Those who “looked Jewish,” did not speak the local language, or whose presence in a rescuer's family raised too many questions had to be physically hidden. Not all Jewish children could pass as “Aryans” and enjoy relative freedom of movement on the outside. I was robbed of my name, my religion, my Zionist idealism. I missed out on my childhood and the best of my adolescent years. I had to keep my Jewishness hidden, secret, never to be revealed on penalty of death. These ruses posed great risks to the bearer since the Germans and collaborating police forces closely examined identity documents in their frequent searches for Jews, resistance members, and individuals evading conscript labor. Using forged or acquired papers, such as a birth or baptismal certificate, Jews sometimes could obtain legitimate documents under an assumed name from the authorities.
For the children who had to leave their parents behind, the emotional pangs of separation were constant and the worries many.įor Jews to pass as “Aryans,” it was essential to have false identity papers, which were often gained through contacts with the anti-Nazi resistance. Over the course of the war, children often had to move from one refuge to another. Living as a non-Jew required false identity papers, which were difficult to obtain in German-occupied Europe and were subject to frequent review by the authorities. Even a momentary lapse in language or behavior could expose the child, and the rescuer, to danger. Children posing as Christians had to carefully conceal their Jewish identity from inquisitive neighbors, classmates, informers, blackmailers, and the police. Those who could not had to live clandestinely, often in attics or cellars. Some children could pass as non-Jews and live openly. Parents, children, and rescuers faced daunting challenges once the decision was made to go into hiding.
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