Exit Berlin: How One Woman Saved Her Family from Nazi Germany

228 Pages·2014·2.42 MB·English

by  Charlotte R. Bonelli

EXIT
BERLIN
EXIT
BERLIN
How One Woman
Saved Her Family
from Nazi Germany
Charlotte R. Bonelli
With translations from the German by
Natascha Bodemann
Published with assistance from the foundation established in memory of Philip
Hamilton McMillan of the Class of 1894, Yale College.
Copyright © 2014 by the American Jewish Committee.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in
any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the US
Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written
permission from the publishers.
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Designed by Lindsey Voskowsky.
Set in Bodoni and Adobe Caslon type by Integrated Publishing Solutions.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bonelli, Charlotte, 1956–
Exit Berlin : how one woman saved her family from Nazi Germany / Charlotte
Bonelli ; with translations from the German by Natascha Bodemann.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-300-19752-5 (hardback) 1. Hatch, Luzie—Family—
Correspondence. 2. Hatch, Arnold—Correspondence. 3. Jews—Germany—
Correspondence. 4. Jews—United States—Correspondence. 5. Holocaust,
Jewish (1939–1945)—Personal narratives. 6. World War, 1939–1945—Jews—
Germany. I. Bodemann, Natascha, translator. II. Title.
DS134.4.B66 2014
940.53'180922—dc23
[B] 2013041647
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of
Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my three aunts of blessed memory, Carmela Bonelli, Beatrice Spector, and
Ida Spector, each a unique treasure. If I had only had one such aunt, I could have
said Dayenu. That I had three was surely a blessing from the Good Lord.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Hecht and Isack Family Trees
How It All Began
PART ONE
May 1933–September 1938
Berlin Beginnings
From Hecht to Hatch: American Relations
First Requests
Persistence Rewarded
PART TWO
December 1938–August 1939
Settling In: A New Life in New York
Looking Back Home
Escape to Shanghai
A Widening Circle
PART THREE
September 1939–October 1941
Desperate Appeals
The Shanghai Solution
Rosh Hashana, 1940
Deportation to Gurs: ILOT K
A Closing Door
Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Index
Illustrations follow page 204
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Long ago, when I was a graduate student applying for an independent project,
my adviser warned me, with a sharply pointed finger, “Writing is a solitary
process.” In terms of Exit Berlin, she was only partially correct. Researching and
writing the book did include innumerable solitary hours, but the book also
introduced me to an array of warm and wonderful people. This was an
unexpected joy of Exit Berlin. I am pleased to be able to thank all of those who
contributed.
Often people don’t realize the historic value of items, tossing them into the
trash, where they are forever lost. Fortunately, this was not the case when
Attorney Roger Blane discovered Luzie Hatch’s correspondence. He was
determined to save the collection and bring it to the public. It was Roger who
called me to discuss donating the correspondence to the American Jewish
Committee Archives. In expressing my thanks to him, I speak not only for
myself but for the entire AJC family. I would also like to thank Attorney Steve
Solomon, Luzie’s estate executor, for his interest and cooperation in this project.
Exit Berlin would not have been possible without their support.
Ralph Hatch, Luzie Hatch’s half-brother, supplied documents, photos, and
very valuable memories. He opened his home to me on many occasions, each
visit being not only productive but enjoyable thanks to his wonderful sense of
humor and hospitality. Pat Roth, Arnold Hatch’s granddaughter, and Gloria
Hatch, his daughter-in-law, are also to be thanked for their cooperation. As
probably is always the case, this project turned out to be lengthier than
anticipated. Still, Pat’s interest in the project never wavered.
Inge Friedlander, Hilde Übelacker, Fred Kirschner, and Eva Emmerich all
granted me interviews, recalling their World War II experiences. These
interviews were not always easy, for they called forth extraordinarily painful
memories, in some instances, experiences that until our meeting had been
completely locked away. I greatly appreciate their efforts. The stories they told
and the information they supplied added a new dimension to this book. I also
communicated with a number of people via email or phone. All were
cooperative and instrumental in putting me on the right research path. Rose
Feldman, webmaster of the Israel Genealogical Society; Michael Merose and
Dan Mendels, two of Luzie Hatch’s descendants; the late Henry Rodwell, a
former L. S. Mayer employee; and Michael Chaut are all due huge thanks. Ilse
Ohlms kindly volunteered to work with the letters written in old German script,
rewriting them in modern script and thereby saving Natascha Bodemann, the
translator, both time and angst.
Visits to the Landesarchiv in Berlin and the Stadtmuseum/-archiv in Baden-
Baden were extremely productive. I am truly indebted to Dagmar Rumpf, of the
Baden Archiv, who put me in contact with Hilde Übelacker, a Camp Gurs
survivor, and Angelika Schindler, a historian of Baden’s Jewish community. Not
only did Angelika fill in important details about Jewish life in Baden, but she led
me to another Gurs survivor, Fred Kirschner. Here in the United States, the
Spindle Historical Society provided images of Arnold Hatch’s factory. I
researched the American roots of Luzie’s family at Congregation Beth Emeth, in
Albany, New York. What a pleasure it was to see how the synagogue has
preserved its history. In addition, I would like to note how warmly I was
received by the Beth Emeth’s archivists, Adelaide Muhlfelder and Patricia
Snyder. Lisa Adele Miller, a dear college friend of mine, generously pitched in
on some of the Albany-related research. Misha Mitsel and Sherry Hyman of the
American Joint Distribution Committee Archives, in typical fashion, went out of
their way to be helpful.
At times, despite exhaustive research, I was still left with unanswered
questions about elements of this period in history. I thank Richard Evans of
Cambridge University and Marion Kaplan of New York University for taking
the time to answer my queries.
Many people from the American Jewish Committee, past and present,
deserve thanks for their help: Roselyn Bell, Ephraim Gabbai, Shifra Sharbat,
Mirja Muller, Larry Grossman, and Lena Altman. My dedicated assistants, Cuc
Huong Do and Desiree Guillermo, are deserving of special praise. With their
characteristic positive demeanor and efficiency, they performed a seemingly