Arnie Newfield was born on February 27, 1942, in Westerbork Holland, a transit camp at the time.
His parents were Lisel and Armin Newfield, and he had two older brothers—Bernard (Dutchy) born in July 1934 and Marcel born in June 1938.
His family originally came from Vienna, Austria, where his father was a successful wholesaler supplier. They were comfortable, and his parents were not religious but celebrated Jewish culture.
In March of 1938, Germany annexed Austria, known as the Anschluss. Not one bullet was fired, and the Nazis were welcomed with open arms.
The night of Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, Arnie’s father came home early and was able to hide and missed being arrested. His mother decided it was time to leave and go to Holland.
In January 1939, his father took his older brother Bernard to Holland, and Arnie’s mother followed with Marcel a few months later.
All Jewish refugees were sent to Westerbork—a “collection” camp. When Germany occupied Holland in May 1940, all the foreign Jews were already in one place.
His parents had jobs in the camp and were part of the infrastructure, which gave them some level of protection. They also lived together as a family.
When Arnie was born in February 1942, his family was able to hold a Jewish naming ceremony for him.
Starting in the summer of 1942, deportations began from Westerbork to ghettos and death camps. Arnie’s family was fortunate that they remained until 1944.
In March 1944, Arnie, his mother, and brothers were sent to Ravenbrück (in Eastern Germany) and his father was sent to Buchenwald.
His parents made a pact that they would meet back in Holland. Not if—when.
In March 1945, his mother and the three boys were sent to Bergen-Belsen, which was the same time that Anne Frank died at Bergen-Belsen.
It was a three-mile march from where the cattle cars left them and the camp. If you did not march, you were shot. Arnie’s mother had to get herself and her three boys to the entrance of the camp. She decided to put Arnie on a truck so she could walk with Bernard and Marcel.
When she arrived at the camp, she found out where Arnie was and demanded him back. The SS woman guard helped her retrieve him all the while yelling and screaming at Arnie’s mother.
On April 15, 1945, the British liberated Bergen-Belsen. An American soldier who was Arnie’s mother’s half-sister’s (Aunt Edith) husband (Fred) was asking for the Newfeld family and was able to locate them. He was instrumental in helping them get proper care and transport back to Holland.
They arrived in Holland in September 1945 and soon after Arnie’s father arrived. A beautiful family picture was taken October 19, 1945, that hangs in Arnie’s home now.
They lived with Protestant bookbinders and then received the paperwork to travel to the United States. Arnie was around 5 years old and remembers all his family, especially his only grandfather (Opa) who met the ship.
His younger brother Billy was born in 1948.
Arnie’s knowledge of his family’s experience comes from his mother. His father never spoke about his experience in Buchenwald, and his brothers also would not speak.
But Arnie speaks about his family’s experiences and is proud of being a survivor.
His message to students and the world:
Be kind. Enjoy life. Live every day to your best. Be the best person you can be.
