Tauba Biterman
Encyclopedia
Tauba Biterman is a Holocaust survivor. She has dedicated her adult life to teaching and sharing memories of the Holocaust. Her speeches paint a realistic portrait of what a Jewish girl from Poland went through between 1939 and 1945.
Biterman's story differs from the stories of other Jewish Holocaust survivors because she was forced to abandon her identity during the war years, live an underground existence, and never was in a Concentration Camp. She was in the Dubno
ghetto
in Poland, but managed to escape with the help of a non-Jewish man she knew. During the period of 1939-1945, she was separated from her family and entirely removed from Jewish life.
, Poland
, the oldest daughter of a cap maker. When she was 18, she, her parents and her four younger siblings fled their home for what is now Ukraine
, thinking life under the Russians would be better for Jews.
"But it didn’t work out ... because [subsequently] Germany started the war and then I was on my own. I was very naïve, but God gave me so much strength and so much courage."
Biterman was first hidden, then passed as a German from the Black Forest. She survived by staying on the move, working when she could get work, and staying alert to the suspicions and accusations of Poles and Ukrainians who "always looked for Jews and hunted us out."
[One of] her many harrowing experiences included having guns held to her head to coerce her into confessing that she was a Jew.
"I was very strong and life was precious. I didn’t want to die from a bullet."
. There they were forced to learn the American way of life, raise their children, and earn a living.
. She is one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors left who is able to speak in the entire state of Wisconsin
.
She never refuses a request to talk about her personal Holocaust experience and does so because she believes "it’s important for young people to know about the Holocaust so it shouldn’t happen again."
As of 2009, Biterman is writing a book about her experience during the war years.
She is a strong and vocal advocate for Holocaust education and a steadfast supporter of Israel
.
Biterman's story differs from the stories of other Jewish Holocaust survivors because she was forced to abandon her identity during the war years, live an underground existence, and never was in a Concentration Camp. She was in the Dubno
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
in Poland, but managed to escape with the help of a non-Jewish man she knew. During the period of 1939-1945, she was separated from her family and entirely removed from Jewish life.
1918-1939
Biterman was born and raised in ZamośćZamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the oldest daughter of a cap maker. When she was 18, she, her parents and her four younger siblings fled their home for what is now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, thinking life under the Russians would be better for Jews.
1939-1945
Thinking they would be able to continue to see her, Biterman’s family left her in what is now Ukraine because she had a job. Meanwhile, they went to a different part of the former Soviet Union."But it didn’t work out ... because [subsequently] Germany started the war and then I was on my own. I was very naïve, but God gave me so much strength and so much courage."
Biterman was first hidden, then passed as a German from the Black Forest. She survived by staying on the move, working when she could get work, and staying alert to the suspicions and accusations of Poles and Ukrainians who "always looked for Jews and hunted us out."
[One of] her many harrowing experiences included having guns held to her head to coerce her into confessing that she was a Jew.
"I was very strong and life was precious. I didn’t want to die from a bullet."
1948-present
In 1948, Biterman and her husband Judah (also a Holocaust survivor) emigrated to Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. There they were forced to learn the American way of life, raise their children, and earn a living.
Speaking and Volunteering
For the past 20-plus years, Biterman has spoken about her experience to a variety of groups including numerous schools, universities, synagogues, and civic groups in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. She is one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors left who is able to speak in the entire state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
She never refuses a request to talk about her personal Holocaust experience and does so because she believes "it’s important for young people to know about the Holocaust so it shouldn’t happen again."
As of 2009, Biterman is writing a book about her experience during the war years.
Advocacy and Awareness
Biterman believes the Holocaust would never have happened if the Jewish people had their own space. "A people without a home is not respected and [other nations] do with you what they want."She is a strong and vocal advocate for Holocaust education and a steadfast supporter of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.