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Media Essay

Blanka Rothschild: Family Photographs

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United States life after the Holocaust Jewish communities before the war postwar

With the end of World War II and collapse of the Nazi regime, survivors of the Holocaust faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. With little in the way of financial resources and few, if any, surviving family members, most eventually emigrated from Europe to start their lives again.

Blanka's journey brought her to the United States.

Blanka Rothschild and Neenah Ellis look through Blanka's photograph albums. [LCID: athbr334] — Blanka Rothschild and Neenah Ellis look through Blanka's photograph albums. Photograph taken in 2004.
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Blanka at about 1 year old, ca. 1923. She received this photograph many years later, after she came to America, from her grandmother's ... [LCID: roth1] — Photograph showing Blanka when she was about 1 year old, ca. 1923. She received this photograph many years later, after she came to America, from her grandmother's half brother.
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"The Three Musketeers." Three school friends, in the Lodz ghetto. [LCID: roth2] — Photograph of "The Three Musketeers" —three school friends in the Lodz ghetto. Left: Lola Tenenbaum Rapoport, who survived with her husband. Center: Niusia Friedman, who was killed in Auschwitz. Lola sent this photo to Blanka Rothschild from Australia. Blanka (right) says "It's my only memento of the ghetto."

With the end of World War II and collapse of the Nazi regime, survivors of the Holocaust faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. With little in the way of financial resources and few, if any, surviving family members, most eventually emigrated from Europe to start their lives again. Between 1945 and 1952, more than 80,000 Holocaust survivors immigrated to the United States. Blanka was one of them.
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Blanka's embarkation card for the SS Marine Marlin, with a sailing date in 1947. [LCID: roth3] — The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee helped to locate relatives of Blanka's who lived in the United States. Blanka crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the winter on the SS Marine Marlin, a troop transporter. The trip took over two weeks during storms and rough seas. The ship was damaged, and Blanka, along with the other refugees traveling in the lowest quarters, had to walk in water for days.

This photograph shows Blanka's embarkation card for the SS Marine Marlin, with a sailing date in January 1947.
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Abraham Kaplan and his wife Maria at their home in Paterson, New Jersey. [LCID: roth4] — Abraham Kaplan and his wife Maria at their home in Paterson, New Jersey. He was the half brother of Blanka's grandmother. Blanka lived with Abraham and Maria when she came to the United States. She loved them dearly.
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Wedding photo of Blanka and her husband Harry in an Oregon newspaper. [LCID: roth5] — This wedding photo of Blanka and her husband Harry appeared in an Oregon newspaper. Blanka has no other photo of their wedding. "The war taught me that things are not important," she says.
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Blanka and Harry in Oregon after they were married. [LCID: roth6] — Blanka and Harry in Oregon after they were married. Her husband was an inspector for General Dynamics.
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Blanka (middle row, third from right) graduates to become a pediatric nurse. [LCID: roth7] — Blanka (middle row, third from right) graduates to become a pediatric nurse. December 1947.
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Blanka and Harry celebrate their wedding anniversary in a New York café. [LCID: roth8] — Blanka and Harry celebrate their wedding anniversary in a New York café. At the time, Blanka was expecting their first child.
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Blanka's daughter, Shelly, born 1951. [LCID: roth9] — Photograph of Blanka's daughter, Shelly, who was born in 1951.
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Wedding of Blanka's daughter, Shelly, in 1974 at a temple in New York. [LCID: roth10] — Wedding of Blanka Rothschild's daughter, Shelly, in 1974. The wedding took place at a temple in New York.
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Blanka (right) with her daughter, Shelly, after Shelly's wedding. [LCID: roth11] — Blanka (right) with her daughter, Shelly, after Shelly's wedding. New York, 1974.
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Blanka and Harry with their first and only grandchild, Alexis Danielle. [LCID: roth12] — Blanka and Harry with their first and only grandchild, Alexis Danielle.
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Blanka with her granddaughter, Alexis Danielle, and family dog. [LCID: roth13] — Blanka relaxes with her granddaughter, Alexis Danielle, and a family dog.
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Blanka's granddaughter, Alexis Danielle. [LCID: roth14] — Blanka's granddaughter, Alexis Danielle.
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Shelly and Alexis Danielle, Blanka's daughter and granddaughter. [LCID: roth15] — Shelly and Alexis Danielle, Blanka's daughter and granddaughter.
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Harry teaching granddaughter Alexis Danielle how to swim, probably in San Diego, California. [LCID: roth16] — Harry teaching granddaughter Alexis Danielle how to swim, probably in San Diego, California.
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Blanka and Harry with their daughter Shelly, son-in-law, and granddaughter Alexis Danielle. [LCID: roth18] — Blanka and Harry with their daughter Shelly, son-in-law, and granddaughter Alexis Danielle. San Diego, California.
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Blanka's granddaughter Alexis Danielle graduates from university in May 2000. [LCID: roth19] — Blanka's granddaughter Alexis Danielle graduates from university in May 2000.
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Blanka's granddaughter, Alexis Danielle, and her fiancé. [LCID: roth20] — Photograph of Blanka's granddaughter, Alexis Danielle, and her fiancé.
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Blanka Rothschild holds one of her prewar family photographs. [LCID: athbr039] — This picture, taken in 2004, shows Blanka Rothschild holding one of her prewar family photographs.
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2004 portrait of Blanka Rothschild. [LCID: athbr114] — Blanka was an only child in a close-knit family in Lodz, Poland. Her father died in 1937. After the German invasion of Poland, Blanka and her mother remained in Lodz with Blanka's grandmother, who was unable to travel. Along with other relatives, they were forced into the Lodz ghetto in 1940. She and her mother were deported to the Ravensbrueck camp in Germany in 1944. From Ravensbrueck, Blanka and her mother were sent to a subcamp of Sachsenhausen. Blanka was forced to work in an airplane factory (Arado-Werke). Her mother was sent to another camp. Soviet forces liberated Blanka in spring 1945. Blanka, living in abandoned houses, made her way back to Lodz. She discovered that none of her relatives, including her mother, had survived. Blanka then moved westward to Berlin, eventually to a displaced persons camp. She immigrated to the United States in 1947.

After the war, her journey took her to the United States. Her experiences reveal the complexity of starting over.
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Blanka Rothschild, 2004. [LCID: athbr263] — Photograph of Blanka Rothschild taken in 2004.

Blanka was an only child in a close-knit family in Lodz, Poland. Her father died in 1937. After the German invasion of Poland, Blanka and her mother remained in Lodz with Blanka's grandmother, who was unable to travel. Along with other relatives, they were forced into the Lodz ghetto in 1940. She and her mother were deported to the Ravensbrueck camp in Germany in 1944. From Ravensbrueck, Blanka and her mother were sent to a subcamp of Sachsenhausen. Blanka was forced to work in an airplane factory (Arado-Werke). Her mother was sent to another camp. Soviet forces liberated Blanka in spring 1945. Blanka, living in abandoned houses, made her way back to Lodz. She discovered that none of her relatives, including her mother, had survived. Blanka then moved westward to Berlin, eventually to a displaced persons camp. She immigrated to the United States in 1947.

After the war, her journey took her to the United States. Her experiences reveal the complexity of starting over.
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