Red Cross Package Brings Hope

In the early days of February 1945, in the middle of the dark night, we - over 15,000 inmates - were rushed out of the barracks half asleep, in the cruelest cold and stormy weather. We had to stand for roll calls lined up five in a row in soldierly order. For long, wearying hours, we stood in one place without moving, like living dead, starved out and frozen to the spot. Daybreak found us in this exhausted state. But no SS Nazi soldier came to count our group. Finally, at eight o'clock in the morning, we were ordered to be ready with our belongings in five minutes, as we would be moving out of block ten.

A little before this happened, a Red Cross delegation from Switzerland reviewed our group during a roll call. They did not talk to us, and we dared not even think of talking to them. The fear of SS Nazi soldiers paralyzed us long ago.

Shortly after this visit, members our block received a Red Cross package, sent, we were told, by generous American people - may the Almighty bless them. The package itself contained a small amount of biscuits, margarine and a canned meat; since my family members were not sure the meat was kosher, we exchanged it for margarine. We quickly consumed our Red Cross food package, which sure made sense to our constantly rumbling stomach. But what made us feel even better was the knowledge that we are remembered by some. We are not entirely forgotten by all! This Red Cross package accounted for a good human feeling in our soul. For a short while, we felt a tiny seed, a spark of new hope in our souls and hearts.

One day, each family was given a plain white postcard. We were instructed to write on them only that we are in good health and address them to someone in our former hometown. We sent it to a nice Christian family, and they did receive it (as we later found out),

© David Muskal, 2001