Child Holocaust survivor describes family's wartimes experiences

Shimon (Sjema) Greenhouse was born in 1932 in Krasna, Belarus, to a traditional Jewish Zionist family. His older siblings, Henya and Mendel, were active in Zionist federations and planned to emigrate to Mandatory Palestine.

At the end of 1941, after the Germans invaded the USSR, Shimon and his family were interned in the Krasna ghetto. Shimon and his mother managed to sneak out of the ghetto and reach a Polish acquaintance who gave them food and convinced an SS officer not to kill them.

One day, after a German horse fell into a pit, the Germans gathered Jews in the ghettos central square and shot them one by one. Shimon and his father, Yekutiel, stood there, their hands clasped. When Yekutiel was shot, he dragged his young son down with him. Shimon remained beneath his dead father, dazed and covered with blood, for a full day until family members pulled him out.

On Purim (March) 1943, the Germans liquidated the ghetto and murdered its residents, including Mendel and Henya. Shimon and his mother hid for five days with 20 other people. When they emerged, the ghetto was empty, and the air stank of incinerated bodies. As Shimon was recovering from typhus, his mother carried him on her back to the marshes, where the partisans were hiding. They survived the remainder of the war among the partisans, with minimal clothing and food.

After the war, Shimon and his mother returned to Krasna. In 1950, after Shimon completed his studies, they emigrated to Israel. Shimon married and had four children and three grandchildren. He served as an educator and high school principal in Petah Tikva, leaving his mark on generations of students.
For more deatils, click here: http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/remembrance/2009/greenhouse.asp

Category:

Education

Tags:

• yad
• vashem
• yom
• hashoah
• holocaust
• survivor
• testimony
• krasna
• belarus
• משפט אייכמן
• גדעון הואזנר

[dontkillthedeer]

These testimonies dont receive enough attention.

[angeljenny55]

L'olam lo suv! Never again!

[olgazundel1]

Dear God, may humanity learn from the trials of the Jewish people. Never forget, never again.

[goodoldrebel8]

gentile antisemitism is a 2000 year history of hate.

[randy95023]

As an American Christian I support Israel with my vote and my charitable contributions of money. Christianity and Judaism have had their historical "difficulties" and a thorough reading of the Bible with an open heart and an open mind could help heal this rift. I pray that my Jewish brothers would accept the Messiah who has already come, rather than praying for the Messiah. When God calls us home we may BOTH be surprised at what He reveals to us... May God Bless Israel!

[BadBunnyRides]

Makes me hope all those "It never happend!!" type people get brain cancer.

[ZeroIslam]

Very said.. But also think about the 3-4 million German civilans getting killed and raped .. i feel sad for them to..

[glasznoszty]

heart touching. Never again! So much pain. All of us waiting for The Messiach.

[sazurachii]

never again!

[shayshalom]

I also had a holocaust surviver teacher at primery school -Rachel Kedar - n when she told us her outrageous stories - we couldn't beleive that that wonderful loving carring teacher didn't have childhood like we did - saw how the germans shoot her father n seperating her from her mother sending her to the gas chembers - I will never 4get her number written on her hurm - reminding us -REMEMBER N DO NOT FORGET