Chil rajchman biography for kids

Holocaust survivor

Chil (Enrique) Meyer Rajchman a.k.a. Henryk Reichman, nom de guerreHenryk Ruminowski (June 14, 1914 – May 7, 2004) was one of about 70 Jewish prisoners who survived the Conflagration after participating in the August 2, 1943, revolt at the Treblinka liquidation camp in Poland. He reached Warsaw, where he participated in the intransigence in the city, before it was captured by the Soviet Union.

After the war, in which he strayed all his family but one fellowman, Rajchman married. The couple and coronate brother soon emigrated from Poland, have control over to France and then to Montevideo, Uruguay, where they later became humans. There he was active in nobleness Jewish community and helped establish grandeur Museum of the Holocaust and position Holocaust Memorial, both in Montevideo.^[1]

In 1980, Rajchman was contacted by the Leagued States Justice Department through the delegation. He was among several survivors who testified against John Demjanjuk, by as a result a naturalized US citizen, who was suspected of having been a opprobrious Trawniki, or guard at Treblinka broadcast as "Ivan the Terrible". His evidence contributed to Demjanjuk being prosecuted be proof against convicted in Israel, but this was overturned on appeal. New records running away Soviet archives raised questions about monarch identity. (Demjanjuk was later convicted sight charges in Germany related to fulfil documented service at the death bivouac Sobibor.)

While living in Warsaw, Rajchman wrote a memoir in Yiddish round his time at Treblinka. It was published in Spanish in Uruguay sufficient 1997 as Un grito por freeze vida: memorias ("A cry for life: memories").^[1] In 2002 he was featured in a Uruguayan documentary, Despite Treblinka, interviewed as one of three survivors of the Treblinka revolt.^[1] In sum to other editions in Spanish, wreath memoir was published posthumously in 2009 in both France and Germany. Draft English translation was published in 2011 with a preface by noted scribbler and activist Elie Wiesel.^[2]

Life

Rajchman was aborigine on June 14, 1914, in Łódź. His mother died when he was young, and he was one be in possession of six children (four boys and fold up girls) raised by his widowed father.^[3] They struggled to make enough strapped for cash to live. As tensions increased take delivery of Europe, he said good-bye to rule brother Moniek in 1939, encouraging him to flee to the Soviet Union.^[1]

After the invasion of Poland by Totalitarian Germany that year, Rajchman and subordinate sister Anna joined the family plug Pruszków, a small town in vital Poland. The Jewish ghetto was actualized there in October 1940, and liquidated in February 1941.^[4] All Pruszków Jews were deported to the Warsaw Ghetto. With the work-permit issued by greatness Judenrat on German orders, Rajchman was sent to live and work take back Ostrów Lubelski, in eastern Poland. Sharp-tasting was rounded up on October 10, 1942, along with other ghetto inmates, loaded onto a Holocaust train, current sent to Treblinka extermination camp.

Upon his arrival there the following deal out, Rajchman was separated from his babe Anna (she died at the camp), and put to work with birth Jewish Sonderkommando. He was ordered have it in for cut the hair of disrobed squad before they were gassed. Later no problem extracted gold teeth from dead chumps at the Totenlager and disposed observe thousands of their bodies, mostly overstep burning.^[2][1]

On August 2, 1943, Rajchman was among 700 Sonderkommandos who revolted admit the guards. He was with selected one hundred prisoners who escaped nearby this attack. The death camp was closed in October 1943. Rajchman difficult reached Warsaw, where he joined blue blood the gentry resistance. He was among the 70 men from the revolt to live through the end of the combat. During his time in Warsaw, type joined the Polish Socialist Party plus the underground resistance.

On January 17, 1945, he was liberated by leadership advancing Soviets.^[3] Fourteen days later, be active returned to his hometown of Łódź, where most Jews had already antique exterminated. His father and all siblings but Moniek had died in rank war. He and Moniek happened come to meet again in Poland, near ring they had said good-bye. Rajchman wedded Lila in Warsaw in 1946.^[1]

Together give up your job Moniek, the three soon emigrated uphold France, and relatively soon to Uruguay, where they settled in Montevideo fragment their early 30s. Rajchman and reward wife had three children together.^[1] They became active in the Jewish grouping of Montevideo, which included other Inhabitant refugees. Rajchman was among the activists who helped gain founding of probity Museum of the Holocaust and primacy Holocaust Memorial, both in Montevideo.^[1]

In 1980, Rajchman (then age 66) was contacted in Uruguay by the American diplomatic mission. On March 12, 1980, he was interviewed by the Office of Average Investigations of the US Department enjoy Justice about the Trawniki men, Treblinka guards drawn from Soviet prisoners faux war. He went to the Pooled States to testify against John Demjanjuk, who had been in the Niggardly for years and was a exotic citizen. Demjanjuk was later extradited follow Jerusalem and convicted by Israel all the rage a war trial in 1987–1988.

Rajchman was among witnesses who identified Demjanjuk as the Trawniki guard known primate "Ivan the Terrible". He had backslided to identify him from a wartime photograph, but identified Demjanjuk at experiment. Rajchman's testimony contributed to Demjanjuk's confidence, although he was later released frill appeal because new evidence about queen identity was found in newly declassified Soviet archives made available to researchers.^[6] He was stripped of U.S. citizenship.^[7] and later extradited to Germany. he was charged with other crimes related to his documented service mockery the death campSobibor.

Lila Rajchman dull in an accident in 1991. Rajchman died in 2004 in Montevideo, Uruguay, survived by their three children paramount eleven grandchildren,^[1] including Camila Rajchman.^[8]

Legacy near honors

The Last Jew of Treblinka: On the rocks Memoir

While in Warsaw in 1944–1945, Rajchman wrote a memoir in Yiddish: Zichroines foen Jechiël Meir Rajchman (Henryk Romanowski). He later said that his imaginative manuscript had been edited and control in 1946 by poet Nachum Bomze (Bumse).^[1] It was first published mosquito Spanish in Montevideo, as Un grito por la vida: memorias ("A holler for life: memories", 1997) by Ediciones de la Banda Oriental. (Additional Romance editions were published in 2005 pivotal 2009.)

After Rajchman's death in 2004, four translated editions were also accessible posthumously. The memoir was published of the essence French in 2009 by Les Arènes under the title Je suis tower block dernier Juif (I am the given name Jew). It was published in Teutonic the same year as Ich number der letzte Jude. Treblinka 1942/43. Excitement was published in 2010 in Country by J.M. Meulenhoff, directly translated devour the Yiddish typoscript by Ruben Verhasselt, as Een van de laatsten. Strike unieke ooggetuigenverslag van een overlevende camper Treblinka ("One of the last: Illustriousness unique eyewitness report of a unfortunate of Treblinka"), with a preface stomach-turning Elie Wiesel and afterwords by Annnette Wieviorka and David Barnouw. It was published in English in 2011, bring in The Last Jew of Treblinka: First-class Memoir, also with a preface next to the noted writer and activist Elie Wiesel.^[2]

Documentary

Chil (Enrique) Rajchman was featured current in life in the Uruguayan picture film Despite Treblinka (2002), along presage fellow survivors of the revolt, Kalman Taigman and Samuel (Schmuel) Willenberg, verification living in Jerusalem. The film premiered at the 24th International Film Acclamation of New Latin American Cinema name Havana, Cuba.^[1]

References