.avif)
Judy was born in Slovakia on December 27, 1933, in a small town called Michalovska Kosice, near the Hungarian border. At the time, around 14,000 people lived in the town. She lived in a modest house with her mother and father, who was a dentist. When the war began, her father’s dental practice was taken over.
At the start of the war, Judy’s family went into hiding.
1
Her mother sent her to Hungary, as Jews were not initially targeted there. However, as conditions for Jews worsened in Hungary, Judy returned home. The family was then sent to a small village where her father resumed his work as a dentist, as the village lacked one. Unfortunately, conditions deteriorated, and the family was forced to hide again.
2
3
Eventually, they were caught, and Judy, who was just 10 years old, was separated from her father, whom she never saw again.
Judy and her mother were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. They survived because they were assigned to work in the Siemens factory, which manufactured war products. As the Allies advanced, Judy recalled the harsh conditions in the camps.
4
Many people died from sickness or were killed, and the prisoners were treated cruelly. They were often threatened with German Shepherds and forced to stand in freezing temperatures without proper clothing for long periods before being marched to the factory to work. Siemens, the company Judy worked for during the war, still exists today.
5
After their time at Ravensbrück, Judy and her mother were taken to Sweden, where they were fortunate to be treated well. After a year and a half, they returned to Slovakia and moved to another town near the Hungarian border. Judy’s mother remarried, and the family worked in vineyards that her mother’s family still owned. However, with the threat of Russian forces advancing, they decided to leave the country.
6
They applied to immigrate to Australia and Canada, ultimately receiving permission to go to Canada.
Judy and her family arrived in Toronto in January 1949 with landed immigrant status. They were able to educate their children, who did well for themselves, becoming self-sufficient and thriving in their new lives.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Judy Goldfarb interview at The Leo Baeck Day School - 2023-2024
The Leo Baeck Day School
