lipa tried to get my attention to tell the selectors group that I would not be able to run the soap manufacturing without him. 

At this point, I knew it was me or him, and certainly I decided it was going to be him. The selected 60 people were shot at the local cemetery. Among them was Lipa Rosenthal.

Afterwards, the Polizeimeister Loeffel approached me carrying a large suitcase with Rosenthal’s clothing, offering it to me. I said to him: "Sir, what can I do with it? I do not need it." Then he opened my overcoat and exposed my torn shirt and he took me to the clothingwear house, and I was given warm underwear, a few shirts and a woolen Russian military overcoat. 

Following this, I was back in the soapmaking shop and also continued to translate the German newspapers.

As I scanned the German press, it become clear between the lines that the war was taking a downward course for the Third Reich. A rumor was spread in our camp that all the Jews in the Slonim Ghetto and the neighboring little towns were killed. This was the area where my family had perished. The rumor proved to be true.

I did not know what had happened to my family at this time. However, I realized I could not expect them to survive. The only consolation for me was that my parents, my sister and my brother were not with me, because I would not have been able to watch them being beaten, starved, tortured or killed.

According to what we heard about the front lines, it became obvious to most of us that sooner or later we would be liquidated or we would be evacuated farther to the west.

They could still need us. We only counted as useful or non-useful individuals. Whoever was declared by the occupiers useful for the war effort or otherwise had a suspended sentence and a period of grace until sooner or later he or she joined the majority of the victims.

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