“..I am not asking for praise ..I only want my name to be remembered. I want my Daughter’s name to be remembered ..that talented little girl Margalit. She’s 20 months old and shows a talent for drawing. She is a Jewish little girl ..speaks a nice Yiddish ..an is well developed both physically and mentally.” Israel Lichtenstein

There are 3 Jewish People, intrinsically linked to the struggle to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto, who leave behind an indelible mark which affects me. This, on a seemingly personal though remote level, adds to the weight of my conviction, that I am in the right place and at the right time. I have written previously about Margalit Lichtenstein, a nearly 2 year old Jewish Girl who visits my need to remember my own 2 Sister’s, lost before their chance to shine could be realised. Her Mom was Gela Sekstayn-Lichtenstein, an Artist, and her Dad was Israel Lichtenstein, a Teacher, both of whom were Archivists in the Ringelblum Onyeg Shabbes. It is a constant reminder to me too that Children of such an age were denied of their potential and it is a sadness which pervades this arena called The Holocaust, it impresses itself on my work, and provides the words necessary to comply with Israel Lichtenstein’s wish for him, his Daughter Margalit, and indeed his Wife Gela to be remembered.

“..I leave my drawings to ..future Jewish Museum that will revive ..Jewish artistic creativity that existed before ..war and before ..horrible tragedy of Polish Jewry.” Gela Sekstayn-Lichtenstein.

On  Wednesday January 7th 1942 “..We didn’t have to wait long before ..next lorry arrived with fresh victims. It was specially constructed. It looked like a normal large lorry ..in grey paint ..with two hermetically closed rear doors. ..inner walls were of steel metal. There weren’t any seats. ..floor was covered by a wooden grating ..as in public baths ..with straw mats on top. Between ..driver’s cab and ..rear part were two peepholes. With a flashlight one could observe through these peepholes if ..victims were already dead. Under ..wooden grating were two tubes about 15 centimetres thick which came out of ..cab. ..tubes had small openings from which gas poured out. ..gas generator was in ..cab ..where ..same driver sat all ..time. He wore a uniform of ..SS death’s head units and was about forty years old. There were two such vans. When ..lorries approached we had to stand at a distance of 5 metres from ..ditch. ..leader of ..guard detail was a high-ranking SS man ..an absolute sadist and murderer. He ordered that eight men were to open ..doors of ..lorry. ..smell of gas that met us was overpowering.” Szlawek Bajler.

“..On Wednesday January 7th 1942 ..Hal Kochs article has touched off an internal political dispute concerning ..Jewish Question in Denmark ..one presumes that ..dispute will expand. In my opinion ..we would do best not to intervene in this internal political controversy ..which will bring The Jewish Problem to ..Danish public consciousness more intensively than ever before. Instead ..we should continue to follow ..line we have pursued thus far. It remains our policy of action to eradicate Jewish influence at every opportunity ..to oust ..Jews altogether. We should also take future action to inspire greater understanding of The Jewish Problem.” Cecil von Renthe-Fink.

January 7th. 1942 the Chelmno Death Camp gassing of Jews from surrounding area had already commenced. The expellation of Jews from Lodz to Chelmno had already begun. 5,000 Gypsies too, sent to Lodz are gassed at Chelmno.

Wednesday January 7th. 1942 “..Krakauer Zeitung that armed band ..appeared near Dobrosielice ..neighbourhood ..Warsaw ..another at Zygmunty near Lublin. ..attack took place ..Zoliborz ..Warsaw. ..Jews ..participated ..against ..Germans.” Krakauer Zeitung.