Morris Giman

"Israel is the only hope for the Jewish people to survive."

Name at birth

Moshe Giman

Date of birth

01/01/1911

Where were you born?

Kozienice, Poland

Name of father, occupation

Wolf Giman, Owned a mill

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Sara Feldblum, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents and 7 children: Shlomo, Benjamin, Leah, Rochel, Gitel and Morris. Stepsisters: Perel and Shezel. I married my stepsister Perel before the war. We had a son, Hersh. Both died in the Holocaust.

How many in entire extended family?

Who survived the Holocaust?

Just myself and one cousin, Aaron Giman (now lives in Israel, changed name to Are Giavony)

In 1939, I ran away with my cousin and others to Russia. At the time, we felt that the men were specifically at risk. We thought that the women and children would be safe. At the Russian border, I refused to sign a pledge of loyalty to Russia and was sent to Siberia as a result.

I fled Siberia and trekked over the European continent to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. After the war ended, I was attempting to go to Israel. I went back to Europe because the Hagganah (Jewish paramilitary organization) asked survivors to help others immigrate to Israel. I met Rose, my future wife in Barletta Displaced Persons Camp in Italy. We had a child, Bill (Wolf, named after my first son and my father). My wife and son were very ill and sent to a hospital in Rome. We came to the United States in 1950.

Occupation after the war

Made orthopedic devices

Spouse

Perel Malka, Ruchel (Rose)

What do you think helped you to survive?

Fled Siberia to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan until end of war.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Israel is the only hope for the Jewish people to survive.