Open Book!
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Names Not Numbers
Barbara Welner
Barbara Welner
Barbara was born on January 1st, 1927, in Przemysl, Poland. Raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, her father, a timber merchant and rabbi, believed in providing her with a well-rounded education. He enrolled her in a public school, Swienta Jadwiga, where she was the only Jewish student. The school agreed to take her only on the condition that she attended on Saturdays. However, she adhered to Shabbat observance,
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refraining from writing on the blackboard, taking notes, or carrying books on Shabbat. This led to constant ridicule from her teachers and classmates. The children would not share notes with her and often threw stones at her, calling her a “dirty Jew.” Although her parents reassured her, telling her to “Sha shtill” (be quiet) and reminding her that they were the Chosen People with the gift of Shabbat, she found little comfort in their words.
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When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, the family feared both the Nazis’ antisemitism and the Communists’ disdain for the upper class. They fled to Lvov, where her father took a job as a violinist in the local symphony. Soon after the German occupation began, decrees were issued requiring Jews to hand over their valuables. It was clear to everyone that something terrible was imminent, as they could hear gunshots at night. Stories spread
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about Jews being forced to dig their own graves before being shot. Barbara’s grandmother, a deeply religious woman, prayed continuously, reciting Tehillim (Psalms); she was a Tzadika (righteous woman). Barbara struggled emotionally with her faith, finding it difficult to reconcile the horrors they were living through with the teachings of Judaism.
When they learned news that the Germans were murdering Jews on the outskirts of the city,
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her father would say-“if we survive this, Pesach will not be Pesach as we know it. Because what we are living through transcends the greatest cruelty of humanity.”Meanwhile, the political situation was evolving. Germany and Russia had agreed to partition Poland, with the River San serving as the dividing line. The family initially found relief when the Russians took over their area, as they were more interested in looting than singling out Jews.
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However, knowing that the Germans were worse, they tried to escape to the Russian-occupied side of the border. Despite their efforts, their family’s status as wealthy and well-known made them vulnerable to both sides.
They went to Lvov-Lemberg, a huge city one can get easily lost in, northeast of Przemysl. Their address in Lvovwas Szewcznki(o) 435. Barbara was enrolled in a Communist school, where she was pressured to become a Communist pioneer.
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The school forced the children to praise Stalin and embrace Communist ideology.
Life in Lvov was difficult, with basic necessities in short supply. They traded fur, silk, pillowcases, etc. with peasant for food. Her father also entrusted valuable belongings to a Pole he thought he could trust. At some point, her father went back to the Pole to ask for the two suitcases back, in which he answered,
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“what two suitcases? Are you accusing me of taking anything?” Barbara’s father was very apologetic then. The Pole continued, “what’s your problem, dirty Jew, don’t you know, you’re all going to die?”He then pointed at Barbara and yelled, “you see her? This one’s going to survive.”
As the Nazis intensified their persecution, Jews were forced to wear armbands, and Jewish leaders were put in charge of assigning labor tasks. Barbara, who had not yet
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been marked with an armband, was sent on a work detail to a farm. There, she was brutally attacked with a pitchfork, knocked unconscious, and left for dead. When she eventually found her way back to her family, bloodied and traumatized, they decided it was no longer safe for her to remain in Lvov. They secured the identity card of a Polish girl named Barbara Sliwa and sent Barbara away, instructing her to never reveal that she was Jewish.
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Barbara Sliwa’s father took her to a farm in Dobromiszyce, a poor, rural area. The conditions were primitive, with the family living in a thatched-roof house made of straw and mud. Despite the poverty, Barbara worked tirelessly in the fields and around the house in exchange for food. She was so exhausted that she could barely stay awake at night. Yet, she remained curious and taught herself how to spin yarn and make use of discarded materials.
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Eventually, fearing for her life, she ran away from the farm. Not long after, she learned that the family she had stayed with had been murdered by Ukrainian partisans.
Barbara continued to move from place to place, surviving by eating whatever she could find. She eventually stumbled upon a group of Poles being transported to Germany for labor. She joined them, befriending a Polish girl named Josefa Puszka, who protected her
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by claiming Barbara as her family. Barbara lived in constant fear of being discovered as Jewish, especially during Nazi inspections at the labor camp. She went to great lengths to disguise her appearance, even stuffing paper in her nose to change its shape. In the camp, she memorized Catholic mass prayers to blend in when attending church with the others.
When the Allies liberated her camp, Barbara believed she might be
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the only Jew left in the world. She eventually found her way to a DP (displaced persons) camp and later chose to transfer to England, determined never to return to Poland. In England, Barbara taught herself English and excelled at Wakefield College of Nursing, where she became valedictorian of her class. Despite her success, she remained afraid to reveal her Jewish identity for some time.
Eventually, Barbara sought out connections to
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her Jewish heritage. She met her future husband, Nick Welner, at a lecture and later at a singles dance. The two emigrated to Canada, where they reunited and married in Toronto.
Barbara and Nick settled in Pittsburgh, where Nick found work as a civil engineer. They built a life together and had four children. Today, Barbara is the proud grandmother of three, two of whom attend Katz Hillel Day School, with one enrolled in KYHS.
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The End
Barbara Welner interview at Katz Hillel Day School of Boca Raton - 2023-2024
Katz Hillel Day School of Boca Raton
