Mala Zimetbaum Padlet by ABBIE SPECIAN

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She went by Mala Zimetbaum, Malka Zimetbaum, Mala Galinski

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A Musical Based Off Of Mala's Story

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCoh01LURV4

Extra Information for Curious Readers!

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https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/zimetbaum-mala ←Mala Zimetbaum

Website Used:

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http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/revolt/auschescape.html

Famous Quote:

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"I shall die a heroine, but you shall die like a dog."-Mala Zimetbaum

Famous Quote:

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"Take care of yourself! Get decent clothing. You've got to wash somehow." -Mala Zimetbaum

Mala's Birth and Origins

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On January 26, 1918, Malka Galinski was born as the youngest of five children. Her parents were Pinkas and Chaya Zimetbaum, and her mother gave birth to her in Brzesko, Poland. Later, her family moved to Belgium and she became a model pupil, excelling in mathematics and languages. (The languages she knew included Flemish, French, German, Polish, and English.) She was also registered as living in the city of Antwerp on March 21, 1928.

Mala's Legacy

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Mala Zimetbaum is known for various things, including helping others during their harsh treatment in the Barracks at Mechelen and attempting to escape with her partner, Edek Zimetbaum. Now, a plaque has been placed where her family used to live, along with a lodge being named after her and many survivors paying their respects to her every year. Mala has also had many scholarships named after.

Mala's Postcard:

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On August 25, 1943, Mala Zimetbaum sent a postcard to one of her older sisters. It was a clever warning as she mentioned her sister-in-law, Etush. In fact, her sister-in-law had died before the war even began. The note went something like this:

"Don't worry. I am in good health, working as an interpreter. All the others are together with Etush."

Mala's Arrest and Deportation:

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Zimetbaum was arrested July 22, 1942, on her way back from Brussels to find a hiding place for her family and herself. She was moved to Fort Breendonk, then Mechelen, and finally, a camp at Birkenau. Upon her arrival she underwent the normal humiliations for new prisoners, and the number 19880 was tattooed on her forearm. She was chosen as one of the 101 females in the camp fit for labor and began her work as a Lauferin (or messenger) in the camp.

The Escape

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After falling in love with Edek Zimetbaum, Mala planned to escape with her lover on Saturday. Edek wanted to bring her with him to escape because he feared for her life due to the fact that she had malaria (a disease caused by mosquitoes). Meanwhile, a man named Wieslar would travel with another prisoner named Jozek on Monday. Edek even dressed as an SS guard while Mala dressed as a male prisoner with a lavatory pan.

The Failure

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Mala and Edek Zimetbaum were found to be missing after the evening role call; sirens blasted throughout the base and rumors spread about their escape. Eventually, the two were captured on July 6, 1944, and interrogated brutally by the Political Department in Bunker II. Edek and Mala Zimetbaum were scheduled to be hung on September 14, 1944.

Death

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After her lover had been killed while trying to resist, all of the female prisoners were called to form a circle near Block 4 in the women's camp. While Lagerfuhrein, Maria Mandel read out Mala Zimetbaum's sentence, Mala slashed her wrist with a razor blade. An SS guard attempted to grab the weapon, but Mala hit him, leading the SS to beat her severely in an attempt to seize the razor blade. Later, she was taken away in a cart and passed away shortly after.

Another Postcard by Mala:

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On October 25, 1943, Mala Zimetbaum wrote another postcard to her older sister. She feared that her nephews and parents had been killed by the Nazis. Her fears were justified because her parents and nephews (ages 3, 5, and 6) had been killed in the gas chambers near Auschwitz, where she used to live. It read: “My dear sister, why don’t you write me? You know that every couple of lines from you will renew my courage to face life. Where are our dear parents, why don’t they correspond? What about the dear children? Thinking of it will drive me mad”