Daniel's Story

Now 17, Daniel is on a train again. The Nazis tell him and the other Jews they’re going to a work camp. The train is smelly and crowded, and Daniel looks at pictures of Lodz he keeps in his boots. One features most of his family—nobody’s smiling.

The Nazis force the Jewish Council to manage the ghetto, and Daniel lives in an old school. Around 60 people occupy each room, and the Jews sleep on wood planks. People are starving and freezing, and Daniel is thankful his mom made them pack their warmest clothes. He remembers when he thought it was cool not to wear a coat in the winter. In Lodz, people sell their coats and clothes for food. Daniel’s dad won’t let them sell anything and compels them to save their food.

The ghetto is muddy and smelly: Most apartments lack running water and heat. The inhuman conditions lead to constant death, and Leo’s young son, Georg, develops frostbite and dies. Georg’s mom, Anna, then dies. The Jewish authorities put Leo’s, Walter’s, and Auntie Leah’s families on a transport list. Joseph, a World War I soldier for Germany, gets an exemption and persuades the authorities to let Auntie Leah’s family stay.