Helen Strassberg
" I’m a very pessimistic lady. I never think there will be peace. I think there will always be war. They will always bother Jewish people. I worried a great deal while I was in hiding and I still do. "
Name at birth
Rebecca Helen Raszer
Date of birth
08/03/1927
Name of father, occupation
Hersche Raszer,
Leather goods
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Rivka Mulil,
Homemaker
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents, Anna, Toba and me
How many in entire extended family?
12
Who survived the Holocaust?
Two sisters and me
From 1942 till liberation, I was in the south of France. From 1940-1942 I was in hiding in Brussels. Later I was in Grenoble, Escouloubre in a barn. My sister worked in a hotel and I worked in another hotel. The French farmer where I lived never knew that I was Jewish.
Where were you in hiding?
In Brussels and southern France
Occupation after the war
Cashier at William Beaumont Hospital
Spouse
Charles, we met in Brussels on a beautiful day in 1946 ,
Barber
Children
Julie, real estate Robert, Dept. of Labor, State of Michigan
Grandchildren
Three
What do you think helped you to survive?
Just lucky.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
I’m a very pessimistic lady. I never think there will be peace. I think there will always be war. They will always bother Jewish people. I worried a great deal while I was in hiding and I still do.
Interviewer:
Charles Silow
Interview date:
06/16/2009
Experiences
Survivor's map
