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The Story of Hannah Pick

"That's What I Hope"

Hannah-Elizabeth (Elisheva) Gosler Pick was born in 1928 in Berlin to Hans Gosler and Ruth-Judith née Klay. In 1933, with the rise of the Nazis to power, Hannah's family moved to England and a year afterwards to Amsterdam. There, at school, Hannah met Anna Frank, also a refugee from Germany. With the German occupation in May 1940, Hannah experienced the discrimination of Jews and the prohibitions imposed on them. In October 1942, while giving birth both the baby and Hannah's mother died. On June 20, 1943, Hannah, her younger sister Gabriella (Gabi), her father and her grandfather were arrested and sent to the Westerbork transit camp. Hannah and Gabi were separated from their father and sent to the orphanage in the camp. Hannah helped care for toddlers in the orphanage. On February 15, 1944, Hannah, her father and her sister were transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In Bergen-Belsen, Hannah had to do forced labor and she took care of her three-year-old sister Gabi. When she was told that Anna Frank was also imprisoned there she managed to establish contact with her and even tried to give her a package of food and clothing. Hanna's father, grandfather and grandmother were murdered in Bergen-Belsen. On April 11, 1945, the camp inmates were evacuated. Hannah was taken, together with her sister, in the "lost train" which traveled aimlessly for about two weeks. In June, the Soviets handed them to the Americans and in July, Hannah and her sister returned to Amsterdam. Hannah eventually immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1947 and lived in Kfar Hasidim. She worked as a nurse in a pediatric ward at the 'Bikkur Holim' Hospital .in Jerusalem. Hannah and Walter-Pinchas had three children

The Story of Hannah Pick

"That's What I Hope"

Primary Source: Jacob Hijman Marcus's Last Letter

The Fate of Jews in Western Europe

The Netherlands

Pedagogical TIP:

Upon watching this video, the educator can facilitate and moderate a discussion regarding the following materials, i.e. present prewar life in the community, discuss the individual, family story of the survivor in the .context of the local community, etc