Angelika Nowak (Bystander)

I could see it all unfold from my kitchen window, the rise of the ghettos.  First, the barbed wire fences went up, and then the Jews were moved from their homes into the ghetto.  There was a house across the street from me, a nice woman with two children, that was right outside the ghetto borders.  She was told that they had to move into the ghetto and when she protested, proclaiming that she lived right on the edge of the ghetto  and it was ridiculous the Nazi soldier backhanded her.  At that point I couldn't watch anymore, and closed my shutters.  The next day, I peeped out the window to see her and her two little boys outside with some baggage.  A Nazi came up to them and told her that they wouldn't need any belongings and to put them back.  Learning from her earlier mistake, she did as she was told.  But the youngest of  her two refused to part with his stuffed rabbit.  Seeing that coaxing him didn't work, the Nazi went over to the boy, picked him up by his collar, and pinned him against the wall.  I could hardly believe my eyes.  Here I was, watching this boy, who looked to be four or five years of age, being screamed at by a six foot tall, big, burly Nazi just because he wanted to take his stuffed animal with him into the ghetto.  The Nazi dropped him and seized his rabbit.  After tearing it to shreds in front of his face, he led the family into the ghetto, the woman trying to calm down her son.  For days I watched.  Watched families upon families leave everything, and get crammed into houses that would seemingly burst at any second.  This went on until the killings started.  At that point I had had enough.  I was already packed and I started my journey to Grodno, hopeful to leave the violence and hate of` Vilna.