Shulem, a man of many names and a single destiny

My great uncle Srul was born 3 days before Tisha B'av in Ruscova, province of Maramures, Transylvania. He and his beloved wife, Hannelore Malek, figured out he probably was born on the 2nd of August of 1927, around 10 years after the end of WWI.  His Father Chaim Katz, was known as "The Cat" because he worked as a roofer. His mother, Rivka, was Chaim's second wife. He was born in the small town of Ruscova and stayed there until his second birthday when the entire family emigrated to Argentina. As I have written in my blog on Maramures, the family took advantage of funds given to Jews of this region by Maurice de Hirsch to emigrate to Argentina and settle there, along with thousand of other Polish, Rumanian, Hungarian, and Russian Jews. In the blog on Maramures it is mentioned that Chaim had an accident. As far as I remember he was run over by a horse-drawn carriage and sustained multiple fractures, which he felt could not be attended to in Argentina. Chaim then took the entire family (wife Rivka, Srul and two older siblings) back to Europe, namely back to Ruscova, leaving behind 3 older sisters, Sarah, Esther, and Cecilia (Ziporah, my maternal grandmother). Srul stayed in Ruscova until he was 12 years old and then moved to Sziget, a larger town in the province of Maramures. Elie Wiesel was born here. Srul worked in Sziget with his brother, who found work as a baker.

Eventually Srul could begin to make a living in Sziget and wanted to bring money and food to his parents back in the small enclave of Ruscova. As he began the trip back to Ruscova the ravages of WWII caught up with this remote region. He found the trains full of military people loyal to the nazis and as a result never made his way back to Ruscova. His parents were transported to the concentration camps and he never saw them again. This represents an extraordinarily tragic twist of fate, which I referred to in a previous narrative. Needless to say,   no one in my mother's side of the family ever understood, how Chaim Katz, Srul's father, had brought part of his family back to Europe and left three daughters back in Argentina alone. Why?

Srul found hiding and eventually made his way to Budapest where he was provided with a false identity card by Raoul Wallenberg. His new name in Budapest was Johas Pal. With this identity he was able to survive some of the war in Budapest, at least until 1944. However, as the story goes, in Hungary there was a law at the time that all men ages 16 to 60 had to be drafted to the nazi war effort. As a result of this law, Srul, who was a handsome, tall and very strong man, was caught, closed up in an ice cold basement and eventually he was examined by a doctor to ascertain where he was Jewish or Christian. To his amazement he was declared Christian. Many years ago Srul told me that his cirumcision was probably not done fully or even properly and this is how he was able to have such a determination made on him. He then got something to drink and eat, was given a nazi uniform and was transported to the front to fight against the Russian army. On the front lines he was wounded. By the way, Srul had several bullet wounds in his legs, which later on he showed me with pride. In fact he would sport the wounds without any compunction at the "nackt Landschaft" of the spa he used to bring me to in Berlin in the 80s and 90s. Anyway, he was found wounded in the frontlines by Russian soldiers and was then taken to a POW camp. At this camp he found a Jewish doctor to whom he told his story. This saved his life again, as the Russians were not too kind to Soldiers who were fighting on the side of the Nazis. Srul, actually a Jew in disguise, had been wounded and detained in a nazi uniform!

At the end of the war Srul found his way to Austria and then he went to Hamburg were he found refuge with Czech Jews who were interned in a camp for the homeless and forlorn. Here these refuges began to receive training in agriculture and had hopes of moving to Israel, perhaps to Kibutzim. He also found out that in a refugee camp in Lampertheim, near Frankfurt am Main, where one could register one's name and attempt to find one's relatives, killed in concentrations camps. He moved to and stayed in Frankfurt am Main for many years. He arrived there virtually homeless,  penniless, having lost his entire family - with the exception of three sisters in Argentina he had not seen in years!

Once he settled in Germany and began making a living, he set out to find his sisters. He had not been in contact with them since he left Argentina at the age of 12. However, as destiny would have it, he met a comedian in Frankfurt by the name of Grimminger. He told the story of his fate to Grimminger, whom he know would be spending time in Argentina as well. He gave Grimmnger money and had him promise that he would look for his sisters in Argentina. He gave him the only photos he had of the three sisters, Sarah, Esther and Cecilia. A number of months later it turns out Srul got a letter from Sarah with a photo of Chaim Katz, their father. Srul flew to Argentina right away where an extraordinary encounter with his three sisters was organised.

What followed was a wonderful series of encounters of the entire family, over many festivities, both in Europe and in Argentina. I know that particularly Srul and my grandmother Cecilia came to develop a very dear relationship. My grandmother adored his younger brother and thanked the good Lord every day, that she was able to spend the second half of her life (she lived until her 90's) with Srul. Srul did not miss any weddings, any festivities. He also made it to Israel twice a year for many years and stayed at luxury hotels, especially at the Dead Sea, where he enjoyed the muds baths with tremendous pleasure. He was always present at family events. Though he arrived to Germany without a cent in his pocket, and was homeless for many years, once he made a fortune in the clothing business, he never stoped sending money to his financially less fortunate sisters in Argentina.

Srul. Shulem. Johnny. Johas. A man of many names, and a single destiny. Tikun Olam.

He was able to move to Germany, Frankfurt am Main at first, then to Berlin in the 70s where he spend the rest of his blessed life together with Hannelore, his beloved wife. In Berlin he bought an apartment in the Kurfürstendamm neighbourhood of Berlin, right in the center of Berlin. The few times I visited him, he would pick me up at the train station, bring me to his apartment where he and Hannelore were waiting with a sumptuous meal of caviar, vodka, salmon of the highest quality, and delicious cold cuts to last weeks. He always had a precious gift to give. He once gave me a pair of leather shoes of the highest quality. These shoes I still have, wear them on special occasions, and always think of him when I wear them.

He died in Berlin on Shemini Atzeret of 2009 and is buried in the orthodox cemetery of Berlin. Srul Malek of blessed memory Z"L.

Shulem Malek, Z"L, a man with a kind soul and a smile for everyone.