7/27/2019 THWO Als Stories Long Lost Relative Rebecca Peters

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Long Lost RelativeBy Rebecca Peters

It was 1955. World War Two had ended ten years ago. Most of my mothers family hadleft Poland before things had gone bad, but my fathers familyWe heard from the Red Cross that a Beryl Tabakman had survived. We didnt know wherehe was or how to contact him. So, my husband and I decided to travel to Warsaw to find myfathers sole surviving relative his nephew Beryl.

The trip was planned, arrangements were made and I found out that I was six weeks pregnant.My doctor warned me not to go, because I had miscarried once already, but I was determinedto find Beryl.

Fine, he said. Promise youll find an obstetrician when you get there. He prescribed a

hormone pill and shook his head.

We travelled by sea on the Homeric. It was a smooth passage that boded well. We landedin Le Havre and travelled by train to Warsaw. There, we were shocked to see the shells ofbombed out buildings. We contacted the Red Cross. It took only a few days and we had anaddress.

It was a bright, cool day when we travelled by tram to the apartment block to see Beryl. Hewas excited to meet us and asked for news of his uncle. We met his wife Maria and their two

year old daughter Ella.I could not communicate with Maria or Ella since I did not speak Polish. Beryl and I talked inYiddish and he told me his story.

Everyone had gathered to board the train to the concentration camps. A guard looked awayand Beryls father told him to run. He ran into the woods and left his family behind. He metup with a group of partisans. Beryl stayed with them until the group dispersed because theyhad been compromised.

Beryl hid in a barn on a Polish farm. He was discovered by the farmers daughter. The familychose to help him. He remained hidden there until the war ended. Whereupon, he marriedthe farmers daughter, Maria, and they had a daughter together, Ella .

Beryl was excited to hear that his uncle was safe and well and pleased to meet his cousin me. He insisted I bring a gift of crystal vases back to Montreal with us, despite our protestsover the fragility and weight of the gift.

We left Beryl and travelled further throughout Europe, which led to more adventures that

could form more stories.We sailed home in October. The passage home was not smooth. The English Channel isnot the place to be in October. My husband and I were sick the entire journey and I was sixmonths pregnant by that time.

We did return home safely with good news and crystal vases. My son Faivel was born threemonths later. He is now 57 years old and while he does not travel much, I like to remind himthat he has been to Europe.