Natus Weissblatt, the older child of Rena and Mark Weissblatt, was born in 1926 in Warsaw, Poland. Warsaw was a large, cosmopolitan city, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. Natus and his family lived in an exclusive area of Warsaw, where his father worked for the government, and his mother gave private Hebrew lessons. His grandfather was highly involved in the Jewish community. Natus was part of a large, loving and highly educated family and had a comfortable and secure early childhood.
It all ended in September 1939, when Germany occupied Poland. Anti-Jewish decrees were immediately issued. Jewish schools were closed, religious services were forbidden, and synagogues were burned. In November 1940, the Jewish ghetto was established. All of the 400,000 Jews in Warsaw, together with an additional 90,000 Jewish refugees and deportees, were forced by the Germans into the Warsaw Ghetto. Natus and his family were among those moved into the ghetto.
The Warsaw Ghetto, sealed from the rest of the city by a high wall, was severely overcrowded and lacked food, medicine and heat. Thousands died of starvation and disease. In order to feed their families, young children often risked their lives to smuggle food into the ghetto. In spite of all the horror, underground schools, libraries, and cultural events were organized. Natus, 14 years old, and his family struggled to survive.
Beginning in July 1942, the Germans instituted massive roundups and deportations from the ghetto to Treblinka Death Camp. On April 19, 1943, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover, the Germans began liquidating the Warsaw Ghetto. The remaining Jews rose in revolt. After 27 days of resistance, on May 16, 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto was no more.
Nothing is known of the fate of Natus and his family after they were forced into the ghetto.
Natus was one of 1.5 million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust.
A personal history from the Archives of the SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER 1991-507 [017]
