Holocaust Survivor Regina Zielinski
Why do you think Regina Zielinski survived?
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Most Jews worked very hard to become successful and live a decent life style.
 Do you think there was anything wrong with that?  Do you think it could have been envy and jealousy that drove the Nazi's to be anti semitic?
Have you ever had dreams of a future only to be led in a different direction?
Regina and her family were well liked and  respected in her community. Her father had the family business and was a successful business man.  Many of us, if not most, have dreams for our future.  Regina wanted to be a chemist when she was young but her dreams of her future were shattered. It seems Regina lives viciously through her daughter who has become a Pharmacist.
Have you ever had an experience where you've jumped from the frying pan to the fire?
 The polish people were experiencing lawlessness in their community because the hooligans were stealing ...so the Germans came in and it got better but then worse. The Gestapo had a pattern of hostily for banging on the windows during sacred high holy holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot)
Have you ever experienced a collatral loss? (When you've experienced legal sanctions and it intereferes with other opportunities, i.e. loss of home, loss of job, loss of assets, loss of vehicles)
When the Germans were at war, they took everything from her. She lost her home and close relatives, family business and even her family horse.
One German officer killed himself on his motorbike so the Germans took it out on the community and people started disappearing  never to be seen again.
Has anything ever happened in your life where someone was injured or killed and other people were used as the scape goat?
Have you ever been denied an opportunity for education?
Soon while the war was organizing itself, the Jewish children were taken out of school and forced to work.
Have you ever been displaced and felt like you've had to live in a "ghetto"?  
Sometimes Regina's family were able to do gardening and make bread to feed their family. Then one day when they came home from work, they were told not to go home.  They were forced to live in a ghetto (one room, kitchen, little shed) straw mattresses.
Have you ever been ostracized from your church or synagogue?
The Nazi's burned down their local synagogue which was their place of worship.
Have you ever felt like you were stealing from your own self? (i.e. sneaking around on different streets to avoid your enemies...)
Once in a while, Regina and her family managed to sneak back to their homes to get supplies.
Have you ever had a bad experience on a holiday involving the police?
After a while, the elderly, sick, and children were taken away and never seen again.  Sometimes they would raid the neighborhood or a particular house on holidays.
Have you ever had a medical emergency or any medical necessity where medical assistance was not accessible?
On one occasion, Rosh Hashanah, Regina's brother passed away because medical assistance was unaccessible. At least he had a Jewish burial.
Do you think music being played while people are being murdered was a good idea?
Finally, the Nazi's took Regina away to a hard labor camp.  When they arrived at Sobibor Concentration Camp they heard music playing.
What is the longest you've been without food?  Or, what is the longest you think you could go without food?
Everyday, Regina got a small ration of bread, watered down soup, and something to drink she describes as coffee.
Do you think that is something to joke about years later when you got over it?
Regina witnessed the twin boys of a prominent man getting attacked and torn apart by two of the Nazi's dogs. "The Germans were not beasts because then you'd be insulting the beasts," Regina said
Have you ever had an emotional experience that you felt was equally as cold and calculated with depraved indifference?
One day they took away all the older adults, sick people, and children because they were unable to work. Then, other prisoner's heard a lot of shooting in the forest.
Have you ever had an experience(s) when you felt that people didn't know what to do with you?
When the prisoners arrived at Sobibor, they had to choose from a pile of shoes and Regina's sister's shoes were in the pile.
What does this remind you of?  Do you think we have that kind of community cooperation today?
One Nazi asked some prisoners who could knit. After Regina was selected for the job, her and the other prisoners had a quota per day. If they didn't fill the quota, a prisoner could be selected to die.  If one couldn't fill the quota other girls would help.
What would give the prisoners that impression?
One day, the prisoners tried to knit a pullover sweater to for their "boss" to maybe gain a favor. But it went unappreciated.
If you were ill, would you be afraid to go to a medical compound because you would be "selected" to die?
The prisoners weren't allowed to get sick or they would be executed or taken to the gas chambers.
 Have you ever gotten into major trouble for something frivolous?
Regina told the story about a 17 yr old boy who stole a can of sardines. A Nazi  executed him indicating the cans of sardines were for them.
Emotionally have you ever experienced a crude deception somewhat like that?
When the cattle cars filled with prisoners arrived, they were told to leave their belongings behind; that they would be back after they took showers "for health reasons". But, they never came back.
If you were a business owner, would you be strict and hard on your employees?
Regina had a middle ear infection and couldn't tell anyone or appear to be in pain or she could be selected to die.   A Nazi notice that she wasn't working fast enough so he took her to get beat with a whip.  Eventually, a dentist relieved her of her ear ache.
Do you think Germans, Nazi's or the Polish would have perceived them as being lesbians and would have shot them dead on site?
I agree that if Regina would have met up with Zelda, they would not have survived together.
Do you influence or persuade other people by your conduct even without realizing it?
Regina was careful not to associate herself with others due to the dangerous reprecusions to their lives for hiding a Jew.
If the statute of limitations is up in your case, have you ever experienced a nerve shattering incident like this?
One of the miracles Regina received was when she did not have her identifying papers. The train went past the station that would have questioned her. Regina also blended herself in with a family to go through a gate to avoid questioning.
Can you blame her?  Would you hold on to your faith if you suffered that much for it?
During her trip to Germany, Regina was resourceful.  But, she felt like she had nothing, no name, no family, almost no identity. When she encountered ignorant people, she knew to keep quite and be respectful. Most of all, Regina was happy to be far away from Germany.   Regina did not want to be Jewish after her experiences.
Do you feel Regina was a truthful witness?
 Should we have more witnesses like Regina in the U.S. today or do you think most people in the U.S.A. lack credibility?
Do you think this was what gave them the strength to go on?  Do you think you could survive her conditions?
It seems that all of the Holocaust survivors wanted to survive to tell the world their story.
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