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Names Not Numbers
Helen Rubin
Helen Rubin
Helen was born on October 23, 1930, in Rozwadow, Poland, a picturesque town situated on the San River in Galicia. As the youngest of three children, she had a brother and a sister who were her closest companions during her formative years. Their father owned a mini department store that sold school and office supplies, records, and candies, which was conveniently located in their home.
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This environment fostered a close-knit family life, and Helen cherished the beautiful Shabbat and Yom Tov table that her family set for their celebrations. Helen's father originally hailed from Krakow, but after living there for a year, he and his wife decided to move back to Rozwadow, where they resided upstairs from Helen’s maternal grandparents. Helen began her formal education at the tender age of six, eager to learn and grow.
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Everything changed drastically on September 1, 1939, when the Germans invaded Poland. The family had to adapt quickly to the unfolding tragedy. Helen would often visit her father's store, which was increasingly frequented for basic provisions like flour, sugar, and coffee. Just three weeks after the invasion, their family was forcibly removed from their home, allowed to carry only what they could fit on their backs.
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Confusion and fear gripped them as they were unsure of the Germans' intentions for the Jewish population.
In their desperate attempt to flee, they sought refuge with the “Russian Brothers,” carrying everything they owned on their bodies. Helen and her family concealed their jewels and money under their clothing, taking only what they could physically carry.
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This led them to Ukraine, an area that at the time was not occupied, where they stayed for nine months. During this period, life was challenging, but Helen’s memories of Ukraine, her father's former business, and their schooling remain a significant part of her early experiences.
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Eventually, Helen’s family was forced to move to Siberia, where they were joined by her parents, siblings, grandparents, and an uncle along with his family, totaling eight people. The harsh conditions in Siberia were unforgiving. They were provided with only one meal per day, typically consisting of soup and a piece of bread.
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The commandant, known as Tovarish, was a young man who visited daily to distribute food to the three hundred people in their group. The family endured grueling labor, constructing barracks as part of their slave labor tasks, with no opportunity for religious practice. Helen recalls the fear that kept them from daring to pray, especially regarding her brother’s Bar Mitzvah, which was a painful absence in their lives during this time.
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For fourteen months, Helen and her family labored under difficult conditions, working seven days a week from early morning until sundown. However, a turning point came when the Polish government, in exile in England, negotiated with the Russian government. They offered to provide a Polish Battalion to assist in the war against the Germans in exchange for the release of Polish war prisoners.
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The Russians agreed to this deal, which granted the prisoners the freedom to travel within Russia, although they could not leave the country immediately.
The family traveled to Tashkent and Samarkand in Central Asia, which is part of today’s Uzbekistan. While in Buchara, located near the Iranian border, they sought to cross into Israel.
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During this time, they experienced a degree of freedom, but they also found themselves in trouble occasionally. It would be interesting to learn more about the activities they engaged in during this period.
In 1945, after the war ended, Helen and her family returned to Poland, where they were confronted with the heartbreaking truth about what had happened to the Jewish community.
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The American Joint Distribution Committee assisted them in settling into an apartment house in Poland. One of Helen’s uncles had previously moved to America, providing a potential pathway for the family.
From Poland, Helen’s journey continued through Czechoslovakia and eventually to Paris, where they lived for two and a half years. In 1947, they departed for America, initially settling in Brooklyn.
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Over time, they moved to Brownsville and then to Crown Heights, where they became part of the Bobover Rebbe's community. In the U.S., Helen attended Brooklyn College and eventually became a speech pathologist. She dedicated 28 years of her career working for the Board of Education.
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The End
Helen Rubin interview at Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva - 2023-2024
Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva
