Berl Falbaum

"We must continue to stand guard against bigotry and hatred. The Holocaust was a unique event.  We must continue to stand guard against bigotry and hatred.  We must stand guard because it can happen again."

Date of birth
09/08/1938
Where were you born?
Where did you grow up?
My family left Berlin when I was 9 months old, 9 years in Shanghai
Name of father, occupation
Salomon Falbaum, Tailor
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Henny Falbaum, Homemaker
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Mom, Dad and myself
How many in entire extended family?
Uncle on father’s side and my mother had a sister
Who survived the Holocaust?
Uncle, mom, dad, mother's sister and me'
We left Berlin when I was 9 months old and went to Shanghai, China.  That was the only place that would let us in.  I remember poverty, war, filth, hunger, and disease.  The allies bombed Shanghai.  We covered ourselves with blankets in the house, and put our fingers in our ears to block the sounds of the bombs. Food was always a problem.  Doctors were not familiar with European diseases and sickness.  We did not have a toilet; we had to use a bucket.  We had one small room and my dad tailored clothes to make money.  A Jewish philanthropist, Horace Kadoori, donated the school I went to.  It was called the Kadoori School.  

In May, 1941 the Japanese invaded Shanghai.  We were placed in the Honghew ghetto.  The ghetto was two square miles and held 20,000 Jews and 60,000 Chinese people. We couldn’t leave except to work.  We needed a pass from the Japanese.  The Japanese administrator (Goya) was very sadistic.  He slapped people for no reason and demeaned others.  He was extremely cruel to the Chinese.  The Germans tried to influence the Japanese to kill Jews but they did not follow their advice.  

After the war (1948) we had three choices of where to go; Europe, Palestine, or the United States.  Most people went to the United States because it had the most opportunities.  The quotas were liberalized.  Jewish agencies like JDC (Joint Distribution Committee) and HIAS helped us to apply for visas.  We came on the ship General Gordon that carried soldiers but was converted for refugees.  We landed in San Francisco.  We couldn’t even imagine supermarkets with so much food.  It was hard to believe we were now free, it was beautiful.  We had enough food to eat.
Name of Ghetto(s)
When did you come to the United States?
1948
Where did you settle?
Detroit, Michigan
Occupation after the war
Reporter, politician, writer I worked at newspapers, wrote articles and books - I spent ten years as a reporter for The Detroit News, covered politics, worked as an administrative aide to Michigan’s lieutenant governor, and also as a corporate public relations executive. I also wrote a book, Shanghai Remembered – Stories of Jews Who Escaped to Shanghai from Nazi Europe.
Spouse
Phyllis, School Teacher
Children
Amy, works for executive search firm Julie, social worker and therapist
Grandchildren
Three
What do you think helped you to survive?
I was taken care of by my parents. My parents had courage.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
We must continue to stand guard against bigotry and hatred.

The Holocaust was a unique event.  We must continue to stand guard against bigotry and hatred.  We must stand guard because it can happen again.
Interviewer:
Charles Silow
Interview date:
04/07/2011

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