The Journey
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Deportation/transportation to camps took many days. Individuals, families and communities were packed into trucks, with their belongings. Over 100 people squeezed into each truck.
Jack, 15 years old, from Greece, talks of his experience at the start of what must have been a very long journey: “Some 20 railway cars were waiting for us... There were 70 to 80 people in a car... After a while, there was a muffled sound of closing latches... the whistle blew and the train started moving slowly. It was April 7, 1943. Penned in and cramped, we departed from our homeland, without being able to see it.” |
They had no idea where they were going or what would happen to them when they got there. With no food or water, many of the young, old, and sick died because of the inhumane conditions.
David, a Polish Jew aged 13, graphically describes how cramped it was on the train: “There is no room to sit. In order to make room we are forced to stand with our hands above our heads.... Suddenly, the door is slammed shut and sealed. A water bucket is tossed into the car for use as a disposal container for human waste.”
David, a Polish Jew aged 13, graphically describes how cramped it was on the train: “There is no room to sit. In order to make room we are forced to stand with our hands above our heads.... Suddenly, the door is slammed shut and sealed. A water bucket is tossed into the car for use as a disposal container for human waste.”
They were treated like animals. From the moment they stepped onto the trucks, they weren't even considered real people anymore.
Moshe, aged 17, from Hungary, then explains that: “...the doors were shut, leaving us almost in darkness. The grills, too, were closed to prevent escape. Air entered only through the cracks. So we traveled for 24 hours, without food or water. We were hungry and thirsty. But the desire and hope to see our families made us forget everything else.”
Moshe, aged 17, from Hungary, then explains that: “...the doors were shut, leaving us almost in darkness. The grills, too, were closed to prevent escape. Air entered only through the cracks. So we traveled for 24 hours, without food or water. We were hungry and thirsty. But the desire and hope to see our families made us forget everything else.”