By Erin Salh

The breadth of horrific experiences Holocaust survivors endured is vast, as there were numerous systems of marginalization at play that were active in working to erase the identity of the Jewish people. However, it is essential to note that the purpose of Holocaust education is not to compare and contrast stories, but to recognize the resiliency that lies with each individual, and how their lives contribute to a collective Jewish memory. The acknowledgement of individuality is essential, as this not only provides a voice for those who were silenced during the war, and the years that followed, but also for those experiences that have not been centralized. In Crossroads: A True Story of Gina Dimant in War and Love, Gina Dimant’s story told through Olga Medvedeva-Nathoo, is fascinating. Dimant demonstrates an amazing capacity for strength, in her ability to emphasize the importance of familial ties and her womanhood, in a time where it was difficult to prioritize her self-identity. In addition, Dimant sheds light onto the experiences of Polish Jews who were deported to the Soviet East, a perspective that is not focused on enough. Through Olga Medvedeva-Nathoo’s retelling of Gina Dimant’s experiences during the Holocaust, this paper will examine the difficulties and continuous negotiations, Dimant encountered in the shaping of her identity as a young woman. This was primarily enacted through Nazi and Soviet perpetrators, in the physical, emotional, and cultural trauma of the continuous displacement of Dimant from her home of Warsaw during the Second World War.

In 1932 when Dimant was five, the Wejgsman family (Dimant’s maiden name), moved to Pelcowizna, a suburb of Warsaw (Medvedeva-Nathoo 31). Through Medvedeva-Nathoo, Dimant’s recollections of her hometown emphasize that initially there was a distinct harmony among those who differed in religion and culture, as it was possible to witness “a rabbi and priest peacefully exchanging serious banter” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 32). Although, in the early years of Dimant’s childhood there was a noticeable increase in antisemitism, as from the years of 1935-1937 “ninety-seven Jews died in antisemitic riots and pogroms, and about five hundred were wounded” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 33). As a result of the terrors of antisemitism, many Polish Jews made the decision to immigrate to Palestine (Medvedeva-Nathoo 35). However, the Wejgsmans, under the advisement of Dimant’s father, Abram, did not wish to leave their homeland, as he was determined to not be stripped of his identity, he believed that staying “is worth giving one’s life for” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 35-36). To the Wejgsmans, Dimant’s Polish identity was just as important as her Jewishness, as her parents sent her to a Polish school, though there were Jewish ones, as they “wished that she learn Polish perfectly” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 38).

Sadly, Dimant became victim to antisemitism, as in 1935, when she was eight years old, she was “terrified of geography”, as the teacher was antisemitic (Medvedeva-Nathoo 39). While Dimant was unaware of the meaning of antisemitism, the fear that she felt was the beginning stirrings of otherization. Dimant is not alone in these feelings, as the unfair treatment of children in school systems is a primary way to assert prejudicial power, and is also discussed in Ruth Kluger’s memoir Still Alive A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered. While Kluger’s experience is indicative of antisemitism in Vienna, there are essential parallels to be made that characterize a collective experience. Kluger recollects that during recess the teacher called her, along with her classmates “Judenschule”, which Kluger explains is an antisemitic expression “referring to a supposed lack of discipline in a Jewish shul” (Kluger 23). Kluger emphasizes that due to this experience she felt like “an outsider” in an environment that was close to her heart, which also encapsulates Dimant’s emotions (Kluger 23). Therefore, alongside one another, these women are able to showcase the sentiments of displacement that were felt at such a young age, which were especially difficult to endure, as it occurred within their own homelands.

The fall of 1939 brought on a force of terror unlike no other.  On September 17th, Poland not only faced the German invasion, but were put to their military limits, as the Soviets invaded from the East (Yad Vashem). Poland was defeated in three weeks, their physical and cultural landscape annihilated, as the western parts of the country were “annexed to the Reich”, the East to the Soviets, while the central portion was claimed the “Generalgouvernment”, which was a primary site for the Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people (Yad Vashem). On September 21st, Reinhard Heydrich the “chief of the Security Police” distributed the Schnellbrief, detailing the violent procedures that would be enacted against Jews in “Polish occupation zones” (Yad Vashem). This primarily instructed that “Jews living in towns and villages were to be transferred to ghettos, and Jewish councils- Judenräte- would be established to carry out the German authorities’ orders” (Yad Vashem). The obliteration of the Jewish people had begun.

Through Medvedeva-Nathoo, Dimant emphasizes that her family was preyed upon by this violence, as on the 28th of September, her father came home after being beaten in a round up, saying “we have to leave otherwise they will finish me off” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 52). In addition, Dimant was cognisant of the discriminatory laws and policies, even as a young girl at the age of thirteen, that were being put in place by the Nazis to further dehumanize Jews, including the implementation of “the Star of David for Jews as a ‘special mark” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 48-49, 53). The beauty of the Wejgsman family lies in their unwavering belief and ability to stick together no matter the circumstances. Even in their displacement from Warsaw, a community and home they cherished greatly, the family continues to fight against oppressive powers in maintaining their united group. The resiliency and significance of the familial relations in surviving these horrific conditions is also expressed in Holocaust survivor Halina Birenbaum’s work Hope Is The Last To Die: A Coming of Age Under Nazi Terror. Through Birenbaum’s writing, it is evident that there is a shared experience between the two women. Similar to Dimant, Birenbaum resided in Warsaw along with her family. Very much like the Wejgsmans’ mentality, Birenbaum showcases that her motivation to survive and persevere through oppressive physical and emotional traumas, was through the strength of her family. Birenbaum’s recollects that she too stayed with her home as long as she possibly could, even through the destruction of the bombings as she says “as we crouched together, listening to the ominous rumblings, we prayed to god for help” (Birenbaum 4). In addition, Birenbaum further supports Dimant’s story of cultural and religious erasure by the Nazis, as she recalls on “Yom Kippur the Holiest of Jewish holidays, the Nazis bombed the Jewish districts with particular force and accuracy” (Birenbaum 4). It is interesting to see the connection these two survivors display, in that their immediate reaction to violence and displacement was to ensure not only the survival of themselves, but each other. While the two share distinctive experiences, it is undeniable they both possess a similar morality in their relationships with their family, culture, and home.

The physical and cultural obliteration of Warsaw enacted by the Nazis, proved to be a difficult and dangerous landscape to navigate, and as a result Abram, along with his three brothers, decided that the Wejgsman family would leave Warsaw (Medvedeva-Nathoo 53). Displaced from their homes, along with many other Polish Jews, the Wejgsmans decided to travel East. This seemed to be the safest destination to ensure their survival, as the Soviets prided themselves on aiming to achieve “general equality” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 57). However, even in the detrimental decision to leave their home, the torment of the Nazis did not cease. The family made their way to the Warsaw East Railway Station, only taking essential items such as “bed linen, pillows, and food” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 57). The Nazis made it their mission to ensure Polish Jews would continue to face hardships, including erasure of their identity, as the Nazis ransacked everyone’s chattels, including the Wejgsman’s, as “they lost all their documents including the children’s birth certificates, which were bundled in with the linen” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 58). This showcases Dimant’s difficulties in the creation of her identity as a woman. Not only has she been uprooted from her home physically, but now there are no longer any documents that solidify her belonging to a particular nation. Thus, Dimant’s patriotism was stripped of its tangibility. However, the stability of her family’s support allowed her to maintain and strengthen her womanhood. 

In Markus Nesselrodt’s work “I Bled Like You Brother, Although I Was A Thousand Miles Away”: Postwar Yiddish Sources On The Experiences of Polish Jews in Soviet Exile During World War II”, Nesselrodt highlights that the discrimination Polish Jews faced at the hands of Soviet perpetrators occurred as a result of the “changing Soviet policies in light of Polish- Soviet diplomatic relations” (Nesselrodt 48). Although, many survivors, including Dimant, feel like they “escaped a certain death by their flight and/or deportation to the interior of the Soviet Union” (Nesselrodt 52). This is particularly emphasized as the Wejgsman family is described as avoiding “the German plague” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 68). Against the backdrop of the atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish people by the Nazis, the violence that the Soviets enacted is often lost in the background. It is essential to understand that the terror the Soviets participated in, manifested in numerous capacities, but also included starvation, malnutrition, and elimination of Jewish culture and religion. During the war it may seem that the Soviets offered a “haven” for Polish Jews outside Nazi occupied territories, but they too must be held accountable for their actions (Nesselrodt 47).

From Warsaw, Dimant and her family were deported to Malkinia Station, which was situated near “the neutral zone- a no man’s land” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 59). Throughout the family constantly shifting, Abram continued to enforce that “whatever may happen, whatever the consequences the family should survive” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 59). Abram’s unwavering confidence, allowed Dimant to root her identity in her family, as it was the one unchanging element of her life. After five days in the neutral zone, the Red Army deported the Wejgsmans to Beshenkovichy, located in what is now Belarus (Medvedeva-Nathoo 62, 64). In Alexander Statiev’s work “Soviet Ethnic Deportations: Intent Versus Outcome”, Statiev explains that in the Soviet’s effort to aid victims of Nazi terror, they instead “attempted to assimilate stigmatized minorities through their removal from their habitual environments and dispersal across the country” (Statiev 243). In doing this, the Soviets failed these oppressed groups, as they only caused them further displacement and physical violence. This included the facilitation of train deportations, as victims’ survival was dependent on “season and climate in their region of exile”, as well as the length of travel time which could be a minimum of two to three weeks which also included a lack of food, as many “starved to death” (Statiev 250). In addition, due to the nature of a small, confined, overcrowded space, the cars proved to be a center for disease (Statiev 250). Therefore, it is evident that the Soviet powers did not have the best interest of victims, including the Jewish people, in mind. In this way, they most certainly were perpetrators, responsible for the annihilation of numerous communities.

Dimant’s experiences echoes Statiev’s research, as the deportations proved to be most inhumane. Dimant recollects that the “cold in the car was intolerable”, so much so that members of the family were forced to sleep side by side on straw (Medvedeva-Nathoo 69). In addition, there were no washroom facilities on the train, thus people were forced to relieve themselves under the train’s wagon (Medvedeva-Nathoo 70). This showcases that there was a clear level of disrespect and humiliation in degrading victims, as Dimant herself recalls being embarrassed due to the lack of privacy there was in displaying such an inmate act (Medvedeva-Nathoo 70). Evidently, the Soviets were unable to provide victims with basic human needs. This included food, as Dimant and her family were forced to eat only what accompanied them on the train, as “no food was provided for the deported” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 70). The deportations are perhaps the most chaotic display of violence against the Jewish people, as not only are they being physically annihilated, but due to the nature of the setting, they are constantly reminded of their displacement. Even Dimant’s mind wandered on the train, wondering if she would ever see her bike in Warsaw again (Medvedeva-Nathoo 70).

In January of 1940, after six weeks of deportation, the Wejgsmans arrived at the railway station in Leninogorsk, also known as Ridder, which is a part of East Kazakhstan (Medvedeva-Nathoo 81-85). Soon after, they made their trek to the Second District, which was located eighteen kilometers from Leninogorsk  (Medvedeva-Nathoo 81). The Wejgsmans had entered an intimidating territory, on one side of their new home lay Siberia, while the other shared a border with China (Medvedeva-Nathoo 83). The further they travelled from Warsaw, the more apparent their displacement was. Dimant recalls that in the “warm hues of Autumn”, she was reminded of Warsaw, and wondered how long they would remain in exile (Medvedeva-Nathoo 90). The Wejgsmans resided in the Second District for six years, and due to the loss of their Polish citizenship, the Wejgsmans involuntarily adopted a Soviet identity (Medvedeva-Nathoo 90). This was a deliberate act of terrorization, as Soviet rule was purposely  “accompanied by an enforcement of Soviet citizenship” (Nesselrodt 49). This negotiation only solidifies the complications Dimant had to endure in the most formative years of her self-discovery. Dimant continued to persevere, as she did not wish for her womanhood to be constructed solely by external factors, she too wished to gain control, even in these troubling environments. Dimant’s persistence paid off, as in 1943 she was able to secure a job at the House of Culture, a center that displayed different media discourses, including films (Medvedeva-Nathoo 125). Through this opportunity, Dimant was able to break out of the economic confines imposed on her by the Second District, as she was able to gain experience and independence in the workforce. The only job positions in the Second District subjected Dimant to manual labour, including working in the timber mills, which only brought on increased physical pain and exhaustion (Medvedeva-Nathoo 101). However, Dimant succeeded in obtaining an avenue to financially support her family.

In May of 1945, the Second World War ended, however this event brought a storm of complexities. The trauma of their disposition was deeply rooted, but the Wejgsmans knew they had to return home to achieve “an independent voice” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 137). However, for Dimant the presence of marginalization lingered, as in 1946 Dimant married her first husband Jan (Medvedeva-Nathoo 147-148). However, Dimant says “I knew that I wasn’t in love with Jan, but even better still, I knew that I was hungry” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 147). The suffering Dimant endured in wartime, and the oppressive terror she was victim to, continued to influence her life decisions even after the war. As a result of her traumatic experiences, Dimant’s identity continued to be manipulated by perpetrators, as they still made her fearful of potentially being stuck in the cycle of starvation and erasure. Fortunately, Dimant was able to reclaim her identity in recognizing the toxicity of her marriage, and as a single mother she chose to leave Jan (Medvedeva-Nathoo 172).

There is an immense power in Holocaust survivors’ ability to tell their stories. This not only serves as an opportunity to highlight the significance and relevance of history for the purposes of Holocaust education, but also allows the voices of other survivors to be heard. Thus, there is the chance for symbolic relationships to be created across time and borders. In 2005, The Toronto Star showcased Ann Szedlecki, who also survived the atrocities of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Leninogorsk labour camps (Dunphy 2). Szedlecki passed away in May of 2005, but Judy Cohen, a survivor of Auschwitz herself, says that “at first she (Szedlecki) was a bit reluctant to talk, especially with an Auschwitz survivor like me” (Dunphy 1). However, Cohen says that she explained to Szedlecki “you are a Holocaust survivor of a different sort, it is good for people to know there are varied experiences” (Dunphy 2). It is saddening to see that Szedlecki did not believe she had the same right to identify herself into the same category as other Holocaust survivors. Perhaps if she had read Dimant’s story she would have felt differently, as she would have been able to relate to similar attacks on her identity.

In August of 1970, Dimant, along with her husband Sasha, immigrated to Vancouver (Medvedeva-Nathoo 208). Although Canada brought many opportunities, Dimant was faced with new obstacles in the adaptation of her identity. This new negotiation included the adoption of the English language into their vocabulary, which in itself is no easy task (Medvedeva-Nathoo 208). However, even in the establishment of their new life, they did not leave their homeland of Poland behind, as they were determined to give life to those who were murdered in the Holocaust. The couple was engaged in many projects, one of the most successful being working alongside the Holocaust Education Centre to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Medvedeva-Nathoo 219). The two were detailed in their planning as there was “an exhibition, conference, and a reception for guests from Warsaw” (Medvedeva-Nathoo 220). The two individually, but notably together, display the epitome of resiliency and selflessness. Though they were victims themselves, the ceased the first opportunity to use their resources to share the stories of their courageous brothers and sisters. The life of Dimant displays the many complexities of displacement, in the negotiation of identity during the Holocaust. Dimant was uprooted from her home in what were supposed to be the most foundational years of her life when establishing her individuality. Thus, Dimant’s development as a young woman was informed by the violence that was inflicted upon her, which was a stressful landscape to navigate. However, she found strength in herself and in centering the importance of family, which informed her capacity for power and strength. Finally, Dimant’s story is particularly significant as it highlights not only the presence of Nazi, but also Soviet perpetrators, and the marginalization they inflicted upon Jewish lives. It is of the upmost importance to focus on survivor stories like Dimant’s, as studying numerous experiences of the Holocaust, leads to a more socially just understanding of the atrocities that took place against the Jewish people. The widespread distribution of these stories helps to ensure that history will not be repeated.

Works Cited

Birenbaum, Halina, David Welsh, and Taylor & Francis eBooks A-Z. Hope is the Last to Die: A Coming of Age Under Nazi Terror. Routledge, London, England; New York, New York, 2015.

Dunphy, Catherine. “Nobody’s Daughter’ Spoke Up; Ann Szedlecki’s Holocaust Tale Survivor Told Her Story Until the End: ONT Edition.” Toronto Star, 2005.

Kluger, Ruth. Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered. Feminist Press: At the City University of New York, New York City, 2001.

Medvedeva-Nathoo, Olga. Crossroads: A True Story of Gina Dimant in War and Love. Translated by Richard J. Reisner. K&O Harbour, 2014.

Nesselrodt, Markus. ““I Bled Like You Brother, Although I Was A Thousand Miles Away”: Postwar Yiddish Sources On The Experiences of Polish Jews in Soviet Exile During World War II.” East European Jewish Affairs, vol. 46, no.1, 2016, pp.47-67.

Statiev, Alexander. “Soviet Ethnic Deportations: Intent Versus Outcome.” Journal of Genocide Research, vol.11, no. 2-3, 2009, pp.243-264.

“The Conquest of Poland and the Beginnings of Jewish Persecution.” Yad Vashem, https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/about/outbreak-of-ww2-anti-jewish-policy/conquest-of-poland.html#narrative_info.