Twins survive Holocaust and now celebrate their 100th birthdays
Phillip Maisel and his sister twin sister Bella Hirshorn were born in 1922 in Vilnius and survived the war incarcerated in different camps.
Twins Phillip Maisel and Bella Hirshorn. Something to celebrate.
Phillip became a member of the partisan group, Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye. Phillip was a good friend of Hirsh Glik who wrote the poem Zog Nit Keynmol (The Partisans’ Song).
During this time, the Germans attacked the USSR and Phillip found himself living in a ghetto. Bella visited from time to time there and he recalls the terrible conditions under which they lived.
When Phillip was transported to Estonia, he was very fortunate to find friends who found him work in an Estonian camp repairing cars for Germany.
He said: I recall the living conditions, the concentration camps and the good fortune which led me to Australia.
I was walking one day when a man approached me to ask me a question. When he heard me speak, he told me about a woman who lives in the America Zone who speaks like me. That was Bella we were reunited in December 1945.”
Later Phillip was reunited with his brother, who was in the French army. He told Phillip that his uncle lived in Australia. Phillip wrote to his uncle, who invited Bella and him to come to Australia. He and Bella made new lives for themselves in Melbourne.
He told J-Wire: “When I retired, I kept a promise made during the Holocaust that if we ever survive, even for 5 minutes, we will tell the world what the Germans did. And I have kept my promise.
I have spent the past thirty years collecting testimonies, reporting events, and working on archive film footage for the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. I have been honoured by the museum and have just recently retired from my voluntary Director of the Testimonies Project.
“I have two birthdays, the 31st of July and the 14th of August, which is on all of my documents so I will be spending my 100th birthday twice. I had a big celebration with family and friends and look forward to doing that again”, Phillip said jokingly.
Bella has always been very involved with communal work, particularly WIZO.
His motto: “I just accept what comes. Just appreciate whatever you have.”
Inspiring – thank you for sharing such a wonderful story. They look so positive
My mother Malka Yashuner was also born in Vilna in 1922. She did survive the holocaust but passed in 1995. God bless you may you live to 120.