I Can Not Forget, But I Can Forgive

friday, october 2, 2022

Esther Basch was born on May 28, 1928 in Czechoslovakia, the same town of Szollosh, which was Hungarian, where Esther’s mother was born. By the time Esther was 9 the town was once again considered Hungary. In 1944, the Nazi’s had forced Esther & her family from their home, into the ghetto for six weeks. Then on May 23, 1944, they were told they’d be taken to “a better place,” and loaded onto a train to the largest Nazi extermination camp: Auschwitz, arriving on May 28; Esther’s 16th Birthday. Upon arrival, she was torn from her parents and placed in the line to the right. She never saw either parent again.

While at Auschwitz, Esther had a few interactions with Josef Mengele, known as the Angel of Death. Esther not only escaped a selection, but recalls a frightening experience that broth Esther face to face. To this day, Esther has nightmares about Mengele and can still feel the pain he inflicted. In 1944, Esther was then sent to Fallersleben, a satellite camp, and by April, 1945, Esther was again transferred to Salswedel (Solzwedal), a sub-camp and ammunitions factory, located in Germany. In order to get there, Esther was forced on a death march, walking for five days. Two weeks later, on April 14, 1945, Esther was liberated by American soldiers.

Following the war, Esther moved to parts throughout the world, including Palestine, now Israel. Just recently, in 2007, Esther’s dream was made a reality. Thanks to Rachel’s perseverance, Max Lieber, a member of the 84th Infantry that liberated Esther’s camp, was contacted and came from his home in New Mexico to Phoenix to greet Esther and receive her heartfelt thanks for, literally, saving her life. The two embraced and cried for ten minutes. The moment was not lost on Esther’s family, all of whom were there for the “reunion.” Had it not been for those U.S. troops, none of them would have been born. Esther sums up her story of survival by saying, “I cannot forget but I can forgive because if I don’t forgive, then I suffer, and I suffered enough.