The Student News Site of Westborough High School

The Lobby Observer

The Student News Site of Westborough High School

The Lobby Observer

The Student News Site of Westborough High School

The Lobby Observer

Countdown to April Break!
Have a Wonderful Break!

My Grandfather: A Holocaust Survivor

By: Samantha Steinberg ’19

Not many people get the chance to say that their grandfather is a Holocaust survivor. Ever since I was young my parents would tell me that my grandpa survived World War II, but as a little kid I did not really understand what those words truly meant. All my life I have been an emotional person and whenever I would hear parts of his story, it would pull at my heartstrings. It was such a terrible feeling knowing that my grandfather had such a traumatic past when he was only a young child.

My first memory of hearing parts of my grandfather’s story was when I was in the sixth grade. In history class we were reading a book about a child’s experience during the war, and I told my teacher about my grandfather who was then invited to come to the school to tell us about his life. I sat through his speech realizing what he had experienced as a child, but at the time, I did not truly appreciate his story until I was older. Now, I finally had the opportunity to interview my grandfather, Gerald Steinberg, to answer questions that I have had for years.

My grandfather was born on a farm and lived with his mother and father in Mlynev, Poland. In 1941, when he was only two years old, the Germans invaded Poland. Since my grandfather was Jewish, his family was taken to a ghetto with the rest of the Jews in his village. My grandfather was born in December 1937, but my great grandfather put on record that he was two years younger in order for him to be given food by the officials, so that he would not have to find it on his own.

After one year of living in the ghetto, my great grandfather, George Steinberg had heard of a large hole that was being dug right outside of where they were living. The Germans told them that it would be used to store potatoes, but my great grandfather was growing more suspicious about their future in the ghetto, so he had found a way to escape the wired area and took his family to a safer place. They later would hear that everyone that was inside the ghetto was killed and buried in the mass grave (the hole for the “potatoes”) only days after they left. Family members from my great grandfather’s and great grandmother’s side of the family were also killed in the ghetto.

My great grandfather was able to successfully smuggle my grandfather and his mother out of the ghetto and hide them in a friend’s farm for a couple months until they had to move to another farm that was owned by a Polish farmer. They dug a hole in the farm and covered it with planks in order for the cows to stand over them. There were spaces in between the planks, so the cows’ feces would drop below onto them making the space very unsanitary. It was rare to be able to find food, so sometimes they had to share food with the farm animals in order to stay alive.

My grandfather recalls that it was very cramped, dark, and damp. They were unable to stand, and when one person wanted to move everybody else would have to move their body so that they could fit. It was not safe to leave the hole regularly, but sometimes my grandfather would be able to go in the attic of the farm, and he said it would be a treat to see the light outside.

He does not have a lot of memories during this time, but he says, “when I was able to go in the attic I could see the lice on my clothes and was able to pick them out.”

When my great grandfather had the opportunity to go outside during the middle of the night, he would meet with other Jews who were in hiding. At one point he met someone that had a young daughter who would make a lot of noise and it was becoming unsafe for them. The family had to give away their daughter who was then raised not knowing that she was Jewish. My great grandfather promised the man he would find his daughter if they survived the war. Eventually, he did find the girl and they were able to adopt her. She is currently living in Israel with her family as an art teacher.

After two years of staying in three different farms, ghettos, and a Displaced Persons Camp they were finally liberated in 1944. They returned to their farm in Mlynev which was destroyed, but they lived there for a couple months. They decided to move further into Poland because it was not safe on their farm, but they had paperwork and had the intent on moving to Israel.

My grandfather recalled that they had to travel and move a lot in order to make sure they were in a safe place. My grandfather and his parents lived in a DP camp before they were able to travel to the United States of America on July 2, 1949. My grandfather was 10 years old when they moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. My great grandmother’s aunt and uncle had lived in Springfield and sponsored my grandfather’s family through the Red Cross.  

When they moved to America they did not know any English. My grandfather spent the whole summer learning some of the language in order to go to school. He was able to start school that fall and was placed in the sixth grade.

While in high school, my grandfather played hockey and tennis, and he was the captain of his soccer team. He graduated high school in 1956, and then studied pre-medical at the University of Massachusetts. His parents insisted that he become a doctor, but he was more interested in pharmacy. He graduated UMASS in 1960 and later graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1963 with a pharmacy degree.

After working under someone in a pharmacy for six years he opened his first pharmacy, Sims Drugstore in Springfield on May 8, 1968. My grandfather was then successful enough to open two more drugstores named Sims Professional Pharmacy and Sims Campus Pharmacy in 1973 and 1978, respectively. He thought that at least one of his three sons would take over the pharmacies; however, he was wrong. He started to sell off his stores in 1988 to a Canadian company which would turn his drugstores into Brooks Pharmacy later on. Today, his drugstores have become Rite-Aid.

My grandfather was lucky enough to retire in his fifties and enjoy his life with his wife Barbara Steinberg and their three kids: Stephen, Michael (my father), and David. He now has seven grandchildren who range from seven to twenty one years old.

While in their retirement my grandfather and grandmother were able to own a house in Dennis Port, Cape Cod from 1990 to 2008, and they currently enjoy living in their condo in Florida in the winter while also playing tennis and golf in their free time.

Listening to my grandfather’s story and realizing the dangerous and traumatic experiences he went through has made me appreciate what I have in my life a lot more. I cherish the moments that I spend with all my family members and realize that it is very important to be kind to all the people around me.

My grandfather’s success in life has inspired me to work hard to accomplish my goals and never give up even when times are hard. I am thankful for my grandfather and his openness to share his memories that I can now share with many more people.

View Comments (3)
More to Discover

Comments (3)

All The Lobby Observer Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • E

    Emily BruckNov 5, 2018 at 7:54 am

    This story is so inspiring. I understand because my great aunt and her family died in the Holocaust, and my great grandfather survived, which is how my dad’s family exists today. This is so well written!

    Reply
  • E

    Emily BruckNov 5, 2018 at 7:53 am

    This story is so inspiring. I understand because my great aunt and her family died in the Holocaust, and my great grandfather survived, which is how my dad’s family exists today. This is so well written!

    Reply
  • A

    Aidan ClarkSep 26, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    It is so important that we keep telling stories like this, so that something like the Holocaust can NEVER happen again. Thank you for writing this.

    Reply