August 13, 1941
Ulanow has been occupied. I don't know where my family is. I miss them every day. The synagogue is still burning red flames. The books of the library also burn. Kuba has been transported and I fear I will also be taken but I hope they don't make me leave. I hope papa comes to save us.The Jews in the town have already began to prepare for whats to come. No one knows if it will be as bad as we've heard. Small rumors have made families paranoid and they've locked up their belongings in neighborhood homes.
September 1, 1941
They forced me to come to work as a laborer for the German army. I had no choice. Thankfully, Michal has also been selected so I wont be all alone. They are men with no souls. They shoot at anyone that is too weak or broken to go on. They show no mercy. They don't even flinch when they watch an innocent child drop at the sound of their pistol. I heard they make men work to death. Before the transport they warned all the remaining citizens of Ulanow that to harbor Jews or their belongings was punishable by death.
November 13, 1941
I've been working for over a month in a camp in Ulanow. I can recognize the city from where we are. Michal and I are staying in the same place. I'm glad I have him with me. We often speak of ways we could escape. His father taught us many ways to fight and how to live off the land. Michal was able to hide a pocket knife with him during the transport. We've heard rumors that the Germans have plans to expel all the Jews from Ulanow in the next few weeks. If anything like that happens Michal and I are running. We are not scared anymore.
January 12th, 1942
The Nazis ordered a roundup yesterday for all of the Jews in Ulanow. I thought i should stay and see if my family is there. I knew I wouldn't meet them there. 40% of Ulanow is Jewish. Most of the town will be gone in a few days. I don't think i'll ever see my family again. Michal and I have decided that staying in Ulanow would get us killed. We grabbed everything we needed and ran.I think we ran for around an hour yesterday before we got tired. We use to run all the time. Now its just a way to stay alive. I think we are near the outskirts of Ulanow now. There are many fields and forests wherever we are. We are hiding up in a tree. This is where we will sleep. Goodnight.
March 4th, 1943
We've been eluding the Germans for more than a year now. They're so stupid they followed fake foot tracks we made for over a mile in the opposite direction we were in. Were planning on staying in a rye field tomorrow. We have not been there yet so i'm not sure what its like but Michal said that its a quite little place. No one will find us there..I hope.Its about 5 now. I've learned how to tell time by the placement of the sun. I think that's pretty cool. Our school never taught us abut half the things I've learned while living in the forest. This has been a lot of fun. Of course i'm scared at times when the Germans come a little too close or when I see smoke in the distance.
March 5th,1943
The second Michal and I got to the rye field we could hear barking. We drove into the plants and now we're barely breathing. I feel like if I move a dog will pounce onto my body and crush my skull. Michal is shaking. The plants around him looking like they have an electrical current running through them. I hope they can not see it as well as I can. I can hear foot steps coming closer and closer. i hear their breathing or is that just mine? I can feel my heart exploding in my chest. I want my mom. I want her warm vegetable soup after a cold day. I want to wake up. This has to be a terrible nightmare. Michal was found. somehow they didn't see me. A dog is staring me in the eye now. They see me...
