Florence Mayer Lieblich

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Prologue

Part 1:The Quiet Before the Storm
Pre-War Years: 1923-1939

Part 2: The Storm
The War Years: 1939-1945

Part 3: The Silver Lining
Liberation and Post War Years

Epilogue


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Someone is Watching Over Me
A Memoir by Florence Mayer Lieblich


With Love

My darling Gloria:
Now you have some knowledge of your parents’ lives before the war. Those were very happy and beautiful times in our lives. Thanks to the strength that my parents gave me, I was able to face so many horrible and frightening days in my life. I also gave you information about our fight to survive during the Nazi occupation. I am very lucky and proud to have such a devoted and loving daughter. I love you very, very much and I always will.

— Your mother

My dear Michael:
I am very happy and proud that you are a part of our family. Thank you very much for your devotion and kindness to me. You are always ready to help me when I am in need. It is very appreciated. I love you and always will.

— Your mother-in-law

My very darling, precious Elyse and Michelle:
I consider myself very lucky and fortunate to have such wonderful and devoted granddaughters. You, my darlings, brought sunshine and joy and happiness into your Papa’s life. He loved you very, very much. You are also my pride and joy and happiness in my life. I wish both of you that your lives should be filled with happiness and success always!

— Your loving grandmother

In memory of my dear husband Philip:
My darling Gloria, I informed you all about my life, good times and painful times, but the most important thing that you should know, is who made it possible to tell you all about it. I am alive today thanks to your devoted and loving father. Your father saved my life. I would not be alive today were it not for his love, strength and determination.. I loved your father all my life and will love him until the last day of my life when I will join him. I miss him very much.

— Your mother


Conclusion

As a Holocaust survivor, it is my duty to inform my children, my grandchildren, and future Jewish generations about what happened to European Jews. What we went through-the shame, degradation and the fight for our survival. It is also in my memory, never to forget my very good friends and thousands of our people, whose families disappeared in Bergen- Belson, but the majority met their deaths in Galicia in mass graves, including my dear parents and family. All the families disappeared. Their names disappeared like they never existed, but they did. Their lives were shortened by those murderers. Please, don’t ever forget what happened to the European Jews. By remembering the Holocaust, you are protecting your children and grandchildren from it happening again, so they will never be deprived of the love of their parents and grandparents as we were. You are the lucky ones. Now we have a homeland, Eretz Israel. We have our pride, dignity and honor. We European Jews were alone. Our neighbors for so many years, joined the Nazis and Ukrainians and together caused our destruction.

“Yom Israel Chai.” “Long live our State of Israel.” Shalom. Peace.

— Florence Mayer Lieblich

Note:

Photographs were taken from the private collection of Florence Lieblich and The Memorial Book of Czortkow, edited by Dr. Yeshayahu Austri-Dunn, published by Irgun Yotzey Czortkow in Israel, 1967.