Rena ferber biography

Rena Ferber Finder

Rena was born in Krakow Poland in 1929 and grew up in a middle class neighborhood. Although antisemitism pervaded Kracow, Rena had a comfortable childhood surrounded by loving family and friends.

Rena’s entire life changed with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939.

Jews were forced to move into the ghetto, which was isolated from the rest of Kracow. Rather bitterly, Rena recalls how non-Jews who were able to see all that was happening to Jews did nothing to help their Jewish neighbors.

In the ghetto, the Gestapo took Rena’s father away and he never returned to his family.

In time, the SS made plans for the evacuation of the ghetto, ordering all the residents to move up the hill to the Plaszow work camp, located on the site of an old Jewish cemetery, and run by the sadistic commandant, Amon Goeth.

From Rena’s perspective, the most hopeful ray of light was Emalia, an enamel kitchenware and ammunition factory owned by the German C