Hannah's Garden

This morning, Vern and I cleaned out the garden (small yard) of 80 year old Hannah who, as a young girl, was successful in living under the threat of death by the Germans.
Hannah was an only child born and living in Holland with her Jewish parents. When the Germans where actively killing Jews and taking their homes and properties in Holland, Hannah and her parents were forced to vacate their home and move in with non-Jewish neighbors. The neighbors had prepared two hiding places in their home for Hannah and her parents, 1) a small room in a corner of their attic behind a false wall and 2) a 2 foot deep hiding place in the dirt under a wooden trap door in the kitchen floor. The trap door was covered by a rug. Hannah and her parents lived there for two and one-half years. They were constantly looking out for the Germans, day and night. During the day, they tried to maintain a low profile by not speaking to nor making eye contact with anyone outside the neighbor's home. Hannah remembers playing with a Jewish friend one day and never saw her again. She and her parents believed her whole family was captured by the Germans. During the night, while her father slept, Hannah and her mother took 4 hour shifts watching our their small bedroom window for German suprise inspections. During the two and one-half years, Hannah and her parents had to hide under the floor two times. She recalled the trauma of those experiences even as she told me the story today. Hannah and her parents were able to escape to Israel after the formation of the Israel in 1948. She remembers how wonderful it was to be free and safe in their own country especially when considering only 15% of the Holland Jews made it out of Holland alive.

Larry with Hannah

Vern and Hannah

Hannah married a Rabbi in Jerusalem who has deceased. They have 11 children, 113 grand children and 20 great grand children. Each of her 6 sons is a Rabbi. 10 of her children live in Israel and one son lives in Toronto. Hannah swims twice a week at a local Jewish center and reads alot. She considers herself truly blessed.