Shabbat Tazria-Metzora

From the clutches of the Nazis to the War of Independence

By: Zvi Fogel (Noam's grandfather)

Country of birth: Romania - Romania

Written by Sarah Okshi (Fogel)

In memory of my father, 1924-1975

My name is Menachem Zvi, and my friends call me Hershi. I was born in 1924 to a religious Jewish family in Setzel in Marmoresh, Romania. At that time, it was customary for Jews to avoid military service and to carry the father’s family name.

Usually, many families carried the mother's surname. My mother's last name was Fogel, and my father's was Kratz. When I immigrated to Israel, I didn't change my last name; everyone knew me as Fogel.

My parents had six children: four boys and two girls.

In 1939, when the Holocaust began, it was hardly felt in Romania.

The country was very protective of the Jews, unfortunately - only in the beginning.

My elder brother Moshe Elia went to work on a distant train; he left the house to help support the family in the city of Iasi.

In 1941, a pogrom occurred in the city, and my brother was killed there. Many Jews were killed in the pogrom, and all were buried in mass graves.

In 1940, control over northern Transylvania, where we lived, was transferred from the Romanians to the Hungarians. In 1944, the Hungarians began to harass the Jews. They began to collect the Jews from all the villages and transferred them to the ghetto in the city of Dergmarsht, where we stayed for about a month. From there, my two sisters (one was called Sarah-Leah) and mother, Monzi, were transferred to Auschwitz, where they perished in the gas chambers.

My older brother was drafted into the Hungarian army, my younger brother was transferred to another ghetto, and I ended up in Bergen-Belsen. In the ghetto, I "worked" in the crematorium.

I was 20 years old. The conditions in the ghetto were appalling. Many people fell ill with typhus; in general, that was the conditions in the camp. I got sick too. I lay very ill without family or anyone to take care of me.

Suddenly, my older brother, who served in the Hungarian army and was transferred to the camp, appeared. Some people told him that his brother was sick and was there. My brother took me to his pavilion and gave me some of the food he had, and saved me. If the liberation of the camp had not been imminent (1945), it is not sure that I would have survived.

After the liberation, we were transferred to a displaced persons camp in Germany, and from there, we returned to Romania. My brother Alter Zindel married in Romania a Holocaust survivor named Rachel and immigrated to Israel later. My little brother transferred to Sweden a few years ago. He moved to Canada.

When I heard about ​​establishing the state, the decision to immigrate to the Land of Israel, the state of the Jews, filled my heart.

In 1948, I arrived in Israel, with memories and sights of the Holocaust, on the Altlana ship.

I arrived in a land that believes in the war of Jews against the Jews. I replaced trauma with trauma. But the belief that we have no other country was my motto. I enlisted in the army.

I fought in the War of Independence and in 1952 I married Chava Leah, who immigrated to Israel from Romania in 1951.

We had three children: Ben Zion after my father, Yitzhak after my wife's father, and Sarah after my sister.

My eldest son Ben Zion died at the age of 6 from diphtheria.

Menachem Begin, later the Prime Minister, was my army commander, whom sent me a condolence letter.

My second son Yitzchak, a 9-month-old baby, was vaccinated against disease during the Shiva.

By profession, I was an electrician working for the IDF at the Shevta base in the Negev.

I worked for a week, and I was at home for a week. These were the working conditions in those days. The horrors of the Holocaust, the wars in Israel, and the death of soldiers who served at the base weighed heavily on my heart, and twice I had a heart attack. After the second heart attack, I left the army and was a candidate for open heart surgery.

On the 11th of Sivan 5755 (21.5.1975), my father attended his friend's wedding, and during a mitzvah dance with the groom, he had a third heart attack and died on the spot. The surgery date to solve the problem was a month after his death. Death preceded the surgery, and at the age of 51, my father passed away.

לא נשכח.

Yom HaShoah in Auckland

The Yom HaShoah ceremony in Auckland was a moving tribute to the heroism and sacrifice displayed during the different uprisings of the Holocaust. The ceremony served as a reminder of the courage and resilience of those who fought against the Nazis and their collaborators. It is important to remember the Holocaust so that we never forget the atrocities committed and to ensure that such hatred and violence are never allowed to happen again. We were honoured to be part of the ceremony and thank all the organisers for putting on a meaningful and important evening for all.

A package filled with ISRAEL!

We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the World Zionist Organization for sending us an amazing package to help the community, kids, and youth in Auckland celebrate Yom Haatzmaut - Israeli Independence Day. The relationship we have built with the WZO has been a significant goal during our Shlichut, and it has been invaluable in providing much-needed support to the NZ Jewish community. Forming this relationship has allowed the WZO to send us fun, meaningful, and relevant programmes and activities that are essential to our community. We are grateful to have achieved our goal and look forward to the continued partnership with the World Zionist Organization in supporting the community's needs, with future Shlichim as well.

A friendly reminder..

CALLING ALL INTERNATIONAL MADRICHIM!

Bnei Akiva is hunting for Aussie Mads to join this year's winter camp! July is around the corner and we can’t wait for all our Chanichim to be able to enjoy camp once again!

If you know any Aussie Madrich that might be a good fit, please send them our way and get them to fill in the application form!

Fill in the Application Form Here

A special thank you to all those who joined the Bnei Akiva second Seder. We loved seeing your kids, and families and enjoying a festive night together as a community.
Well done to the Bnei Akiva Madrichim for putting on a great Shrekond Seder!
L’eShana Habaa B’Yerushalim!
Shabbat Shalom :)
The Fogels

If you haven’t joined the community’s WhatsApp group to be updated about all the upcoming events, youth activities, Shabbat programs, bereavement notices, and more - now’s the time!!

Mikveh Notice:
Please note you can book the mikveh through Joy at the office. If you require a Balanit, please reach out to Elisheva in advance.

Generously supported by the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust