What is an heirloom that your family treasures? Perhaps a seder plate, letters from war, a baseball glove, or even a tattered handwritten recipe. My family’s possession of my father’s detailed experience during World War II sat for over four decades before changing the course of my own story. That is my heirloom.
My father, Melvin Goldman, was a Holocaust survivor from Łódź, Poland. He did not talk about what he and his family had experienced and I did not know the depth of their suffering. My guess is he wanted to protect me from what he had lived through and witnessed. Growing up, I did not anticipate becoming an author, but an heirloom sitting in my mother’s closet eventually set me on a course to doing so, 20 years after my father’s passing.
Melvin’s Story
Melvin had the vision to preserve his life story onto 10 cassette tapes in the late 1970s. He bought a tape recorder and began giving his testimony in his office. It is an extraordinary story shrouded by the sounds of daily life. In the background, you can hear the phone and doorbell ringing. After a few brief pauses, Melvin proceeded once again to talk about his life. I’m not sure if it was cathartic for him, but he must have felt the importance of his story and I believe he intended to write a book at a future time. He never encouraged me to listen to what he recorded.
In 2015, my son Jason was accepted to study for a semester in Berlin. My family decided we would travel through Poland and trace some of my father’s steps. Jason encouraged me to listen to the tapes before we took our trip. I purchased a tape recorder and about 10 seconds into listening, I began to cry. I had not heard my father’s voice in almost 20 years. I soon realized that I had not only the preservation of his voice, but a detailed story of his life, and the lives of my family who were lost in the Holocaust. On one of the tapes, my father requested that someone put his story into a book. I had to honor his wishes.
My father was born Mieczysław Goldman on January 21, 1923, in Łódź, Poland. He was the oldest of seven children born to Chaim and Bajla Maria Goldman. My family had been in Poland for over 400 years. My grandfather owned a sheet metal factory and he forged custom ornamental products.
The Goldmans lived a typical Jewish life in Łódź. They attended the Stara Synagogue, kept kosher, attended school and work, vacationed in the summer, and participated in lots of activities in the city. There was anti-Semitism in Łódź and my father experienced it at school and on the soccer field. He heard racial slurs and he was beaten up on occasion, but it was accepted because there were 30 million Polish people and 1.5 million Jews.
Rumors began flying that Germany would take over Poland; though any believed this would not happen. Far from the truth. On September 1, 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. It was a swift and powerful takeover. They marched and drove in causing chaos and sheer terror. Part of Łódź was made into a ghetto. The city was occupied and used for its manufacturing and industry. The Goldmans were within the boundaries of the ghetto and they were able to remain in their house only after the Nazis looted and stole most of the contents.
Conditions worsened as time went on. No school, no medicine, and barely enough food to survive. Against his will, my father made hand warmers and belt buckles for the Nazis. My grandfather was a supervisor in a factory, and my grandmother made straw forms to fit over German soldiers’ boots to prevent frostbite. This continued for five long years until it was announced that the Łódź ghetto would be liquidated.
My guess is he wanted to protect me from what he had lived through and witnessed.
The Goldmans were ordered to take a few of their belongings and head to Radegast Station. Packed in a closed boxcar with little food or water, they slowly made their way to Auschwitz. They were greeted by Dr. Mengele, many guards, and aggressive dogs.
Mieczysław and his brother were sent one way and the rest of the family the other way. That was the last time Mieczyslaw ever saw his family again. He was separated from his brother because they were related. Mieczysław said that if you thought the ghetto was bad, think again. Auschwitz was horrendous. Beatings, killings, torture, and more slave labor. He suffered through dysentery.
At the Jewish holidays, there were extra beatings. Mieczysław had six teeth knocked out. He realized that if he didin’t have a plan, he would not get out of Auschwitz alive. He begged a guard to put him on a transport to another camp and this began a series of death marches and difficult train rides to other camps for yet more slave labor.
The last stop for Mieczysław was a subcamp of Neuengamme. The Germans knew the Allies were close and they began running off. The 82nd Airborne Division came through and found what was left of the prisoners lying in a field. Mieczysław was one of them. He was immediately taken by ambulance to be treated for a collapsed lung and active tuberculosis. My father was a skeleton who weighed fewer than 85 pounds.
Mieczysław spent time recuperating in numerous hospitals. He also had to prove he could be a responsible citizen who could care for himself and manage independently. This consisted of training so he could find a job. He focused on metal work. Over five years later, Mieczysław chose to relocate to the United States where he felt he would be accepted. He looked back at the kindness of the soldiers, doctors, and nurses who liberated and cared for him and he felt grateful. On December 31, 1951, Melvin came to Pittsburgh to start his new life. He began working and learning English. He rented a room for himself and met Mildred, who lived in the same house. My parents married in March of 1954. Melvin received citizenship in 1956 in what he called one of the best days of his life.
After holding many jobs, my father’s next goal was to fulfill a dream he had: starting his own business. My parents opened up a jewelry store in the early 1960s. Melvin took classes through the Gemological Institute of America and he became a talented, creative, well-respected jeweler. My father crafted many pieces for customers for over 25 years and I think he did this custom work so he could bring joy to people. My father, nearing retirement, ultimately decided to close the business in 1988. He had health issues from after the war that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Every doctor he saw told him all of his illnesses were related to what he experienced during the war. The compensation for which he fought and finally received was a mere pittance in comparison to his pain, suffering, and medical bills. But, receiving this small pension after so many years was a win for Melvin.
My father lived long enough to see me marry John Kikel. It was a good fit for all of us. And then, the best thing that could happen was having my son, Jason. This was a blessing for my father who had lost almost everyone in his life at a very early age. Jason was a breath of fresh air for Melvin. And, once he realized this new baby would not break, they began to spend a great deal of time together. It was amazing seeing my father on the floor playing with his grandson. It brought so much joy to him and also hope that the world could be a better place. My father passed away in 1996 on one of his favorite holidays, Sukkot. I felt sad that Jason was only four-years-old when his grandfather died. He doesn’t have many memories of him, but I can say that Melvin would certainly be proud of what Jason has accomplished and what he is doing with his life.
Back to 2015. My husband, son, and I traveled to Poland, where I immediately began journaling. The Goldman house and factory were gone and a lovely park sits on the property. We found the apartment building where a young woman hid books in the ghetto for neighbors who wanted to read. My father would sneak out after curfew to borrow some of her books. His mother was terrified he might be caught but I believe he read these books to educate himself and to escape what was happening in his world.
We took a small group tour to Auschwitz. I displaced myself so I could take the tour. My emotions were running wild. I worried about my husband and my son. The sadness can overtake you. It overtook me. I lost so much of my family at this death camp. The grandparents I never got to meet and all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins of whom my father spoke. The traditions we could have had. The celebrations and little things such as Shabbat dinners, shared conversations, and interactions with family members who were lost. This trip to Łódź brought me closer than ever to my father, but it also left me with many questions about anti-Semitism, hate, war, and my family.
Becoming an Author
My intention over 10 years ago was to begin giving presentations about my father’s remarkable life. I stalled. I was not comfortable speaking to any kind of audience and I could not gather my thoughts. My circumstances changed dramatically in 2015, after realizing I would be writing a book.
Perseverance: One Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Poland to America came out in 2019. That was four years after I began writing. The first part of my book is all in my father’s words, so it is his memoir. Part two of my book includes my memories of growing up and adding what my father did after retirement. Part three is a large appendix which chronicles my father’s journey in various camps and hospitals, and also includes photos, maps, postcards from friends he made after the war who moved on with their lives, and lots of documentation.
Since my book came out, I have spoken to a variety of audiences to tell my father’s story. Over the years, these have included universities, libraries, historical societies, church groups, schools, and book clubs; even the Folsom Prison book club. Over 50 Inmates read my book and we had a Q&A discussion about Melvin’s life. Many of the participants told me how much they appreciated Melvin’s tenacity and hope. For those eligible for parole, they will be able to submit reflections on character, ethics, and perseverance based on what they learned.
My father was a skeleton who weighed fewer than 85 pounds.
I’ve enjoyed being able to engage with higher education, making appearances on a handful of campuses for keynotes and a variety of lectures with students and the public. As a result of these experiences, my son and I are currently developing a non-profit foundation to bring multi-disciplinary Holocaust and genocide education to the next generation.
I became a generations speaker for the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh a few years ago which opened more doors to presenting at more schools. I have taught lifelong learning classes and my book is being used in the curriculum at a few universities.
In 2021, a Pittsburgh-based theater company adapted my book into a play, Perseverance, which had its premiere in 2023 and just debuted in Canada this spring. Perseverance is a creative way to tell the story of my father and my family. The audience was able to connect with the characters and feel a level of tangibility. The initial performance was recorded and has been used as a global classroom with students on multiple continents coming together virtually to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the Holocaust and other genocides.
A cyber charter school in Pennsylvania produces a series of short documentary films called Moments in History. After giving a presentation to the school’s students, I was invited to participate in the film series and share my father’s story. The short film had its debut on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2024. This emotional, impactful film later won an Emmy Award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Over the years, some of my audiences have brought up similar questions and comments. Many recurring thoughts are about my father’s faith and ability to survive torture and loss, my thoughts on anti-Semitism and the world today, and inquiries about Holocaust denial.
Audiences of all ages, demographics, and backgrounds have arrived at these questions, teaching me that others are curious about my father’s own resilience while concerned about inherited trauma and combating hatred going forward. I answer that my grandparents instilled many wonderful qualities in my father; that helped him carry on in the worst of times and also inspired him to have hope and perseverance. My father never lost his faith. He was a quietly religious man with good values and morals. Anti-Semitism goes back thousands of years, and it began long before World War II. I tell my family’s story and I encourage listeners to seek out other survivors’ stories.
The realization that the Holocaust affected my family so deeply has increased my awareness about anti-Semitism, hate, and genocide. The older I get, the more I feel the need to talk about what happened. I feel scared at times. Some of the rhetoric is hard to imagine, and it incites people to behave in terrifying and disappointing ways.
Final Thoughts
As I give more presentations, I feel an increased weight on my shoulders to tell my family’s story, which is important so we keep past history in the forefront. It is difficult for many to understand or relate to events that happened over 80 years ago, so I encourage others to look at what is happening in the world today. Bigotry, hatred, and genocide are found around the world and identifying them does not require extensive effort.
There has been a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism. A surge in incidents came after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. This spike is not temporary. It has been noted by the ADL that, in 2024, there were over 9,000 incidents which was up 5% from 2023. That is a 344% increase over the past five years. Anti-Semitic assaults are on the rise which include attacks on individuals as well as synagogues. We see trends which show a rise of anti-Semitism worldwide.
There is violent rhetoric on social media which makes Jews feel less safe. It is just another way of spreading hate and falsehoods. This does not stop with just Jews. It continues to impact other communities and we all need to use our voices to address what is happening.
We can find positive ways to work with one another by listening, learning, sharing beliefs, being more open-minded, and becoming more productive. Be an upstander. Speak up when you see or hear something unkind. From what I have seen in my many presentations, panel discussions, and programs I have attended, I have hope for a better future.
I will continue to tell my family’s story for as long as I can. I am going to share other people’s stories as well. Jewish people say we die twice: the first time is when our hearts stop beating, the second time is when our name is spoken for the last time.
My father said he hoped the world will wake up. It is important for me to keep the Goldmans’ memories alive by telling their stories. Human beings were targeted because they were Jews, deemed undesirable, or did not fit into the strict social hierarchy of the time. It is imperative to keep their humanity and memory in mind.
