“What is this 1412 tattooed in your left hand?” I asked the lady who just moved in to our board and care facility for the elderly. She just smiled at me and said,” It’s a long story but I’ll tell you someday.”
She’s Lilli Kopecky, a survivor from Auzwitch concentration camp. She has a lot of stories to tell. Human stories that touches your heart and feelings. One of her story was the last time she saw her husband taken by the Nazi. Her tears were dripping in her eyes while watching him riding in a bus. After several days she received the news that her husband passed away. Lilli was separated from her parents and never heard news from them. She came from a distinguish family in Vienna and her linguistic capabilities made her to survive the holocaust. She speaks, English, French, German, Eitish, and Russian. She served as a translator in the Gestapo. Having an access to the Nazi, Lilli saved lives of children and women by giving foods and medicines. After the liberation, she dedicated her life in the holocaust movement and to the survivors.
How lucky I am to be a part of life of this wonderful woman. I took care of her for six and a half years and everyday is something to be remembered. We had a relationship of more than friends. I sing to her when she was lonely. There are times the memories of holocaust make her sad and blue. She narrated me a lot of stories as if I’m also there. I can feel her emotions and heart while telling stories.
Lilli was a brave and courageous woman. I learned a lot from her. She’s a strong woman. A SURVIVOR!
