The year was 1944 and the war in Europe dragged on. By this time, the Nazis realized that they were going to lose in the end, but they pushed on with their “final solution” to try to rid Europe of its Jewish population. Throughout Hungary more Jewish families were rounded up and put into boxcars for transportation to Auschwitz and other death camps.
Among these families was the Zisblatt family. Irene was 13 at the time, and she and her parents and siblings all climbed onto the trains heading to an unknown destination. Irene’s mother had a feeling that all was not going to go well, and she sewed several diamonds into the hem of Irene’s dress, telling her that she might be hungry and need to use them to buy bread. Diamonds for bread! It is hard for us to imagine.
On arriving at their destination, Auschwitz, the families were all separated, and Irene never saw her mother or siblings again. She saw her father once through a high fence.
Immediately on arrival everyone was told to put all the luggage they had brought in a huge pile, and also their clothing. What about those diamonds sewn into her dress hem? Thinking quickly, she tore them free and held them clutched in her hand. The lines of people moved through inspection. She could not keep them in her hand, so she put them into her mouth. But then she saw that the inspectors were checking everyone’s mouth too! She did the only thing she could, and swallowed them.
That was the beginning of a long process of swallowing her diamonds every time inspections were made, and then retrieving them again. She couldn’t use the public latrines, as the diamonds would be lost forever. She had to find a private spot, risking her life each time she had to swallow and then retrieve the diamonds. There was no place in the prison camp to buy bread, but she might need them some day! And they were her only connection with her mother and her happy childhood.
A Pendant of Memory
January 27, 1945 will always be remembered by those that were in that camp. It was the day that liberation finally came to those who had survived its horrors. Irene along with many other very sick and emaciated people were free to leave.
As the years went by, Irene came to live in America, and as she told her story there were tears at the remembrance of all she had been through. No, she had never bought bread with her diamonds. She finally had them made into a pendant in the shape of a tear drop, as a memory of all the sadness that they brought to her mind.
As I heard that story, it made me think of those verses in Malachi 3:16-1716Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:16‑17) — “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.”
We are in difficult times. But in a coming day, very soon, our Lord will gather us, His jewels. We will bring Him much joy, not sadness! May we be thinking upon His name.
—Adapted from a documentary on the final days of Auschwitz.