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best to send me off to a small and remote village, where there may

be people who could raise me for the little money they had left.

At the age of three, my mother packed my things and explained to

me that I would be taken to live somewhere else. I did not
understand what was happening, and I did not agree to leave

without my father and mother. I did not agree to change my name

to Eva. Only the young man who came to take me managed to calm
me down. He explained that I would not be changing my name. I

would only be keeping my real name as a secret. I would be

keeping father and mother as a secret too, in my heart.

The war was only over many months later. My parents managed to
survive and went looking for me. The trip was not easy, as many

roads and railways were destroyed in the war.

When they saw me they called out to me, but I ran into the house. I

did not remember them and I thought that the woman who raised

me was my mother. My parents were very frightened. They thought
that, like many other children, I had forgotten who they were. They

also thought that like many other peasants, the peasant woman

with whom I grew up does not want to return me.

"Estherke", my mother shouted, "Queen Esther. It is Mommy and
Daddy! Don't you remember us?" When I heard my name I

remembered everything and ran over to hug my parents.

Today I can't understand how it could be that I forgot my mother,

my father and the fact I was Jewish. I only remembered my real

name Esther Malka. My mother said that it is because a Jewish
name is something very unique.

Ulpan-Or www.ulpanor.com RE Pg. 29