The Invasion

I was about to turn 9 before it happened. News spread everywhere that Germany was going to come to the Netherlands, at first I didn't know why they were here until I had seen them the first time marching into the city and I was so scared I stopped asking. After the arrival of Germany everything changed for me. I could no longer play with my friends that were christian. That was the worst part because I had so many friends to begin with until that moment I had only around 2 friends now. Another thing that changed was that some of my classmates including me had to wear a yellow Jewish star with everything I wore. A week passed and my dad was told that we were being deported into a camp called Westerbork, meant to be seen as a refugee camp for Jews who had illegally entered the Netherlands.

(Westerbork)

At first the idea of living in a camp sounded scary, but when we arrived it didn't seem as bad as I had pictured it to be. My parents were told that they were going to have to work in the camp during the day. I on the other hand wasn't assigned to do anything for that time but there wasn't much food and I was so hungry that I started learning to steal things to get some more food from it. Days passed by slowly as I waited for my parents to come back from their work. 

A year passed since I had been deported to Westerbork, when some guards approached us and told us we where going to be sent to a Ghetto named Theresienstadt.

Theresienstadt was used as a transit camp for many Jews that were then taken into labor camps, killing centers and also concentration camps. 

I had to get used to the adjustments, but I still didn't know what we were doing here.

Everyday my father was  ask me to be polite to anyone that enters the room because they were the ones that given us food, Although I was always hungry.

1938

I had just woken up from my nap when I heard my grandfather talking very loudly to my dad about someone named the Nazis? He said that they made him sell his factory and pharmacy for very little money. I went to where they were talking but they kicked me out, they said I was to little to understand what was going on but I am big I am 5 they just don't understand that.
The next day my dad went into my room and put most of my clothes into a suitcase and he grabbed my pillow and blanket. I kept asking ''Why?'' but he was to busy that he didn't even try answering my question. My dad came back into my room and grabbed me by my hand and told me to walk fast or we would be late to catch the train. Amsterdam is where he said we were gonna go. When we got there it was very different and I missed my friends so much including my toys.
A few days later my dad took me to a new school I started crying but there were some girls that came up to me and hugged me to make me feel batter. My dad went back home and the teacher introduced me to my class. I kept looking down but the teacher was very nice and she made me feel better. In my new school I had to learn a new language but it wasn't as bad as I thought because my new friends helped me learn it.

Welcome!

November 12, 1937

Hi! My name is Ruth but my friends call me by my second name which is Gabrielle. I live in Berlin the capital of Germany. I am the only child but I like to hang out with my friends by my grandfathers pharmacy, we like to play in the streets most days until it is pitch black outside. My Grandfather came to Germany when he was little and he eventually bought a pharmacy and pharmaceuticals factory. I like going to his work but my dad never lets me do anything he just makes me sit and draw, sometimes I wish I can help out but they always say I am to young to work with them. Even though I can work I like pretending that I am the one handing out the medicine, I pretend like I have costumers and I like to make up the reason why they are here.