Simon Grownosky

Simon grew up in Belgium with his mother Chana, father Leon and sister Ita until March 1943. His mom saved him by pushing him out carriage, giving Simon the chance to jump from the train, that jump saved his life. He says that music helped save his life, when he needed it the most. Today at 92 years of age he still actively works as a lawyer and performs piano concerts during weekends. 

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transcript:

Hi, and welcome to the last generation. I'm Maddie Kramer in 2004, my grandma SU passed away and I never got the chance to ask her how she survived the Holocaust growing up. She knew she was Hungarian, and then she survived the war, but not really how that impacted her life and how her own life impacted my mom's and even mine.

I wish I had the chance to know her more, learn her language and really get to know her. Since 2017, I had an idea that I needed to bring families together, to have the chance to talk to the grandparents and ask all the questions I couldn't, because we are the last generation to get to know their stories for their life.

You're gonna hear an accent because I was raised in Argentina where my grandma escape after the war, the season, we will listen to Holocaust survivors being asked questions by their grandkids. I hope you enjoy listening to these families. Having in the most wonderful conversations I loved every second of it.

This is episode two of the last generation podcast.

I was reading through the New York times in January, 2021. When an article caught my eye, a Holocaust survivor, lived neighbors in dark times. The article was talking about Simon Moroski. He was playing just through his apartment window during the COVID lockdown months later, I had the chance to meet Simon.

and talk to him and his grandkid Roman, we had the most wonderful conversation, some in English and some in French after Roman and Simon finished talking, Simon gave me a mini, private, jazz concert. Something that I really took away from Simon's story was his courage not only to survive practically alone, but the courage to forgive the people that hurt him.

Simon grabbed in Belgium with his mother, China father, Leon and his sister IITA until March of 1943. Simon had this vivid memory of his childhood house being a happy one where his sister it, I was always playing music. He probably says she was a great Bian in March of 1943. Simon was deported. To NTED camp a month later, Simon and his mom were packed in a Cuddl with no food or drink with other 50 people on their way to Auschwitz shortly after the train departed the station, all the sudden they stopped.

And the Belgian resistant was there. Yeah. As who asked the towers, the incident had fired up some of the people on the carts. and they successfully opened door. Simon jumped from the train and that saved his life. Simon recalls that music helps him save his life all that time. Today he's 91 years old. He actively works as a lawyer and recites piano CS during the weekends,

you know that the nausea kiss my mother. And my sister in the gas chamber of Auschwitz Beck now in 1943, but my father who had escaped arrest died, broken heart in July 40. And as for myself on March 17th, 1900 43, when I was 11 year old, the NA called me through me into a cell of the guest that were headquarters in Brel, Belgium.

And the next day they took me to a.

The the same bags in Belgium in Melin, uh,

uh, a camp of transit camp in Melin. And one month later on April, 1943. They crumbed me in a cattle car of the 20th convoy, this long train with more than 30 carriage carriage deport, more than 1600 people, men. Women and children from me to Auschwitz and Maddy. I didn't understand what was going on. I was still in my world of boy Scouts.

Mm-hmm I didn't realize that I've been condemned to death. And then this train would lead me to the place of my execution. And by a miracle, I jumped of the train and escaped. And why all that only because my parents were both born Jewish. You, you have to know all this. So, what is your first question? Um, so now we gonna speak in French.

Wait. Um, so my first question would be like, atmosphere is family at.

My father was born in a small village in Poland. He loved Poland. It was his Homeland, but after the first war, war 14, 18, there were much serious problems in Poland. Uh, an unemployment poverty. And

so my father from Poland, he entered in Belgium, illegal, under cover as Alon in smuggling. That is why today. I support the SOPA papers, undocumented people, I immigrant and refugee, uh, my, uh,

work at art in Belgium. Before the fir the second war, my mother came from Lithuania. They married in, in, in Belgium and had two children. My sister born in 1924, and me I'm born in BR. October 12th, 1930, 31. So dear married, I am almost 90 year old. Unbelievable. but it is true. Uh, but don't say it to anybody it confidential.

Okay. Uh, and my, my family was very happy in Belgium. Uh, they lived in own house home and my sister was, um, Uh, a brilliant student in Brel and she was also a gifted classical pianist who loved also jazz. And I was a, a child chain and above. A cup scout. This is we're very happy in the process in Belgium.

Okay. Uh, what represent your sister for you represent?

Uh, I adored my sister.

Jazz

to translate that, that, or. Okay.

Mm-hmm

okay. Well, I would just say that, uh, he transmit. The GIS to him, the, the sense of music and that really help him after the war and for him, this music represent a factor of good balance society.

Why now, so Simon, I have a question for you, uh, after Roman goes back. So did you started playing music because of your sister?

Yes, but I, I,

I didn't learn. I, I didn't learn. I cannot the mu the cannot read the music. I cannot read the teachers. You see, but I'm, I play piano. If you wanna, I can play now for you something. Now my piano is there maybe at, maybe at the end of the interview? Uh, well, yeah, but the music was for me very important after the war

should pass, man. Cause music. He said that the music saved him and he didn't learn it. He just, uh, filled the music. He never read it. He never, he just, uh, that's like something part of him. But I have to say to you mad that the I was left alone and sparkly. Talked about all this, about the, the murderer of my family.

And in beginning of 2000, some, a few came to me and said, says to me that I have the duty. To, to be witness and to tell my story to everybody and also to the all, all the world, take care, sit mm-hmm you understand me? Yes. Yes. And, and I'm really, uh, grateful that you do, because it's really important to know the stories.

Right. And. Uh, it, and your story is impressive and, and it's the love of music it's so important, right? It, it changes someone's life. So the idea that. 12 music to go through that. It it's mesmerizing in a way,

the music, uh, bring a little, uh, Uh, happiness to people mm-hmm and to, they got closer, people get closer. You see? Because it reason it is very, yeah. Yes. Useful disease is very useful for the happiness and above all the jazz

Um,

So when the people came at his place to ask him if he could write a book about his story, this book, uh, has not changed me, but the book has changed my life.

They cooking. That's perfect. You see? Yes. Uh, because now I'm invited EV everywhere in schools. I speak to the young people. I like it to speak in schools, but also, uh,

all the people, all the people. Not only in Belgium. I was invited in England in United States. I think there four times a in Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles, uh, New York. Uh, in New Mexico,

I go there and you going like November in I to go to Boston, Boston. Oh, I go to Boston. And if you went to meet up you in, in, in Paul, of course, and even in Germany, And everybody, the young people are marvelous. you see? So you, you are very young. not that young, no time. Young.

You're very young

So maybe the next question would be like, how did you find a strength? After the war to get over this whole experience and move forward. So

I was a baby loved my, my family and my sister.

A baby. Yeah, he was loved and he get a lot of love from his family all the time.

And this love gave him strength for life.

He talk two, the jazz him ID and as well, the jazz, a little bit, the music. That's if you another questions. Yeah. um, I love the questions. he still on this? Uh, kinda, uh, okay. Exercise, um, ask her, so now maybe you don't know about it, but he has a story about forgiveness that he learned that he has. He has a province with one of, uh, a guy that he met some days ago.

And, um, and I'm gonna just, uh, ask him, and he's gonna tell you the whole story.

They will important, very important. Um,

very important. AR what's the question in English. So the question in English that he met, uh, the son. Um, so can you explain us, um, how did you, uh, did it happen that you met this guy, meet this guy and you apparently forgive him. So can you speak up a little bit about that? Oh, okay. Two points. Two points mad.

Uh, first point it took me so 60 years to tell my story and re and recount the agony of my

childhood. Um, it took also couldn't have. 60 years to tell his own story as the son of the ish is he did it courage and through a book because his father was a hit left. Fantic. We think is two oldest sons to the sist,

the oldest to the Easter Eastern front, the other winter, 70 year old to too young, too young to go to the Eastern front. He was, uh, auxiliary and as a God in where I was prisoner

was only six years old when hit the third bedroom is not guilty.

He completely rejected the ideology of his father and is now my friend more than a friend. He's my brother. He, because he was a child of six.

But one day in January, 2013, a couldn told me my brother knows your story. He wants to see you that same brother, who was my God at the, the Sam Barrack. And leaded me by gunpoint to the courage of death. Also my mother and my sister, and so many other people, he then admitted and regretted what he had and ask me for forgiveness.

When I met him. I saw an old man ill and employed ILO me

saying to me, I'm dying. Give me your forgiveness. I need it. And mad. I forgave him.

Wow. That takes a lot of courage.

courage. No,

it brings a lot of, um, um, ility and uh, to this guy, but for my grandpa, it was even more powerful. He said that. Hello? I, I, I can't forgive because I never have hate you. See, I have not, I was unhappy. I quiet a lot. Yes. But I had never. And so I can forgive mm-hmm

so then, um, you understand me? You understand me? Yeah. Yeah. I understand. Yes. And I little bit of French too. So when you guys talk, I, I get something he's getting better and better in English. This is incredible. At the beginning. Couldn't speak a little better now. His English, your English is really good.

Simon. Your English is really good. Oh, thank you. You're very kind. so, uh, one of the next question could be, uh, why did he become, became a lawyer? Uh, did you, is it linked to his story? Um, and, uh, maybe you can speak a little bit about that. I have a question. If I can interrupt Roman, you can maybe speak it in French.

But my question is, um, how, how did you, how did you feel when you find, like, I know you, you said that you forgave the guard that, that put you, you and your family on the cards and, uh, you were lucky obviously to, to be alive today. uh, how do you feel felt, you know, right on like after the war ended and you find out that your family didn't survive, like, what was the first feeling you had?

Uh, you know, because it's kind of related to this guard in a way, right. He, so I'm curious to know how do you felt, why right. When, when you find out like that, that how many years it took you to. To process that you lost your family to work.

So the first thing he said now is like he really wanted to, to study and to leader and have a life that his parents would be proud of. He, I don't name, I don't, I don't name lawyer. I'm lawyer. I'm uh, I donate because, uh, My family loved the justice. Yeah. So, yeah. And just

so just after the war is feeling worse

and, and I'm, I'm still now a tornado. I'm too young to stop.

yeah, we have a case next to Wednesday together. He's going to the court to plead. It's always really funny when we get there. So your, your lawyer too, right? Roman? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm lawyer. More because of your grandfather. Funny's definitely related. I, I married. Are you married? I divorced now. You, you are married.

Okay. I am. I am. But you are, you are married. You got divorced. He said, yeah, you don't talk again with the divorce. Never remarried. See one more one, one time, not two. And I have two daughters. Mm-hmm one is lawyer. The other is, uh, teacher and I have four grandsons. The oldest is he romance his lawyer. and. So I, I think when we talked about this, but like, so how you feel, your story impacts the way you raise your children?

Is he the.

The, uh, the,

the great value is peace friendship between men house to house.

Um,

Three great ideas, peace tolerance, friendship between men. And excuse me for freedom. Freedom. Very, this is my education for my children. Mm-hmm

Um, and fighting against listen, fighting against NA FA

oh, I fight

against, because I was victim of. And,

and I, you, another question you have another question, Roman.

Well, Uh, yeah, can I have a,

um, so during the war he help a family from, uh, to flee in, uh, in Cuba. And, uh, we meet, uh, this year, like in 2018. Maybe I'm gonna ask him, how was his meeting with this girl that, uh, he didn't see for 70 old, and maybe he can, uh, explain us a little bit more about that.

The gas family was great friends, my family, and we helped them when they. They lived in aunt and in 1941, they escaped from Belgium and, uh, went to Cuba.

Um, and then in USA, It was great friend and at least was a, a teenager of, uh, 14 year friend of my sister and of my bread after the war. I never have news for them, uh, from them during 70 years or, uh, 17 years during no news from this family. And. Uh, accidentally, I'm sorry. Uh, in 2018, 18, uh, I, I find she don't vote.

You found again, again, at least she lived in Los Angeles and I, there I went there. For C, uh, it was very fantastic after 70 years and she is, she's now 19 two years, but she's nice. She's nice. Very, yes. And, um, she, to the. Yeah, uh, brother, his name? Where's the boyfriend of my sister. Mm you see? And, uh, I,

after the war, he sent me a letter, not to me, but to my sister. Mm. Saying. What the good news bad is free. Now I will see you again. But I had to answer to him that my sister was deported and this, this guy was very unhappy health broken. This was a beautiful love between two teenagers. See. Yeah, they're very maybe going to get married or something, you know?

Yeah.

I don't, I don't. Do you think it's good for you or you want maybe more question? I think it's good. Maybe let me see. Um, there's one. I think we talked about this.

Uh, yeah. The other question we had Roman was when was the first time he played music after the war? Like if he remembers the first time he played piano or music after the war? Um,

yes, I remember very good. When was he with friends? I played. Uh, when I was student and so, uh, I never learned that it, it was good.

so after, after the war, he went back to school and that's when he started playing again. That's well, Yeah.

When I was student in, in the university. Yeah. So a little bit later,

a graph factor.

His, uh, friendship with, um, congrat congrat and his, um, uh, forgiveness its forgiveness to, to con, to cide to his brother, to his brother is, um, a great factor against, uh, antisemite. You know, it really helps. Yeah. Uh, have you made some question? Stevie? Um, well, yes, but I know Roman needs to go too, but like, I, I still have some minutes.

No worries. Okay. Um, so another question maybe I have is, um, how do you reinstated it yourself in, into, into society after the war? You know, how long did it take you to feel, uh, you know, I don't wanna use this word, like, like normal human, which is interesting. Now we're bring by going back to the normal, right?

Like, it feels a bit of repetitive, but like how long

I cannot explain it. It's natural. Mm. Okay. uh, may I, uh, The end world world. Yes. Yes. Unless you have some question still. I have no, no questions. You can go and you can play some piano if you want to so mad, you can play some piano maybe, but you, I will pray it in, in few. In few minutes I will play something.

What do you want? I. You, you show me your rest.

You know, it's a, it's electronic piano that a real, but it'll, I will do my best today. I have not brought to you a message of sadness, but one of hope and happiness.

Life is beautiful, but also an everyday battle.

Everybody, uh, Roman, sorry, could mean the audio is getting cut. I have never. One second.

Yeah. At all, as a hat, I have never had hatred that I, that I have been very maybe and happy and I quite a lot, despite. The tragic events of yesterday and those of today, because even today, there are people in the world who still suffer. Men who suffer. I'm keeping my faith in the future because I believe in human goodness.

And your interview strengthens my faith. And I say to end to finish, learn live peace and friendship between men. Thank you so so much, Simon. This was great.

I, I, I played something piano now. Okay. I love that. Okay. I will meet.

Yeah. Yeah.

What wonderful one.

Okay.

The last generation podcast is created by Matt KLA. Produced by pickle music, New York with Nicole Las Marve. I'm Marco, Tonya. I want to thank Martinez Davis green, deaf for putting me in contact with Simon stay tune for the next episode of the last generation. This is the last generation podcast, a podcast for the oldest and voices to tell stories that live on.