Mother Lore and I were riding in the car and passed a large store with a big sign in front that read, "NAZAR JEWELER".
She slapped her hand over her heart in a gesture of shock, and looked at me with wide eyes and said, "For a moment, I thought that sign said "NAZI."
Lore was 13 years old when Hitler came to power in Germany. She remembers the changes happening around her. In a school that was once integrated and without differences...now she and her Jewish classmates were ridiculed and made examples of and soon banned from attending school. Her mother told her that it would be best if she no longer played with a long time childhood friend who was not Jewish...because it would 'not be good" for her friend.
At the time, some adults believed this was "just a phase" that couldn't last... and things would go back to the way they were. But things didn't get better or ever go back to the way that they were... and the plight of Jewish families got increasingly worse. Rumors of worse situations began to circulate. Young teens such as Lore, began to rebel against their parents hopeful way of thinking.
Her Uncle Otto, a non Jew, who married her mother's sister, was a teacher and socialist democrat. She remembers listening to his contrary political views of the situation and his straight forward news reporting. He was later fired from his position because of his affiliations.
She overheard her stepfather yelling into the telephone, "For God's sake do something! Get us out of here!"
Lore was the first member of her family to leave for England. The rest of her family... mother , stepfather, stepbrother and stepsister followed to safety some time after.
In Lore's own words....
We the Goldstrom, Philipp family lived in Heidelberg when Adolf Hitler came to power, and with that life for gipsies, Jews, and other undesired citizens became most difficult. From one day to the next, Jews were no longer allowed to attend high school. All over town, signs appeared "Judeu verboten" (Jews forbidden)- Juden sind hier niche erwunscht (Jews not desired here). My classmates made believe they did not know me, and I believe, within a short time Jews were no longer allowed to attend high school. I never again, had comfort whatsoever with my former classmates.
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