Sylvia Perlman

"With strength and desire one can live through anything but life moves ahead and one must enjoy the moment not live in the past."

Name at birth

Tsila Grynberg

Date of birth

08/20/1916

Where were you born?

Vilna, Poland, Lithuania

Where did you grow up?

Vilna, Poland, Lithuania

Name of father, occupation

Boruch Grynberg, Baker

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Channa Tarakinski, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents, Reva, Moshe, Sonya, me and Lazar

How many in entire extended family?

Who survived the Holocaust?

Only me and a first cousin, Ida Ardow

I was sent to the Kovno Ghetto in 1941 after I went to Kovno with Alfred Feige whom I married. He was from Berlin and died in the ghetto because he was diabetic. I worked for the Obgersturmenfurher named Ghecca and was able to survive.

I met Harold Perlman in the ghetto who I married and we escaped just before the ghetto was liquidated. We escaped because a guard thought I was quite beautiful and told me the Russians were coming and that the ghetto would be burned to the ground with all those remaining in it. If I would meet him at the Café Konrad in Kovno he would allow me to escape. While I knew my family had already perished, I told him I would meet him, but would only escape with my family members and then passed off a number of people as my mother, father, brothers and sisters.

Harold was passed off as my deaf mute brother since his accent was slightly different from mine. The guard allowed us to escape before the ghetto was liquidated but of course, I never met him at the Café. Instead Harold, the others, and I hid in the fields and stables until the Russians liberated the area.

Name of Ghetto(s)

Kovno

Where were you in hiding?

Fields and stables around Kovno

What DP Camp were you after the war?

Yes, outside of Munich in St. Ottelien

Where did you go after being liberated?

Crossed from border to border until finally made it to St. Ottelien and eventually Dresden

When did you come to the United States?

July 17, 1947

Where did you settle?

Detroit

How is it that you came to Michigan?

Sponsored by four Perlman uncles

Occupation after the war

Seamstress / Homemaker

When and where were you married?

Married four times to the same person. First at the justice of the peace in the ghetto, by the Russian government, by the Polish government, and finally by a Rabbi.

Spouse

Harold (Zvi-Hirsh) Perlman, Building Contractor

Children

Zina Perlman Kramer, marketing consultant Anita Perlman Zicherman, nursery school teacher

Grandchildren

Three: Bradley Zicherman, David and Lisa Kramer

What do you think helped you to survive?

The desire to live and the ability to speak many languages perfectly.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

With strength and desire one can live through anything but life moves ahead and one must enjoy the moment not live in the past.