Remembering the Jews of Lubaczow

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Lubaczów, Poland
50° 10' N/ 23° 08' E

Other names: Libatchov, Libechuyv, Liubachev, Lubachov, Lubatchov, Lubichuv

Holocaust

Dr. Emil Haber, his wife Anna née Bruner, and their son Szymon
—A possible reconstruction of events

This family, originally from Nisko, was one of the families who found themselves in the Lubaczów ghetto in 1942. Dr. Emil Haber was a lawyer. His wife Anna Haber née Bruner was born in Lubaczow, the daughter of Abusch Bruner.

The son, Szymon, affectionately called Imus, was born in 1935.

Three times it seems that the family tried to flee from Lubaczow. Three times they had to pay ransom money to the Germans.

Somewhere Emil and Anna Haber had befriended a Polish woman named Karolina Kaminska. Karolina Kaminska nee Kurpiel lived with her daughter and husband, probably somewhere around Lubaczow. The daughter seems to have been in her late teens, early twenties.

Karolina Kaminska tried to help the Haber family, sharing with them what she had. It was decided that Szymon should stay with the Kaminski family, and so he did for nine months. We may assume that Szymon stayed with the Kaminskis from around March/April 1942.

Szymon, only seven years old, missed his parents so much that he became seriously ill. Karolina was afraid he would die. She could not bring a doctor for fear that he would discover she had a Jewish child in her home, so she tried to treat Szymon's health problems the best she could, all by herself.

At some point she was so worried, she decided to go to Lubaczow to talk to Szymon's parents.
Going anywhere in those times meant that she needed a special travel permit from the Germans.

After talking to the parents about Szymon's situation, they asked Karolina to bring their son to Lubaczow.

This probably happened on November 23rd 1942. Before she left, the father prepared two documents. First he wrote to his son Szymon on a postcard.

The front of the postcard showed a black and white photo of the father, Dr. Emil Haber, a lawyer.

The back side of the postcard included what he wrote to his son in Polish. Here is the translation of this message:

    My dear son!

    Always behave in a disciplined and generous manner and
    remember that your father loved you very much.
        I kiss you,
         Tatusz (Daddy)

Then he wrote a letter in German to his uncle Mendel Haber who lived in New York.

First page of letter

Second page of letter

A translation from German to English of the letter:

Lubaczow November 23rd 1942

My dearest,
When you read this letter, we may already be dead.
I ask you when the time comes, to collect our only child, the beloved Imus and raise him as a useful member of the human society.
I know that you will do anything to come here to take Imus personally with you.
At the same time I ask you to compensate the woman who sends you this letter.
I cannot write what is happening to us here, but you will discover it, as it cannot be kept a secret.
Our dear father died in 1940 in Lemberg (Lwow, Lviv) of a heart attack. Our dear mother died naturally in 1942. What has happened to dear Uszek and Bronia we don't know, but we fear the worst.
May God help you to find somebody (alive) in our family.
Our perhaps last greetings and kisses we send to you dear uncle, dear aunt Marie and to the families of Berthe and Mignon.

Dr. Emil Haber
from Nisko, Poland

Coming home from this trip to Lubaczow, Szymon heard that Karolina had visited his parents.
Karolina's daughter told him that if he became healthy he might be able to go and visit his parents. Szymon was so happy! He started to eat and drink and got out of his bed.
He said:" I want to be as strong as you!" He walked around in the apartment and again and again asked to see his father and mother.

Once more Karolina got a special travel permit to go to Lubaczow, telling she had a sick child.
Karolina and Szymon arrived safely in Lubaczow. Karolina gave Szymon some food for his parents and accompanied him to the ghetto. Szymon was very happy.

When Karolina talked to Szymon's parents, the parents explained that because the situation was so bad, they wanted her to take their son with her back home the following evening. In the meantime Szymon could visit his parents and grandparents. They also explained that for them it would be easier to hide without the little son.

Karolina and the Haber family parted and three hours passed. Suddenly she heard shooting, shouting, children crying. She was terrified. The events outside were horrific.
After a short time Anna Haber appeared at the place where Karolina stayed, searching for her husband and son. She stayed with Karolina till the following morning, hoping her husband and son would be able to escape. The AKTZIA continued all the time.

The next morning Anna Haber decided to try to escape on her own. She must have thought her husband and son were among the dead if they had not gotten to Karolina by then.

Dr. Emil Haber and his son Szymon seem to have been among the first victims when the destruction of the Lubaczow ghetto started on January 6th 1943.
How long Anna Haber nee Bruner managed to stay alive after this is not known.

In shock of the events she had witnessed, and mourning the deaths of little Szymon and his parents, she returned home.
The worst was yet to come. At home, she found that her husband and daughter had been taken by the Gestapo. Some informant had told the Gestapo that the Kaminski family was hiding a Jewish child.
Karolina was also arrested and interrogated. She explained that the boy had been the son of her sister, and managed to be freed. Her husband and daughter were not so lucky. Karolina's husband was murdered three months later (possibly in the spring of 1943) and the daughter was sent to forced labor, never to come back to her mother. Karolina had paid a terrible price for trying to save Szymon and helping his parents.

In August 1946 Karolina Kaminska wrote a four page letter in Polish to Emils Haber's uncle Mendel Haber in New York telling what had happened.

Mendel Haber could not bring back Karolina's husband and daughter, but he was a generous man who tried to compensate her for her courageous actions and help her in her terrible need with a large sum of money.

What did Karolina after the war?
Did she stay in Poland with her sister?
Did she marry again?
Did she go to the States?
Did she find her brothers and sisters in the States?

The tragedy of Holocaust had many faces.

Blessed be the memory of little Szymon Haber, his mother Anna Haber nee Bruner and his father Dr. Emil Haber.
Blessed be the memory of Karolina Kaminska's husband and daughter who were murdered for trying to save little Szymon.
Blessed be Karolina Kaminska nee Kurpiel.

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