Hella Bloch, RIP - A "Jew" in Berlin During WWII

Hella Bloch, born in Germany in 1925, passed away this month. She was a friend at Freedom Pointe Independent Living where Vi and I have lived for the past seven years.

Her published obituary does not mention the harrowing story she told me about how she survived WWII in Berlin Germany while identified as a "Jew"!

Hella told me that her father had made the "mistake" of admitting to the NAZI authorities that one of his grandparents had been Jewish. As a result, Hella had a big red "J" stamped on her identity documents, and she had to wear the yellow "Jude" star, see images below.

"J" (for "Jew") on Hella's NAZI passport. Her "Jude" yellow star.

Hella shows me her NAZI passport

In addition to the "J", all Jewish women were given  the middle name "Sara".

Passport photos show Hella as a young woman

Hella will be missed by all of us 
at Freedom Pointe Independent Living!

EXCERPTS FROM HELLA BLOCH'S OBITUARY

Hella K. Bloch (nee Leyser) passed away Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at Freedom Point, The Villages, FL.  She was the wife of the late Michael Bloch who passed July 2, 1989.

Hella was born in Berlin, Germany, the only child of the late Hertha and Felix Leyser.  She married Michael (Heinrich-Ernst) Bloch on October 16, 1948 at St. Ludwig Catholic Church in Berlin, Germany.

Being survivors of the Holocaust, Hella and Michael left Berlin on July 20, 1949, seeking a new home in the United States.  They arrived August 7, 1949 aboard the “General SS McRae”.  They became proud citizens of the USA in 1954.  They lived in New York City until 1957 when they moved to Yonkers, NY. After years of working in many different capacities, several different industries, Hella began a Real Estate career in 1961.  First as a Sales-Agent, and then as a Broker since 1965.  In 1967 Hella founded a Nursing Home Auxiliary (S.A.Y.).  Its members would visit residents of a local nursing home.  For most of those years Hella was the President of S.A.Y.  Hella was a Den Mother of Den #1, Troop 29 Yonkers, NY and a constant supporter and volunteer of the Boy Scout movement.

She will be deeply missed by her sons, Ronald M. Bloch and his wife Mary Ellen of The Villages, FL and Rene M. Bloch and his wife, Kim of Delray Beach, FL and daughter, Yvonne K. Bloch-Lugo and her husband Eugene Lugo of Millsboro, DE.  She has 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. 

Ira Glickstein