Born: Rozwadow, Poland June 29, 1911 Laura was one of five
children born to a Jewish family in the southeastern Polish town
of Rozwadow. Jews comprised almost two-thirds of the town's
population. Laura's father worked as a wholesaler, providing
families in the area with grain, potatoes and other produce.
Laura attended one of the town's public schools. 1933-39:
Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned Poland [as a result of
the Nazi-Soviet Pact] in September 1939. Our town lay on the
demarcation line. On September 24 the Germans reached Rozwadow,
and many Poles in the town were glad to see them. Then, in early
October, we were ordered out of our house; we were told that in
24 hours we had to cross the San River to the Soviet zone. Our
Polish maid and her friends laughed as we took the few
belongings we were allowed. 1940-44: On the eve of the German
invasion of the Soviet Union, in June 1941, Soviet forces
evacuated Polish Jews near the border to the Soviet interior.
Summarily ordered to go and work in the ea