Edith Kozlowski

"Love one another, get along, no racism, appreciate freedom and living in the United States."

Name at birth

Itka London

Date of birth

09/20/1922

Where were you born?

Radom, Poland.

Where did you grow up?

Radom, Poland.

Name of father, occupation

Icek (Isaac), Grocery Store Owner.

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Dvora Frajdenrajch, Grocery store.

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents and four daughters: Manya, Hela, Sala, and I. Manya died of dysentery in the Radom Ghetto in 1940.

Who survived the Holocaust?

Hela, Sala, and Itka. Hela and Sala died at age of 70.

My sisters and I worked for the A.V.L. Company, part of the Radom Ghetto, repairing German army uniforms. A selection took place while the three of us were at work, our parents were sent to Treblinka concentration camp to their deaths. Following this, we were determined to stay together to help each other survive. We did not let the Germans know we were sisters. During later selections, we sent the younger ones first to see which way they were sent, and then we would follow.

Marvin was a distant cousin of Edith. After liberation, only Marvin’s father, Marvin, and the three sisters survived from the entire family. After the war, she located Marvin’ father and Marvin at Bergen-Belsen which became a Displaced Persons’ (DP) Camp. The Joyrich family in Detroit were related. Frajdenrajch family name translates to “joy and rich” helped them, together with the late U.S. Representive John D. Dingell, Sr., come to the United States.

Name of Ghetto(s)

Radom

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Bergen Belsen / Blizyn

Spouse

Marvin, Tailor for Sears, later clothing store owner.

Children

Jay, cardiologist; Ruth, rheumatologist; Joseph, radiologist.

Grandchildren

Six.

What do you think helped you to survive?

Luck and the fact that I was young, strong, and was with my two sisters during the entire time. I let them know I was there for them, that we would survive even though I didn’t believe it myself. I couldn’t believe we made it. I came from a very religious family. After the war, I didn’t believe that there was a G-d. Later, I came back.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Love one another, get along, no racism, appreciate freedom and living in the United States.