MAKE SURE HISTORY IS NOT FORGOTTEN.
♪ >> WE STOPPED IN MONEY GAINED
SHOULD WE DID PAINT ON LOCATION.
♪ >> AT AGE 95, RUTH CAN LOOK AT
ONE OF HER MANY SCENIC WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS AND KNOW
EXACTLY WHERE SHE WAS WHEN SHE PAINTED IT.
>> THIS IS ALSO A FANTASY.
DIETING IN THE OLDEN DAYS.
>> WE SAT DOWN WITH RUTH IN HANOVER WHERE SHE NOW LIVES.
SURROUNDED HER ARTWORK.
HER PAINTINGS ARE FILLED WITH BRIGHT COLORS AND LIGHT.
>> THIS IS BROOKLYN.
>> THAT IS CONEY ISLAND.
A STARK CONTRAST TO THE DARK MEMORIES OF HER CHILDHOOD.
SHE WAS BORN IN GERMANY.
UNTIL AGE 11, HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE.
>> MY FATHER WAS A BUSINESSMAN.
MY MOTHER ATTENDED TO OUR HOME.
WE HAD A STEADY MADE ALSO -- A STEADY MAID ALSO.
SHE HAD BEEN WITH US FOR MANY YEARS.
>> UNTIL ADOLF HITLER ROSE TO POWER IN 1933.
>> HE SAID HE IS GOING TO GET RID OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
SOON AFTER, THERE WERE SIGNS IN STORES AND ESTABLISHMENTS, JEWS
ARE NOT WANTED.
JEWS ARE NOT ACCEPTED HERE >> >>.
SENSING THE ANTI-JURISTS’S SENTIMENT WOULD ONLY GROW, HER
FATHER DECIDED TO TAKE THE FAMILY TO SOUTH AFRICA.
THEY LEFT FAMILY AND BELONGINGS BEHIND.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT THE TRA STATION
-- THE TRAIN STATION TO WISH US GOODBYE AND WISH AS WELL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME.
>> RUTH AND HER PARENTS WERE IN SOUTH AFRICA WHEN NAZI TROOPS
INVADED POLAND.
IT WAS ONLY MUCH LATER RUTH AND HER FAMILY LEARNED WHAT HAPPENED
TO LOVED ONES BACK HOME.
>> MY FAMILY DISAPPEARED.
ONLY LATER ON WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS NOBODY LEFT.
NOBODY LEFT ANYMORE.
BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAVE, WHERE TO GO
TO NOT EVER -- WHERE TO GO.
NOT EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> THOUGH THEY WERE SAFE IN JOHANNESBURG, RUTH’S FATHER
DECIDED TO BRING HIS FAMILY TO PARIS WHERE HIS BROTHER LIVED.
AT THE TIME, FRANCE WAS NOT OCCUPIED.
IN 1940, GERMAN TROOPS ADVANCED INTO FRANCE AND FRENCH POLICE
BEGAN ROUNDING UP JEWS.
THEY STARTED TO ARREST PEOPLE.
THEY ARRESTED MY FATHER.
THEY DID NOT TAKE WOMEN AND CHILDREN UNDER 16 BUT THEY TOOK
MY FATHER.
MY FATHER MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN HIS LIFE, THE BIGGEST
MISTAKE IS HE MOVED US FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO EUROPE.
HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT.
WE WERE SAFE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
>> TO ESCAPE ARREST, RUTH’S FATHER JOINED THE FRENCH FOREIGN
LEGION.
RUTH AND HER MOTHER WERE SHELTERED TO THE SOUTH OF
FRANCE.
RUTH RECALLS THE DAY SHE TRIED TO ATTEND SCHOOL IN THIS SMALL
VILLAGE.
>> I GO TO REGISTER IN A LITTLE SCHOOLHOUSE.
NO SOONER WAS I SITTING IN THE CLASS, IN CAME THE MAYOR OF THIS
LITTLE PLACE.
I CA SEE THERE WAS A MUSTACHE THERE.
HE POINTED TO ME AND HE SAID, YOU JEW, OUT.
CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW I FELT?
NO SOONER WAS IN THE CLASS I WAS THROWN OUT OF SCHOOL.
>> RUTH’S FATHER WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE FRENCH MILITARY.
RUTH RECALLS THE FRIGHTENING DAY WHEN POLICE CAME TO GET THEM AND
OTHERS AND ORDERED THEM TO BOARD A TRAIN.
♪ >> THERE WERE A LOT OF REFUGEES
IN THIS VILLAGE.
WE ARE ALL MARCHING TO THE TRAIN STATION.
WE BOARDED THIS TRAIN.
THE TRAIN LEFT.
IT COMES TO A HALT.
NO SOONER AFTER MAYBE 15 MINUTES LATER.
ANOTHER STOP.
MY FATHER SAYS WE ARE GETTING OFF.
I AM SAYING TO THIS DAY, MY HEART IS POUNDING.
HE SAYS TO MY MOTHER WHO WAS DIABETIC.
SHE WAS NOT WELL CARED WE ARE GETTING OFF.
WE GOT OFF THIS TRAIN.
THE TRAIN LEFT.
THERE WAS A POLICEMAN WALKING UP AND DOWN WITH A GUN.
HE DID NOT SEE US.
WE GOT OFF THE TRAIN.
THE TRAIN LEFT.
THIS TRAIN WAS DESTINED TO AUSCHWITZ.
>> THE FATHER SPENT THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR IN FRANCE.
WHEN THE WAR ENDED, RUTH MET A YOUNG AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT
STUDYING IN PARIS.
IT WAS AN INTRODUCTION INITIATED BY HER FATHER.
WAS YOUR FATHER A GOOD MATCHMAKER?
>> MY FATHER NEVER MADE A DATE FOR ME IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
I MADE MY FUTURE HUSBAND TED WE DATED.
WE GOT MARRIED IN PARIS.
>> THEY MOVED TO HIS HOMETOWN OF NEW YORK CITY WHERE RUTH GOT THE
EDUCATION AND ART CLASSES SHE HAD YEARNED FOR AS A CHILD.
>> AND NOW, I HAVE A HOUSE, A HUSBAND, CHILDREN, A DOG AND I
AM GOING TO COLLEGE.
♪ I REALLY ENJOYED PAINTING.
IT WAS LIKE HEAVENL IT WAS GOOD FOR ME THAT I
FINALLY ACHIEVED SOMETHING.
RUTH’S WORK WAS SHOWN IN GALLERIES ACROSS NEW YORK CITY.
THE PAINTINGS REFLECT HER TRAVELS OF HAPPIER TIMES.
WHEN THE WAR ENDED AND HER LIFE BEGAN A NEW.
NOW SHE ONCE YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT
HAPPEN DURING WORLD WAR II.
>> IT IS IMPORTANT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HOW PEOPLE DID LIVE
THROUGH THE HOLOCAUST.
A YOUNG GIRL LIKE I WAS.
I HAD NO FUTURE.
NOTHIN WAS REALLY GOING TO BE HAPPENING TO ME.
I HAD NO HOPE.
I HAD RESENTMENT AT THAT TIME.
NOW, IT IS DIFFERENT.
I KNOW THAT I CAN REMEMBE.
>> AND YOU SURVIVED.
>> AND I CANNOT FORGET.
AND I SURVIVED.
THAT WAS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE.
ALL THE THINGS WE HAD GONE THROUGH.
ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT I HAD TO LIVE IN.
THIS IS MAYBE -- I AM STRONG NOWADAYS.
AT 95, I AM PRETTY STRONG.
>> WE THINK, PRETTY REMARKABLE AS WELL.
RUTH EVEN TAUGHT HERSELF THE HARMONICA AND DELIGHTED US WITH
A QUICK CONCERT.
♪