Ilana Lindenblatt

Suspicious police officers making sure there were no Jews where they weren't supposed to be when they weren't supposed to be there. After a few near disasters, the Lindenblats arrived at the Glass House, a glass factory owned by a man named Arthur Weiss and under the protection of the Swiss diplomat Karl Lutz.

Suspicious police officers making sure there were no Jews where they weren't supposed to be when they weren't supposed to be there. After a few near disasters, the Lindenblats arrived at the Glass House, a glass factory owned by a man named Arthur Weiss and under the protection of the Swiss diplomat Karl Lutz.

The factory, which had long since ceased operations and was known to forge identification papers, was filled with Jews. The Lindenblats slept on the floor. Everything they touched gave them fiberglass splinters. Then they were forced to move again. They paid their way into a Red Cross orphanage in a former bakery. There, Mr. Lindenblatt slept in a bunk bed with his mother and three brothers.

The factory, which had long since ceased operations and was known to forge identification papers, was filled with Jews. The Lindenblats slept on the floor. Everything they touched gave them fiberglass splinters. Then they were forced to move again. They paid their way into a Red Cross orphanage in a former bakery. There, Mr. Lindenblatt slept in a bunk bed with his mother and three brothers.

The two boys sleeping above them had chicken pox, and in the night, they urinated in bed, and it dripped down onto the Lindenblatts. And they starved. Mr. Lindenblatt's mother gave a farmer her wedding ring in exchange for a roll of pig fat. She cut it into three pieces and gave one to each of her sons, telling them they must eat it. It was the first time in their lives they'd ever eaten treif.

The two boys sleeping above them had chicken pox, and in the night, they urinated in bed, and it dripped down onto the Lindenblatts. And they starved. Mr. Lindenblatt's mother gave a farmer her wedding ring in exchange for a roll of pig fat. She cut it into three pieces and gave one to each of her sons, telling them they must eat it. It was the first time in their lives they'd ever eaten treif.

The place was freezing and packed. One of Mr. Lindenblatt's cousins had a piece of soap in the shelter. Mr. Lindenblatt thought the soap looked delicious. He would stand on his bed and beg and cry for it. When he finally went to bed, he dreamed of eating the soap, and in those dreams, bubbles came out of his mouth. When they ran out of money, they were forced to leave.

The place was freezing and packed. One of Mr. Lindenblatt's cousins had a piece of soap in the shelter. Mr. Lindenblatt thought the soap looked delicious. He would stand on his bed and beg and cry for it. When he finally went to bed, he dreamed of eating the soap, and in those dreams, bubbles came out of his mouth. When they ran out of money, they were forced to leave.

They ended up at a Swiss protective house, an apartment building where Mr. Lindenblatt's grandmother also was staying. And then one day, the Russians came through with guns and flashlights. They'd fought the Nazis. The war was over. The Lindenblatts were free. The Germans left Hungary, and the Russians took over. Communism wasn't as bad as Nazi occupation, but it wasn't great.

They ended up at a Swiss protective house, an apartment building where Mr. Lindenblatt's grandmother also was staying. And then one day, the Russians came through with guns and flashlights. They'd fought the Nazis. The war was over. The Lindenblatts were free. The Germans left Hungary, and the Russians took over. Communism wasn't as bad as Nazi occupation, but it wasn't great.

The Lindenblats rebuilt the cheese wholesale business, now selling a million other things, chicken, milk, eggs, meat, handkerchiefs. But people were no longer permitted to have private businesses. The communists took their keys and ran them out of their own store. Little Mr. Lindenblat was regularly beaten up at school for being Jewish and got into trouble for not attending on Saturdays.

The Lindenblats rebuilt the cheese wholesale business, now selling a million other things, chicken, milk, eggs, meat, handkerchiefs. But people were no longer permitted to have private businesses. The communists took their keys and ran them out of their own store. Little Mr. Lindenblat was regularly beaten up at school for being Jewish and got into trouble for not attending on Saturdays.

The Hungarian Revolution came in 1956. Soon after that, he escaped, first to Austria, then to Israel, and then to America, where his parents and brothers were waiting for him. He came and worked in his brother Robert's camera shop, met Miriam, who worked for Robert as a girl Friday and would become our Mr. Lindenblatt's wife. She was also Hungarian.

The Hungarian Revolution came in 1956. Soon after that, he escaped, first to Austria, then to Israel, and then to America, where his parents and brothers were waiting for him. He came and worked in his brother Robert's camera shop, met Miriam, who worked for Robert as a girl Friday and would become our Mr. Lindenblatt's wife. She was also Hungarian.

Her mother was at Auschwitz and her father in a forced labor camp. Mrs. Lindenblatt's father had nine siblings and her mother had four. Both lost their parents and all but one of their siblings. Mrs. Lindenblatt was so happy to marry another Hungarian. Who else would understand what her family had been through? Who would share the burden of the anxiety of knowing what kind of evil is out there?

Her mother was at Auschwitz and her father in a forced labor camp. Mrs. Lindenblatt's father had nine siblings and her mother had four. Both lost their parents and all but one of their siblings. Mrs. Lindenblatt was so happy to marry another Hungarian. Who else would understand what her family had been through? Who would share the burden of the anxiety of knowing what kind of evil is out there?

Who would agree that the children should have passports just about as soon as they were taken out of the nursery at the hospital? The Lindenblats sent their daughters to Jewish schools. They went to synagogue each week, kept a kosher home. This was where Alana one day came home with the poem she wrote about death via a Nazi firing squad. All these years later, when I visited her, I saw it again.

Who would agree that the children should have passports just about as soon as they were taken out of the nursery at the hospital? The Lindenblats sent their daughters to Jewish schools. They went to synagogue each week, kept a kosher home. This was where Alana one day came home with the poem she wrote about death via a Nazi firing squad. All these years later, when I visited her, I saw it again.

I said to her, see, this is the exact thing I object to. Look at you, ten years old, being asked to imagine a girl's death by a firing squad. Look at how they framed it. And she said, no, they framed it because they were proud of me. And I said, exactly, they were proud of your death poem. But she shook her head and laughed a little and said she didn't really understand what I was talking about.

I said to her, see, this is the exact thing I object to. Look at you, ten years old, being asked to imagine a girl's death by a firing squad. Look at how they framed it. And she said, no, they framed it because they were proud of me. And I said, exactly, they were proud of your death poem. But she shook her head and laughed a little and said she didn't really understand what I was talking about.