Conversation - Yom HaShoah with Dr. Henry and Mrs. Rosie Baum - The Hidden Shul of Theresienstadt

we are live on YouTube we're gonna begin in just a moment I want to give an opportunity for those who are first joining to still join me here on our live YouTube channel so we'll begin in just a moment but thank you all for being with us this evening as we begin an international day of Jewish mourning of grieving of lost of memorial for the six million kadosh the six million martyrs gave their lives as Jews in commemorating one of the darkest and bleakest moments of all of Jewish history again we'll begin momentarily as we continue to join okay again ladies and gentlemen thank you for being with us this evening an evening which remains so painful the hearts and minds not only of survivors who lived this worst atrocity known to mankind it's all the Jewish people who can't are you Jewish conscience and a Jewish memory from history is he parries our story these 24 hours designated on our calendar or a day that not only we pay tribute to those who are no longer to communities that are no longer but as well we pay honor to our extraordinary survivors men and women who are profiles of faith and courage profiles of bravery men and women who are incredible examples of faith that we hold on to his coattails we ride by iris on radio this evening we have a great honor and a great privilege to be able to conversation with two extraordinary such heroes dr. Henry and mrs. Rosie bam-bams are currently in Detroit where they live most of the year but they joined us via telephone from Detroit they live here in South LA when - they're in Deerfield I'm privileged they attend some of our classes here and programs and to be able to share a relationship with two such extraordinary people easy positive optimistic happy would never know what been worded in their lifetimes and the people that they've lost and so dr. Bell mrs. Baum I wonder what you on behalf of all those who are watching the thing thank you so much for giving your time and even more for making us vulnerable and opening ourselves up to be able to share with us this evening welcome and thank you I'm going to live by Goldberg thank you thank you very much I'm not telephone being able to have some images we having a little difficult Goodman to tell this extraordinary story that we're going to explore together tonight okay I hope what you're seeing is what you're supposed to be I want to begin tonight there's a short movie a short slideshow the captions some of the images of the bounds are going to describe and tells the explanatory story that they can pay testimony to do [Music] okay dr. Bell mrs. Baum can you hear me yes we can thank you so much again for being with us we certainly appreciate your giving your time and you're sharing your story I with others you can't see but others can mrs. BAE I'm a picture of your extraordinary father the great class and the greater artist and I want to begin with each of you describe if you will your child demands before the war before this atrocity atrocity before your lives were turned upside down the memories you have of your parents of your family of your home the memories of your community positive memories if you consider with us of Jewish lives of Jewish community of what life was like before the war whether you grew up and what you remember I'm gonna answer you to the best of my ability dr. Baum yes I'm here it is my wife story that you're going to want to hear because it is in a tremendous story because it starts way before the war when there was a quiet and nice community which and in terms of Yiddish type community that was thriving and that was totally destroyed like so many others and I think my wife will tell you that the beginning of the end that started it was her father was taken to da ha and then later on the released from the Hobby cuz he had a medal the same as Hitler did second class cross the iron cross and it was released and he came back and it then began to absolutely destroy the community as it was but I think she won't behave with him for one moment so in 1910 in 1930 your father was deported tada and let me let me just begin this story a little bit in 1938 November the 10th Kristallnacht which was the worst a large of one of the worst night of my life my fault I woke up when they took my father in the morning first to a person local prison invented aho and he was released from Davao among the Hamaker in 38 that's what my husband is trying to refer to but in the meantime it was Kristallnacht and I have to tell you I cannot continue this story without telling you about Kristallnacht I myself fasted for many many years from crystal now it was my own discipline my only decision to do that and I because that is the day my life was turned upside down as I said I woke up in the morning and by the eleven o'clock that day said they saw into our house why did I store me to the house my father was the husband of the of the sconces city where I was born it was Schweinfurt about fifty fifty odd march south of transport in the middle of failure in Germany excuse me we are talking about the 10th of November 1938 ok I'm so pleased here to help things they my father was the husband and he by being the husband we had we had our building where we lived right next door to the show it was the husband and the rabbi left initial in this building next door they stormed into the to our building into the show and they put the fool on fire it was less it was like it's like a story like you read in the book where they take out the frenches and they to say patrol or in this case it was me I was watching this as a kid of ten years old I did not know what was happening I was terrified but I I wasn't afraid of I just took them after why they pull up the sticks on the show they pull into the bottom part of our house and our house started to burn my eye was fixed my father was gone to the prison I was standing there with my mother at the window watching our house being burned we lived on the second floor I wanted to feel think about that something you know I was looking out of this of the window in my house at the bottom is Bernie I was I was screeching I was terrified it was awful terrible terrible - the fever was down there they were telling us coming down you dirty Jew who make a hot flash out of you but it sucks like chopped meat can you imagine my mother was standing there with me and all I did we were looking out and she said to me Oh si si sure MA believe me like I'm sitting here talking to you she said he said - when I took her to my Isola but I don't know how far I got out of this on Angelo but there was a man who came along and he said stop this fire we have to burn the sinner box of the Jews not the private houses and they put the fire out themselves that's it that's why I'm here and coming back to my father he was released from da house and had towards the end of 38 that when they decided that's when England opens its door to 10,000 children which were turned into being the Kindertransport and then I was I was not going to be one of them so before this is down before we get to the kid transport I want to just share a picture of an extraordinary stator plate that your father crafted that but they're able to see right now can you talk about a little piece of your of your father as a husband as an artist memories of your parents of your community of that special community that you grew up in Schweinfurt in Germany okay my father was awesome and my whole life prior to PIPA to Chris Donna was centered around the show and the true school which was in our house downstairs we had a one room school house which was maybe about 20 30 40 children there that's all mindful itself only had about three or 400 rooms maybe 300 tools living there at the hydrant was when there were a lot of people there my night was pretty well more or less normal I didn't I didn't feel anything very badly I went out and they still the kids speak to spit spit at me and said called me a dirty sh2 and threw a stone at me but nothing nothing big major and I lived there Wallace happily behind behind the walls close to the shore and that's really we I did not personally suffer at all because of that I cannot tell you my very much about the Jewish community of smart food they will they will promise and I don't know I've no idea was penny old kid I cannot really answer you on this thing that's okay mrs. Baum the Sailor plate that they're looking at the beautiful silver side of the seder plate could you describe this later plate and how do we have this picture he was eight artists he made he made he hammered on silver on glass he was continuously having here he is back copies of his office of his trousers he had a pad where he was always sketching things and making things and he was busy drawing there as much as I remember it was a drawing teacher was a teacher and everything everything we did even when we belong to soup him he was making pictures of the zucchini everything everything was in was done with with with the drum art and some cedar schism leather copper the Seder shuttle was given to a relative to create to Islam and they made the lift of what they call that that big case - Mary - it came to America and with many other things that don't matter at this point and it was given to Rosie's sister Senta and she gave that seder plate to Rosie to give to to use his she did not particularly use the plate by herself or her husband with her husband so he gave it to her and it became him he made a couple of those one is somewhere in England we do not know what happened to it but this one was kept and he was given to a spec here it's an amazingly meaningful to have this knowing that your father personally crafted it and held it and to celebrate Pesach and the story of freedom from slavery using something he crafted must be so meaningful for you it's a hunter exactly that when I buy gold work it was on our table and then we gave it to our son that was his knew he would and we gave it to him early and often he is using it on his Seder table and we shared many together and now this year we were all sampled this gap will be together for many men continue taking yes yes time soon we hope to be together again that next feel it the Shona I'd Bobby wish alone on me on me so you know your father was taken to DA but because he was at the recognition of his service in the German military in World War one and let him out of Dachau and when he realized that things were bad so tell us after Kristallnacht T on your mother send you and your sister the Kindertransport could you tell us a little bit about that going on to the Kindertransport was very this context readability the people here in England you know I went I was but one of the people who was lucky I knew where I was going to I knew the family or my parents through the family it was a family called boda we have been non-stop Newington they were very kind kind Jewish people who looked and I was very very lucky because both ashame he was a shortcut and it was where he was from and the first few years of my life over there was definitely under a form people going no no I wanted to just ask going back it must have been a heart-wrenching torturous decision for your parents to say goodbye to the two of you and put you on that Kindertransport what are your memories of when they said goodbye to you did your father give you anything actually we went separately but they did is that's not the point now they brought with a quote I they made it all very excited to me I got new clothes and they told me that I'm going to go to England and to learn a new language and and we will join you shortly and I did not not not realize it although the last day I think no I did I did I stand and cry we went through to the end to the to the to the train station I it was I don't remember flying my mother my father were in each others arms the whole time they said you oh I shall wish mother blessed me and I said goodbye to me and they gave me two or three things that I shall remember as long as I live one of them is to take care of my sister not a lot and not two or three personal things they also gave me a sitter and in inside the sugar it says I shouldn't leave below a wall because I have a picture on the screen you have anything why do they why did he put I was always afraid to be in the dark alone so fatty my father said to me oh I see if you say that puzzle you don't have to be scared and it worked many many nights I went to sleep fine many nights in once I got to England to music to the borders to realize that I didn't have the warmth of hotel and said anymore I didn't have a Friday night like I'm used to but I had a Friday night I was lucky there were a lot of kids who were not just lucky we live we lived I made it it was wartime one of the saddest things that ever happened to me at that time they had a scholarship where you sit for scholarship in England it's called a level class exam and if you pass it you can go to high school otherwise you are to remain in it those tell will tell all public I don't know what they called the schools with which is very local our school and in the mascot passenger eighty ninety percent are because you you know plus or minus in the English I failed I got 32 and 35 was a passing and to go to bed I never went to high school in fact I never went to school in my life I didn't go to English I didn't go to face Yoko and I didn't go to any school I didn't have I don't even have a high school diploma why we made it up we made it down without family I I have on the screen the people see the inscription on the inside of the sitter that your father gave you in that last meeting keep my local beholder ah-ha-ha that one should be protected I should protect you on all of your ways Hashem you Schwartz a psycho the left on their table the other Lum Hashem should protect you're going and you're coming now and forever and something underneath written and German that obviously I don't understand you still have the sitter today and obviously it carries the message and the charge your father we have children who excelled in everything you can imagine in the discard beyond beyond my wife wife as well as those dreams but how can I thank her Cora spoke of was that how can I can I think my parents for that for their dead tell their sacrifice that's why are we sitting here just know we're sending him you listening to this that's all I just interject one thing that is most of us yes and all it is was avos now what we deserve that what they deserved they didn't see it but it came to fruition if you say of all etsion you say your son's your grandsons your bacon when you've done three generations then ball hashem it would be with you forever oh man you should have knock us for many many years your your apparent selflessness they put their love for you and your sister ahead of themselves to say goodbye as you said at such a young age Oh to so many of us doctor loud can I ask you that about during your story just momentarily because I wanted to get up to how the two of you met and you also were on the Kindertransport correct yes I was also on the Kindertransport interestingly enough you know your parents took you to the train station there was a parent there with daughter was in the train and she was crying bitterly crying she wants to stay and the father took her out of the Train out of the plane through the window and he kept her so you can imagine the end we went with I were sent my sister later on I was sent of this transport which by the way was one of the main achievements of my earth almond Walker he was the one who came to the government and screamed that they said to save jewelry and finally Bevin was not particularly liking to be like the Jews gave in and he gave them deed and 10,000 visas for children : Germany Czechoslovakia and Austria they were chosen by pictures by people in England we had to send pictures there and they chose them unless you were already taken by a family we I was not and I came over there and it just didn't hit me when I was leaving I was sort of happy but by the time I got to the boat by the time I was over there I was crying bitter tears and that lasted for two three four days and just a little bit of the history I was not taken by a family Russian food was not one of the ones who were who was able to contact or make contact with me I went into the hospital in Brighton and the thing that's hospital and Brighton my parents never knew where that came from it was supposed to be kosher it was done by a person who no name no names mentioned but a person who had the it'sh card was anti so if you dumped in the morning like we were used to and you say the words out loud is there bye-bye bye-bye what are you babbling so we kept quiet and when we kept quiet it says you're not saying anything what are you doing eventually he made religion and horns to anyone in the hospital the hospital just to say good thing that my parents never imagined but kosher food to the door and the minute it crossed over it became truth okay all right let's continue and where I know that Kenai najara Kenai najara for many years the two of you have been married for 71 years and hashem should give you good health strength and eNOS together for many many more the telephone name I would need the two of you each of you separated from your parents each of you having traveled on the Kindertransport now find yourselves in England how did the two of you meet kept this powerful but could be smoke wipe it back I'll tell you just a little story my father has been deported to from Germany because he was polish in 1938 in October and then from the 10th of November and then came the idea that we were able to get out as kids and she ran to her uncle and she asked him shall we send the children away or shall I keep them and he told them send them away and she did and she followed his advice and because of that we are here alive today how did we meet with that in England the dose time when we were 17 18 they they had what they called these clubs in the shore downstairs where the children were and we played the checkers and they give up ping-pong and actually the two of us played ping pong together that's how we really met and the distance is quick delicious is amazing and as I said God for many many years so let's take now because I know that September 21st 1942 the Jews were Strangford had been deported to prison style and then September 21st I believe your father and your mother were the last used to be deported and I have a picture on the screen those watching see of that signature of that statement that your father who had become the de facto leader of the community as the hospital as the most learned person in the community that he in fact was the last one who was deported correct yes he closed up Schweinfurt it was the last five people who he always said he had the close-up schweinfurt which he did that was the last they have that was it that's when he went in 1942 to salvation stuff and he was there until September 44 when the young people night today I'll say young people he was shipped to Auschwitz and my mother Oliver Sholem was shipped in October 44 to Auschwitz swamp duration so they have it we have it all down and interations that was the most amazing thing that happened in there and that he created the hidden synagogue which was opened which was found by a come back to his house no he was emptying the manure and everything out of his basement and he saw the basement the top of the ceiling and he saw that there was writing on there and he figured it maybe Jewish writing he went to his gala and the gala told him don't touch it something he said so to say holy and they went to the tourism shut community and they cleaned it up and they found this hidden synagogue that was later on bought and given to be your courageous that what they called Executive Board and it was opened up later on by representatives from the State of Israel from the state of Czechoslovakia our son spoke at the same time as mr. dr. monk who is the person who is in charge of that particular camp but which as it is now the residence that was not a camp where they killed people but the crazy shot was a camp where they died and they never cremated and there was a picture that her father made of the bakery we founded later on we went over the hills both our children went there when we got there interesting part of that picture which we is now in young person that picture didn't this depicts the bakery of the place where they were with the exception of one thing that was not there and never was and that was chimneys and I'm quite sure that these chimneys indicated the crematorium where they burnt all of the bodies that weren't erasers that they died naturally because they were not burnt or the burner gas chambers installations that they were shipped from there to Auschwitz there they were destroyed in gas let's just take doctor doctor bomb thank you so much let's take a step back - this story is so extraordinary and you just a wonderful synopsis of it but let's let's take it back for a moment because correct me if I'm wrong but from when when mrs. bow knew she had said goodbye to her parents they were deported to today's and staff from there to Auschwitz and unfortunately tragically they were murdered I shouldn't you come demo da mom and for many many years that was all that you really knew about them until what extraordinary discovery so many decades later so take us back to a moment how it happened mrs. BAM you were in England sitting Shiva for the loss of your sister yes we did wish that we were with the shimmer visitor sister we saw this picture of this bakery that my husband taught in the assertion and I did not know about it anymore and one of them the yad vashem told us the next day after we saw this picture to say that they have a calendar at the back of that calendar is a picture self-portrait of my father standing in the front of the arches inside-to-inside distillation structure Tammany and I was thinking for years that he was follow me he was dreaming of be no husband and I never thought it would it was a real show by Goldberg this picture was authenticated by the artist and currently who is intuitions that they are the experts and they found that this is exactly that that's hidden synagogue is exactly the place where he put himself under the arches they found the outer circle the candelabras everything matched his name and and and the most beautiful thing of them all was the soup him that he used to decorate the walls of that at the empty house at the bottom mainly taken from tahun on the most it says so she may know him to return us to emergency on but the most touching one that everybody comments on is overhauls OHS shim holo show fat no no al Fishbach I know and with all that we have not forgotten you please don't forget us it's extraordinary I actually have the pictures up on the screen for people to see but I want to just zoom in a little bit and of course you'll correct me my understanding is and this has been written up in respond magazine elsewhere it's a story that so deserves to be told and how how privileged and honored we are to have you directly telling it to us this evening it makes tonight and this day so special for us but then while you were sitting Shiva for the loss of your sister a distant cousin came to face Shiva call and shared like she had been in today's and shot and was touring when a check excuse me a check worker because two reasons that was unusual that it was sort of part of a residential neighborhood and that this manager had returned to his home after the war and was now cleaning out this area and broke a hole through the wall and saw about Hebrew writing and went till you called him his garlic as priests and described the riding in the priest said well that's holy writing don't touch it and then offered your cousin if she'd pay him a few shekel a few dollars to see this amazing site and she thought and took pictures and brought it back to you and there was something when you saw the writing on the walls there was something that jumped out to you that was familiar what was the writing on the wall that was familiar that gave you the first hint that this would've discovery in fact was connecting you back to your father it's exactly right and one of the things that did literally my mind abilities is that she remembers the special writings the letterings that her father used and she identified that and the Cape the the cake was when they saw the self portrait of himself under one of these are the candles on top those are the two things that sort of authenticated what was happening what had happened Alice named me at all but I saw the possible myself as a know and an official policy involved and I was sitting on the floor at the Shiva couldn't bear it any lower accepted me it kind of imagined appealing I said I couldn't stop I said ice cried I was scratching behind it was that's all it was it was the show but what I want to talk to you about a little bit more if we if we can stop to this is to die if you're Marshall for sure excuse me we have to realize that we are only one couple none of those millions of millions of people we have to remember people who had it much worse than then we have now predicted with this to this market that we have here it is don't compare we cannot compare of course we can but they had a lot worse and we're here we are witnesses to tell people that her crush papa takes care and it will continue and we will continue that's such an important message and thank you I want to come back to that just a complete round up this extraordinary story so when you saw the font of the soup can we're gonna come back to your message believe me I want to hear more but when you saw the font of the soup can you realize that was your father's original special font and imagine inside the sitter he had given you the last time you saw him and I understand you could yad vashem who continued that research and indeed confirmed that the image was a stuffed fortune your father had made of himself and that this was his font in an amazing rebellion you know it's very interesting that today is called yo mashallah Baha u llah about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising but there wasn't only physical uprising during the Holocaust there was spiritual resistance and spiritual uprising and perhaps mum maybe most among them your father who even in that dark dark place showed rebellion resistance spiritually by continuing to have faith continuing to connect with a Shem - bill - or a hidden sure to risk his life to carve a space to talk to Hashem and 2002 inscribed it with the pictures the seconds an inane of a circle it seemed barakamon Hashem let her eyes to your return to see only Nescafe who shall I am a promise to never forget you shall I am the dom meet with me a towel made to know before him whom we stand and of course as doctor bound said the most powerful to me - so many others who the hosel shim hala Shakman out ishka I know nevertheless Hashem despite this is what he wrote loosening everyone's doing me his daughter's weakest moment hopelessness pessimism dark evil murder to say a sham despite it all we haven't forgotten you please please please don't forget us your father was a model of the spiritual resistance even in a dark place and I think lends inspiration to all of us the suka me shows and the amazing story that it was discovered and that you figured out that it was him and the ability to give you that comfort now I'll just end this section by by asking you I know that you had the privilege to be there with your family and to put up a plaque with your parents name your parents like so many others of the kid ocean don't have a mat sick they don't have a monument but putting that plaque at that hidden shul is his might saver can you describe what that was having your family and putting up that plaque the plaque was for that mainly but help my cousin about our daughter Debbie Jacobs she was pushing me and pushing she went along with me with us to go to to to Teresa tell to do it what it meant to me is it finally has his name they finally have a name there you see we don't have a matteo to go to and i don't want to compare that this is on the table but people who couldn't have a my table who have him to go today so lucky no it's not not only that by Goldberg but we always say and either the pita just and what he mentions is to when we go to a Shiva visit there's a strange thing yeah I can tell people you are privileged to sit Shiva for your parents we never did it's cool people look at me as if I'm what's the matter with them but you're lucky to be able to sit Shiva in privilege your privilege click so you alluded to it mrs. bow but I want to come back to it because you know for so many who are watching right now and I don't want to make you nervous by telling you how many but bar Hashem there are many who are learning and being inspired and admiring both of you and this amazing story we're going through a difficult period there are many people struggling some have gone through the horrific difficulty of losing loved ones and others are being inconvenienced afraid worried how do you maintain your optimism how do both of you maintaining your faith in Hashem I have the privilege of learning with you every week in the winter when you're here to see your smile to see your positive demeanor to see your youthfulness because of course you're young but because you choose to be young and in a heart how do you maintain that I'm mooning a sham how do you maintain that positive attitude towards life despite all that you've been through despite who lost and what can people learn from that today it's a question that always goes back in my mind and it's about a beautiful story just a little one that was told to me the Pandava Jalad came to Detroit he defended Detroit he collected in Detroit but he came personally in Detroit and somebody asked him the same question so what what questions do you have what answers can you give me about the Holocaust yeah and the pond average of all answered the criteria one answers I don't even have questions and that's about the only way we could look at it if a burnished column filled the world we came through this from Everett was from low up being the best times good times on everybody's below fashion we have a great family we have a great day shield Rijn grandchildren great-grandchildren and beau Hashem we resorted to see a great great grandson which are the sundeck so what else is there to question it's the first of our parents and decade so essentially you choose to see the positive you choose to focus on the Braja in your life and that doesn't resolve the questions but it's a choice that you've made and that's able to give you this this long and happy life oh me oh me I want it from are there are there any other thoughts that you want to share with us anything from the story from your background yo mashallah your parents did it we should make this business this market that people are we all going through now and something crush bone Everett gives mark up before he has over for when he gives him Michael like this is not what we're living circle this is a full ahead of the marker and we should realize it I ain't don't have any I suppose is younger sure it is a wonderful day to remember millions of millions of people we have to go poo and one step at a time life goes on that's really I don't have any other teeth tutorial I'm a little doctor dr. Henry Bell mrs. Roosevelt from the bottom of my heart and for the hundreds of people watching and who will watch this thank you for sharing your story thank you for sharing your faith and your courage thank you for giving us your inside perspective on your extraordinary parents your father and the legacy he's left the ultimate like is you your children your grandchildren great-grandchildren children you should be so hot to have many more and for many many more years to come I want to just end because this does represent our virtual Yama show our program and I want to end with a care male for the kadosh in the martyrs I'm going to play the cow male recorded by our own survivor Martin Judah Pitts a member of booklets on synagogue one of our heroes should give him strength and good health for many many years to come and with that we'll close out this evening's Yama short program I remind you that tomorrow you have a full day of your mush for programming two lectures by dr. Bernstein and an amazing I'll be giving a share of my my sports will be giving a shear as well you could find it all on the BAS website we conclude with the cow [Music] oh my laughing yes Pyramus aces can look for Leon lumen we tried it sort of high estate for sale hm