Auschwitz survivor tells of family's ordeal
It could have been her cute smile, her red, curly hair or the look of innocence that beamed from her three year-old face.
But whatever it was that saved Bela Rosenthal from death at the hands of the Nazis, it wasn't luck.
She was only three years-old when she was liberated from Theresienstadt, a Nazi death camp about 50 miles outside Prague.
In February 1943, Bela's father had been sent to his death at Auschwitz-Birkenau. In 1944, when Bela was only two years-old, her mother contracted tuberculosis and died, leaving Bela orphaned.
Now a 66 year-old grandmother of eight, Bela spends her time making sure the world doesn't forget the horror, the abandonment and the slaughter of millions during World War Two.
In her first visit to Northern Ireland, she spoke to pupils from all over the city at St Cecilia's College on Monday, telling her terrible and unique story of survival.
She was a three-year-old refugee when she was taken to England with five other children who had also survived the camp. They formed a strong bond which was later researched by Sigmund Freud's daughter Anna Freud.
"I came to England with nothing" said Bela, "No parents, brothers or sisters, no memories of my parents, no photos. I had no clothes, no toys or any possessions. I had nothing.
Scary
"Can you imagine how scary that was.
"There were 140,936 Jews deported to that camp. It was cramped and it was just horrible. Think about not being able to wash or clean yourself for weeks and months on end.
"There was so much disease and my mother die of tuberculosis.
"I was kept with five other orphans. I was there for two years."
Near the end of the war the camp was liberated after a visit from the Red Cross. Bela and the other orphans were taken to England where they stayed in a house in Sussex.
Little Bela was later adopted and her name was changed to Joanna Millan but no matter how her adopted parents dismissed her early years, Bela always could not forget her beginnings.
She eventually found details of her uncles and aunts after placing an add on a website and now she travels across the UK telling her story to all that will listen.
"Genocide has been going on since before the Holocaust," said Bela. "Each one, I feel what could I have done. Why didn't you do more. Each one is a terrible event.
"But what is unique about the Holocaust is that Jews had lived there for hundreds of years. They wanted to be part of society but they were always the outsiders.
"Less than one per cent of people did anything to help the Jews.
"It is possible to do something in your class, family, street and community. Each one of you has the power to change things.
"Perhaps you will go away today thinking about the issues that are really important."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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