November 1944
Dear Mother and Father Mendel,
This may be the last letter I will be able to write to you, but I need to let you know what is happening here. Just when the war seemed close to an end, we once again despair for our lives.
In October, the Hungarian government tried to sign a truce with the Allies again. The Nazis found out about it and sent their SS troops here to arrest Hungary’s leader. They have taken him to Berlin as their prisoner and have replaced him with the leader of the Hungarian Nazi Party, the Arrow Cross. These vicious men control our country now, with help from the SS.
The Nazis’ angel of death, Adolph Eichmann, has returned to finish deporting the remainder of Budapest’s Jews. The Arrow Cross does not respect the Swedish safe houses or our documents. Our angel, Raoul Wallenberg, fights for us day and night and tries to protect us, but Arrow Cross members come boldly into the safe houses to brutalize people, killing them or hauling them away to be killed. Mr. Wallenberg has tried to organize the Jewish men who are left into an armed force so they can protect us and bring in needed food and medicine. Many of our friends have already been arrested or have disappeared. We fear they are dead.
We know that the Russians are moving closer and closer, but this only makes the Nazis more determined to be rid of us before time runs out for them. Adolph Eichmann has been unable to get the railroad cars he needs to deport us, so we have learned that he plans to march us to deportation camps on foot. We don’t know if our Swedish savior can rescue us from these death marches or not.
I have decided to leave this letter and the others I have written here in the Swedish house, hoping that – if the very worst happens – they will be found someday and sent to you in America. Please know that even though my faith is very weak and I don’t understand why we are made to suffer this way, I still believe in Hashem’s goodness and in a better life in the world to come.
With love,
Your daughter-in-law,
Sarah Rivkah Mendel