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part
3 |
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At the outbreak of the war
Chanka was in Kovno (Kaunas). The day before her sister
Rivka
had arrived. The two women couldn’t travel
back to Pakruojis and they had to
stay in Kovno. Musa Kagan (Tevya Kagan's sister) from
Pakruojis was with them also. The two sisters Chanka and Rivka
got a letter from their mother, Frada Shapiro : Don't come home !
This letter was given to them by Mrs. Arluk, a non-Jewish woman,
married to Arluk, a Jewish lawyer from Pakruojis. The Arluks
lived in a house owned by Kolitzman. Mrs. Arluk had also a
letter with her from Sheina Sherman-Kagan and from
Latzman.
Soon the ghetto of Kovno was created where the two sisters stayed
together, also in Alexosotos (Gifgangen Lager) and in Stutthof (concentrationcamp).
(I
recommend to read the book: Hidden history of the Kovno Ghetto,
United States
Holocaust
Memorial
Museum)
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The
Kovno Ghetto – Rivka Shapiro (location enhanced) |
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Rivka and Chanka shared and suffered each moment together. They
were never separated. ( In
America
they continued this bond and were only separated by Ann’s death in 1998.).
Chanka was engaged to Dovid Latzman, but the latter was never seen again,
after the Nazi’s had called for the intelligentsia …
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Dovid Latzman,1930's, Pakruojis
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The story is told that all were murdered at the 4th Fort of
Kovno.
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Chanka Shapiro with fiancée Dovid Latzman,
1930's, Pakruojis
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Rivka married
Israel Igdalski from Sakiai in 1941 in
the Kovno ghetto. |
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1936, Sakiai,
Israel
Igdalski seated among postcards |
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Israel
was
taken also to Alexosotos ( Gifgangen
Lager), but was separated from his wife Rivka. Finally, he was in
Dachau
. ( concentrationcamp).
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Dachau
Certificate Nr. 2576 for Israel Igdalski was
detained in
Dachau
on
1-8-1944
having been brought from Kauen Kz Camp. Camp records number was 85170. |
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Jewish Committee Munich stating that
Jewish ex -prisoner Riva Igdalski (number 47467)
was detained in Stuthof Kz Camp May 6, 1946 |
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Ausweis
for Chana Shapiro issued in
Vienna
on
October 30, 1945
to show that she was born in Pakruojis
on
November 30, 1920
and that she had returned from the concentration camp Stutthof
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After the war Rivka and
Israel
were reunited in 1945 and they lived in
Munich
till 1949, from where the couple
emigrated to
Norfolk
,
Virginia
,
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Baggage Checks for the Igdalskis from IRO Emigration from Transit
Camp
Grohn
from
Bremerhaven
to NY,
USA
on the General Ballou on
3 August 1949
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Rivka Igdalski (left) on board the General Ballou
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In Norfolk, Rivka and
Israel
, now called Ruth and
Irving
by the judge of naturalization, operated together the
Irving’s Market until their retirement in 1975.
Their only child and daughter was born,
Frieda Marlene (Frada
Michleh)
and in this way the good survived
the evil and life had started to blossom again…
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1952,
Hudson
,
New York
, Rivka and Israel Igdalski with daughter Frieda Marlene (Frada Michleh)
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