Tobi Roth
"It should never happen again in this world. It should never, never happen again. They should never forget, everyone should know about it."
Name at birth
Tobi Gitel Bittman
Date of birth
01/20/1922
Where were you born?
Where did you grow up?
Rachova, Czechoslovakia
Name of father, occupation
Shaya Bittman,
Bank supervisor
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Ruchel Newman,
Homemaker
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents, Yossel, Eher, Moshe, Brucha, Morgit and me
How many in entire extended family?
80
Who survived the Holocaust?
Moshe, Brucha, Morgit and me. There were ten or twelve in my large extended family who survived.
My parents and siblings and I were taken to Auschwitz. I was there for three months. I wanted to see my parents very much. One of the women who worked there told me that I would see them in a week. At that time she took me outside and had me look at the smokestacks and told me that is where my parents were. The smoke was their remains.
I was then taken to the Geislingen work camp. I worked from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm everyday. When we returned to our barracks, be were given some black coffee to drink and half a potato. I was always hungry, and I did what I needed to do to survive. I would steal food.
Yossel died after surviving Auschwitz, but was given too much food after war ended, then died. Eher was shot by a German after the war. The German was later hung. My parents were killed at Auschwitz.
Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)
When did you come to the United States?
1949 with my husband and daughter
How is it that you came to Michigan?
HIAS sent us here. This was a growing community.
Occupation after the war
Homemaker
When and where were you married?
1945 in Sighet, Hungary
Spouse
Jenoe Roth
Children
Miriam and Irving
Grandchildren
Two grandchildren: Miriam and Carl One great-grandson: Nathan
What do you think helped you to survive?
In the labor camp, I stole potatoes. I brought them back to the barracks and shared them with my bunkmates. My sister did this and was caught. I was not, and I kept doing this because I was always hungry.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
It should never happen again in this world. It should never, never happen again. They should never forget, everyone should know about it.
Interviewer:
Charles Silow
Interview date:
04/04/2011
Experiences
Survivor's map
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