Rot Sad
Submitted by Hadas Yospovich, Ramat-Gan, the daughter of Yehudit z”l
Yehudit was born on November 11th, 1931, the only child of Chaim Roth and Roza Auerbach. Chaim worked in the oil industry and her mother Roza was a home-maker.
When the Germans invaded in 1941, the family was in the ghetto and later in a bunker in the forest. When they were discovered, the family was sent to the Płaszów where Yehudit’s father was murdered. Yehudit and her mother were taken to Birkenau. In December 1944 Yehudit’s mother was taken on the “death march”. In February 1945 when the Soviets liberated Birkenau, Yehudit weighed 24 kg. (about 53 lb.) and had tuberculosis.
In 1948 as part of the youth group Yehudit came kibbutz Heftziba. After her marriage to Yaakov Sad z”l, the family settled in kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev.
Idka, Irka, Yehudit – three names, the same woman and very different periods in her life.
Idka Roth, an only child growing in a warm loving family. And then her life turned upside down. First came the Russians who nationalized the family’s property. Then came the Germans and the long period of torment began: Pogroms, ghetto, concentration camp in Płaszów, Auschwitz death camp.
After liberation and a year of rehabilitation, Idka arrived at the Children's Kibbutz towards their immigration to Israel. There she chose for herself the Polish name Irka, as if she still was not sure that the nightmare was over. As Irka, she experienced return to life and recovery, but also the coping with feelings of loss and memories. When she arrived in Israel and the immigration official offered her the name Yehudit, she gladly accepted it, feeling that this name was the start of a new life.
Yehudit became an active and happy woman, an energetic kibbutz member with a devoted family. But she never forgot what she experienced there, and never stopped missing what she lost.
Yehudit z”l passed away on November 12th, 2017 in kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev. She is survived by 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Submitted by Yehudith Sad-Rot, Mishmar Hanegev
View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.drohobycz-boryslaw.org/en/families/boryslaw/roth-sad#sigFreeId562b0bf561
https://www.drohobycz-boryslaw.org/en/families/boryslaw/roth-sad#sigFreeId562b0bf561
The Yehudith Sad-Rot's story at the Inter-generations Meeting, Beer Sheva, January 10th. 2014
Filmed by: Dave Bloom
Edited by: Daniela Mavor
