Jenny was born in Poland in 1927, where she had four siblings. She grew up in Bedzin, a city with a thriving Jewish community. As a young girl, she read and was active in many Jewish organizations. As she remembers, all that changed on Sept. 1, 1939, when the German invasion began. She and her family were sent into a ghetto, and eventually deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where they experienced the full horror of the unfolding events. Jenny survived in part because of the resourcefulness of her mother, and she also remembers finding her faith in music, something which continued after the war. After her liberation, she immigrated first to Israel and later to Canada. Jenny was interviewed for this project by Sarah Mainprize and Cassie Wasserman.
Videos
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- 1. Jenny Eisenstein - Early Memories
- 2. Jewish Children in Bedzin
- 3. The Zionist Organization
- 4. Family and Trips
- 5. Auschwitz; Adopted Family
- 6. Jenny's Brother
- 7. Arrival in Auschwitz
- 8. Auschwitz continued
- 9. Rose's Story
- 10. Jenny's Father
- 11. Comradery in the Camp
- 12. Opening the Gate
- 13. Prewar Anti-Semitism
- 14. The Start of the War; Jenny's Mother
- 15. In Bendzin
- 16. Experiences with anti-Semitism
- 17. Jewish Organizations
- 18. Jenny's Brother
- 19. Auschwitz Routine
- 20. Auschwitz Memories
- 21. Music
- 22. Liberation
- 23. The Final Camp