My Family, Our Legacy: Past, Present & Future
By Ricki Thal
Presented at Choices November 2015
My name is Leon Lolek Kaufman and I was born August 6th, 1920 in Krakow Poland to Uszer Selig and Pola Kaufman. In 1933 my sister Teofila and I were torn away from our family and friends and sent on a frightening journey to the hell called Auschwitz. Once there I fought for my survival, I fought for my life. I would think how am I going to make it? When is my next meal? Would it be my last? Would it be my last day? Every day was a struggle for survival. Hitler murdered my parents and my sister, and virtually erased every childhood memory of mine.
After what seemed like an eternity, the most incredible miracle happened, my name appeared on Oskar Schindler’s now famous list, and I went to work in his factory. I worked hard day after day. I wanted to show my worth, I didn’t ever want to give up for fear of being sent back to Auschwitz. That man provided me and so many of the victims of the Holocaust with something we thought we had lost forever, hope.
I died suddenly September 29, 1988 without telling anyone the struggles of my past. I never told anyone my story, what I went through, and the horrors that I had seen. I don’t know why, was I embarrassed? Ashamed?
Survivors try to forget. I tried to piece my life together, put everything behind me and move on. My wife Esther and I never talked about our pasts, I never even told my daughter Lyliane. I tried to be brave for my family. I didn’t want them to see me as weak. I felt that I needed to put on a brave face and set an example for my daughter so I never shared my secrets. I never realized that people need to learn, they need to remember and understand what happened during those horrific times. The story of my survival was my legacy.
My name is Esther Kaufman and I was born November 10th, 1920 in Warsaw Poland to Joseph and Lola Zuckierman. During the Holocaust, I was separated from my family, lost my parents, my brothers Moshe and Israel and only my brother, Norman and I survived.
April 8th, 1945, is a day I’ll never forget, it was the day my new life with my husband Leon began. In 1953 we packed up what little belongings we had, and along with my daughter, Lyliane, started a life in Vancouver.
For so long, I never told anyone my story, what I had gone through, or what I had seen. I wore my pain and anguish on the inside, silently holding onto the evil that I endured during the Holocaust.
All that changed when I went to see the movie, Schindler’s List with my daughter, son in law & granddaughter at the Capital 6 theatre. This movie fueled discussions about so many untold stories of the Holocaust. It was an awakening. It broke my silence, allowed me to open up about my past, and finally the weight on my shoulders was lifted. In that moment, my granddaughter learned for the first time, that I had worked in Schindler’s factory.
In one scene in the movie people were running around naked in a circle, people that went to the right went to the gas chambers, people that went to the left went to work at Schindler’s factory, my name was called, my luck had finally changed, and I went to the left.
Then came my fame and fortune. I received a phone message from Phil Donahue’s office. At first, I thought it was my son in law Larry playing a practical joke, little did I know it was actually real. Off I went to New York for my 5 minutes of fame. I sat on stage in my green suit, coiffed hair and perfectly manicured red nails. Donahue introduced me, “here we have Esther Kaufman, who I might add is 73!” “I didn’t give you permission to tell everyone how old I was!” I looked at my daughter Lily who was in the audience, took a deep breath and began to tell my story. After my appearance, I came home, got recognized on the streets and even went to schools and educated kids. Geraldo called, but, sadly, I passed away suddenly June 22, 1999, still awaiting a call from Oprah.
My name is Ricki Thal and I was born December 26th, 1975 in Vancouver to Larry & Lyliane Thal and I am proud and honored to be the granddaughter of Leon and Esther Kaufman, also known as grandpa and Boobie.
Like you, I had heard stories, read books, and watched movies but had never fully understood or comprehended the sheer magnitude of the Holocaust until April 2013 when I participated in March of the Living. I had just come home from the Vancouver Holocaust Centre’s Annual General Meeting where 2 survivors had shared their stories. I called the Federation office the next morning, knowing I was too old for the high school program and asked them about being a chaperone. I was told I could be a participant in the Young Adult Program. I quickly learned that our Jewish Federation coordinates these programs locally and provides scholarships that offset the cost and help teens, young adults and adults to take part.
On April 3, 2013, I showed up at the Toronto airport not knowing a soul as I was the only person from the West Coast. Off I went to embark on an experience of a life time. I had no idea what would happen next.
Every day people in my group would share their stories, but like my grandparents, I kept my stories to myself. Like my Boobie, I felt ‘Why would anyone want to hear my family’s story?’
But then that all changed. We went to Schindler’s factory and unbeknownst to me, there were pictures of Schindler’s Jews on the outside and there I found a photo of my Boobie Esther. I was overcome with so many emotions and for the first time I realized how important it was to share my grandparent’s story. These complete strangers who I had just met 4 days ago were so excited to hear my story, what I had to say. I realized there was something that bound us together, as if they had known me forever, and known my grandparents. As soon as I arrived home I contacted the museum as my grandfather’s picture wasn’t up. Thankfully I was able to get them to include a picture on the wall and now they are together again.
In April 2014 I was so honoured to be asked to go back as a chaperone for the Vancouver high school contingency of March of the Living.
Through March of the Living I was able to find Bunker #15 in Auschwitz where my Boobie fought every day to stay alive. I was able to find #67 Dietlowska Street where she and her family lived. I went from picturing her tiny frame being tortured, to picturing her and her brothers playing in streets, bringing a smile to my face. I will forever be grateful for the humanity of Oskar Schindler for saving my grandparents lives, for saving me.
Jewish Federation and the programs and agencies they help support through the campaign, in particular, The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC, and March of the Living, are ensuring that our history is not forgotten. The gifts that you have all made to the Federation Annual Campaign help Jewish families in need, and also help young people like me connect with our history. As our survivors age, it is our responsibility and our deep privilege to keep their memories alive and to educate those around us.
I hope you leave tonight inspired to keep making a difference. Have a conversation with your family, your friends and make a difference in your Jewish community. Your donations continue to go to such worthy endeavors such as the March of the Living and Taglit-Birthright Israel, giving youth and young adult’s life changing experiences. Thanks to your gifts, approximately 125 of our students have received subsidies for March of the Living, and over 1,500 young adults have experienced Birthright. March of the Living changed my life in unimaginable ways, and I know that these trips have a similar effect on the lives of everyone who has the opportunity to participate.
I was my grandpa and Boobie’s shayna punim. They used to plotz and qvelled nachas towards me, but I am the one plotzing and qvelling nachas for them. I am the one standing here tonight being so proud and so honored to be known as Leon and Esther Kaufman’s granddaughter. Grandpa and Boobie, you were my inspiration, my heroes, my friends. I grew up not knowing anything about my grandparent’s childhood. Like many survivors my grandparents wanted to forget. They couldn’t remember much, they didn’t want to remember. They had survived a horror, they had survived the unimaginable, and they had survived a torture where their loved ones had not.
They are forever in my heart and will always be with me. I will continue to share their secrets, honor their legacy and I WILL NEVER FORGET!
Thank you!