Gena Turgel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gena Turgel
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Gena Turgel at her wedding, 1945
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| Born | Gena Goldfinger 1 February 1923 Kraków, Poland |
| Died | 7 June 2018 (aged 95) |
| Occupation | Author, educator |
| Language | English, Polish |
| Period | 1987–2018 |
| Genre | Memoir, essay |
| Notable works | I Light a Candle |
| Spouse | Norman Turgel (m. 1945) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Miriam Goldfinger, Janek Goldfinger, Hela Goldfinger, Willek Goldfinger |
Gena Turgel (born Gena Goldfinger; 1 February 1923 – 7 June 2018) was a Jewish Polish author and teacher. She was also a Holocaust survivor, meaning she lived through the terrible events of the Holocaust.
Life During the Holocaust
Gena Turgel was born in Kraków, Poland, in 1923. She was the youngest of nine children. Her parents, Samuel and Estera Goldfinger, owned a small business selling fabrics. After her father passed away, her mother continued to run the family business.
When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, Gena's family was forced to give up all their belongings. In August 1941, Gena, some of her siblings, and her mother had to move to the Kraków Ghetto. This was a special area where Jewish people were forced to live.
Her brother Willek was killed by Nazi soldiers. He was shot through the window of their home. Another brother, Janek, managed to escape, and Gena never saw him again.
On 1 March 1942, Gena, her mother Estera, and her sisters Miriam and Hela were sent to the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp. This was a place where people were held against their will. Gena's sister Miriam and her husband were killed while trying to bring food into the camp.
Later, Gena, Estera, and Hela were part of a forced march from Płaszów to Auschwitz-Birkenau in December 1944. Months later, Gena was forced to go on a "death march" to Buchenwald. Finally, she was sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Gena survived the bombings in Poland and the Bergen-Belsen camp. While there, she helped care for a sick Anne Frank, who was also a prisoner.
Life After the War
After the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British soldiers, Gena met and married a British soldier named Norman Turgel in 1945. The British newspapers called her "the Bride of Belsen." Her wedding dress was special because it was made from a British army parachute. This dress is now shown at the Imperial War Museum in London.
Norman held a party to celebrate his engagement to Gena at Belsen. He was given permission by Major Leonard Berney, who was in charge of the camp at that time.
Gena wrote a book about her experiences called I Light a Candle, which was published in 1987. She spent many years visiting schools in Britain. She taught students about the Holocaust and shared her story. She wanted to make sure people remembered what happened. Gena always lit a candle to remember her three brothers and two sisters who died in the Holocaust.
Later Years and Legacy
Gena Turgel passed away on 7 June 2018, in England, at the age of 95. When she died, Britain's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, called her a "truly remarkable Holocaust Survivor." He also said that her story and what she taught us is now our responsibility to remember.
