The Exchange

TR: In the beginning, when they were first put into the ghetto, they were still given the opportunity to go out during the day and go to work and come back at night for—you know, to sleep. And then, after a while, that changed. But while they were able to go out, my parents were walking in the street one day pushing a carriage, and a lady comes up to my father and says, “What are you going to do with this beautiful child, taking—bringing her to the ghetto?” And my father looked at her and—it’s tough.

CE: I know. This is hard stuff.

TR: And said, “Well, I have nothing to do with her. Will you help me?” And she said, “Yes, I’ll take her.” Arrangements were made to meet the next day on a street corner, certain time. They were going to bring the carriage, put the carriage down on the street corner, turn around and walk away, and she was going to take it. That’s exactly what happened, because my parents watched while this was going on, to make sure that she indeed took me. And that was the beginning of my life.