Suddenly the Shadow Fell (The Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs, 27)

When 17-year-old Leslie Meisels insisted that his mother and two brothers join a transport leaving Debrecen, Hungary, to go who knows where, that decision luckily put them among the roughly 20,000 "exchange Jews" whose lives had been bartered for cash and military equipment in a secret deal with Adolf Eichmann. When Leslie Meisels Insisted That His Mother And Two Brothers Join A Transport Going Who Knows Where, All He Knew Was That They Had To Get Out Of The Terrible Holding Facility In Debrecen, Hungary. The Guards Had Called For Families With Four Children; They Were Only Three. That Decision Took Them Not To A Death Camp But To Forced Labour In The Austrian Countryside, Included In The Roughly 20,000 Exchange Jews Whose Lives Had Been Bartered For Gold, Diamonds, And Cash In A Secret Deal Between Rudolf Kastner And Adolf Eichmann. As Kastner Jews They Were Then Sent To The Bergen-belsen Concentration Camp, Where They Were Kept On Ice -- Allowed To Stay Together And Treated Somewhat Better Than The Other Prisioners. The Transport To Switzerland Never Materialized; The Ss Abanded Their Train To Theresienstadt In April 1945 And They Were Liberated By The Us Army. In 2009, Through The Efforts Of A New York History Teacher, Meisels Was Reunited With His American Liberators. Added To His Memoir Is A Short Account By His Wife, Eva, Who Survived The Nazi Occupation Of Budapest As A Five-year-old With The Assistance Of Raoul Wallenberg-- Leslie Meisels. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "When Leslie Meisels insisted that his mother and two brothers join a transport going who knows where, all he knew was that they had to get out of the terrible holding facility in Debrecen, Hungary. The guards had called for families with four children; they were only three. That decision took them not to a death camp but to forced labour in the Austrian countryside, included in the roughly 20,000 "exchange Jews" whose lives had been bartered for gold, diamonds, and cash in a secret deal between Rudolf Kastner and Adolf Eichmann. As Kastner Jews they were then sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they were kept "on ice"--Allowed to stay together and treated somewhat better than the other prisioners. The transport to Switzerland never materialized; the SS abanded their train to Theresienstadt in April 1945 and they were liberated by the US army. In 2009, through the efforts of a New York history teacher, Meisels was reunited with his American liberators. Added to his memoir is a short account by his wife, Eva, who survived the Nazi occupation of Budapest as a five-year-old with the assistance of Raoul Wallenberg"-- Amazon That night, a fierce air battle developed around and above our train. Guns were blazing, bombs were falling . . . In the morning, instead of the enemy, US soldiers found us and heard our Oh God, we are free! When 17-year-old Leslie Meisels insisted that his mother and two brothers join a transport going who knows where, all he knew was that they had to get out of the terrible holding facility in Debrecen, Hungary. Luckily, that decision put them among the roughly 20,000 exchange Jews whose lives had been bartered for gold, diamonds and cash in a secret deal between Rudolf Kastner and Adolf Eichmann. Added to Leslie Meisels memoir is a short account by his wife, Eva, who survived the Nazi occupation of Budapest as a five-year-old with the assistance of Raoul Wallenberg.