Galvan,1

FeatureArticle
JulianaGalvan
7076314802
jlnglvn2033@gmail.com
RyanPrice
Grade11


Galvan,2

TheLevysGreatEscape
AuthorsNote:MyGrandmotherisaGermanAmerican.Bothofherparents,AnaandWilliam,
andherbrotherGuntherwerefromGermany.Theywerevictimsoftheharshconditionsof
WorldWarIIanditseffectsonJews.Iinterviewedmygrandmotherandaskedhertosharehow
herfamilycametoAmericafromGermanyasJewsduringHitler'sreign.Thisstoryisnarrated
bymygreatgrandmother,AnaBaesel.
1938:oneyearbeforethestartoftheSecondWorldWar.Itwasafrigidwinterdayin
Stuttgart,Germany.Itcouldnotpossiblybegloomier.Notjustbecauseofthegray,drearysky
butbecauseofthelookofhopelessnessinthepeopledevastatedbyoneoftheworstworldwars
inhistory.ThefranticrushofpeopleattheStuttgartHauptbahnhoftrainstationwas
indescribable.HitlerwastakingcontrolofGermanyandmanyNaziswerecirculatingthetrains
insearchofJewstryingtoescape.Childrenscreamedastheywatchedtheirfatherbeingdragged
away,knowingtheymaynevercometogetheragain.ItwasnotonlyscarytimefortheJewsbut
fortheGermansaswell.Familiesconstantlyworriedfortheirsafetyandthetrainwastheonly
wayout,iftheymanagedtonotgetcaught.Therewasmuchfear.
Familieshadveryfewbelongingswiththembecausetheywerenotallowedtobring
anythingvaluable.HitlerownedGermanyandeverythingvaluableinit,suchasjewelryandart.
EveryoneatthetrainstationwatchedpeoplegettakenawaybyHitlersarmybecauseoftheir
Jewishresemblance.Everyonewatchedandfearedthattheirturnmaybenext.Nooneknew
whatthefuturewouldhold.


Galvan,3

Atthemoment,thereweremanyJewishpeopleattemptingtoescapebytrain,onlytobe
takenaway,nevertoreturn.AnyGermanthatwascaughtcomingtotheaidofaJewwouldbe
takenawayaswell.Theworldhasbeenatwarforonlyoneyear,butthefearfulGermanand
Jewishpeopletryingtoescapewerealreadythinandgauntfromlackofsleepandnourishment.
Alongroadlayaheadofthem.
Myhusband,William,hadhadafeelingthiswouldhappen.Irefusedtobelievethatone
mancouldwipeoutanentireJewishpopulation,butIsoonrealizedhowseriousoursituation
waswhenmyhusbandchangedoutlastnamefromLevytoBalee,acombinationofmymaiden
name,Baeselandhislastname,Levy.LevywasapopularJewishnameandwouldimmediately
revealustoanyonewhocameasking.MysonalwaysasksmewhyIhavetoworryaboutHitler
eventhoughIamnotJewish.SinceIammarriedtoaJew,toHitler,IalsoamaJew.
MynameisAna.AnaBaesel.IamGerman.Ihaveahusband,William,andason,
Gunther.WeliveinStuttgart,GermanyandHitleriscomingformeandmyfamily.Wemust
flee.FleetoItalybytrain.
Whatareyoudoing?!Putallofthatdown.Youknowwecan'tbringanything!My
husbandremindsmeoftheriskIamtaking.
Iwillnotleavewithoutitall!ItistheonlythingthatIcanpassdown!
No!Youwillnotbringthat!YouwillgetcaughtbytheNazis!Wehavetogonow!
Williamhollered.
Fine!ThenleavemeforHitler!Icried.Williamwasalwaysasternmanwhodidnot
haveanysentimentalattachmentsIwasquitetheopposite.


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Wewerejustafewfeetawayfromthetrainstationandmyheartbeganpounding.Ihate
thefeelingthatIamnotincontrolofhowmylifewillturnout.Andit'strue.Hitlerhasruined
mylifeandmyfamily,buttheonlythingthatmatters,now,isthemoment.Thiswillbeoneof
thebiggestmomentsinfamilyhistoryandIwilllivetotellit.Iamdeterminedtonotletthe
NazisknowmyfamilyandIareJewish.Theywillletusleave.TheywillnotknowthatIhave
allmyjewelrywithme,buthowwillIleavewithit?Thereisnowaytheytheywillnotfindthe
jewelryiftheysearchme.Ifranticallylookaroundforsomethingtopreventthatfromhappening
and,spottingapossibility,deviseaquickplan.
Walkinginthetrainstation,Iseethehysteriafromwomenandchildren.Myeyesfill
withtearsasIwatchtheNazisruinthelivesofothers.Ibegintonoticethewretchedsmell
emittingfrommybodyandIhopeindeterstheNazisfromsearchingme.Ican'thelpthe
perspiration,norcanIhelpmyracingheart.
Lookstraightahead,myhusbanddemandsquietly,Donotlooklikeyouareguilty.
TheonlypersonguiltyhereisHitler.
Wecalmlysqueezeourwaythroughthecrowdsofpeoplesothatwedon'tdrawattention
tous.Ilookatmyhusband.HelooksJewish.Hisblackhair,darkeyes,anddarkcomplexionare
adeadgiveaway.
Myheartracesaswestepclosertothecheckpoint.Williamsfacehasnoemotion,which
isnottypicalofhim.Iknowheismorefrightenedthanhehaseverbeenbefore.Hegivesour
informationalpaperstotheNazisoldier.Thesoldierscansthroughthepapers.Helooksupand
can'tseemtotakehiseyesoffofmyhusbanduntilIinterruptedimpatiently,Arewefreetogo
tothenextcheckpoint?


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Thesoldier'seyesdarttomineandafterapause,hesays,Yes.
Atthesecondcheckpoint,wearesearched.ElevenNazisoldiersrusharoundmy
husband,myson,andme.IfeartheywillfindmyjewelryandIrefusetoleavewithoutit.My
eyecatchesaNazisoldierrushingtowardsme,buthequicklystopswhenhesmellstheanimal
fecesIhadsmearedonmyselfbeforeenteringthestation.Anothersoldiercomestosearchme,
but,withouthesitation,healsoturnsaway.Myplanhadworked.Beforeenteringthetrain
station,IsawaguarddogdoinghisbusinessinthebushesalongsidethestationandIknewthis
wasonlywayIcouldkeeptheNazisfromcomingtooclosetome.Ihesitatedinpickingupthe
feces,butitwasmyonlyhope.
Wemadeourwaythroughthesecondcheckpointandawaitedourturntoenterthetrain.
Lookingbehindme,allIsawwereJewishpeoplebeingtakenawayafterattemptingtopass
throughthecheckpoint.Icouldn'tshaketheknowledgethatmyhusbandinJewishaswell,but
hislifehasbeensparedallfromanamechange.Wewereluckytomakeitonthetrain,notonly
withourlivesbutwithallofmyvaluablejewelry.Ihopetopassitdownthroughthe
generations,alongwiththestoriesofourtime.