Moshe Orgad

Born 11 August 1933, Belgrade, Serbia

In April 1941 the Germans bombed Belgrade.

Our home was destroyed and Mother decided we must run away.

I remember Grandfather saying to her, "Why run away?"

"The Germans have Beethoven, Goethe, Brahms..."

They can't be bad people." 

"Why run away?"

But Mother knew. She understood.

I went to live with Serbians whose daughters had worked for our family. 

When one of the sons of the family was killed, 

It was then that Sava, the old man of the family, decided we would join the Partisans. 

Sava became a father to me. 

He was old but he was very strong.

The Partisans walked 400 kilometers through snow, from Serbia to Bosnia.

Sava carried me all the way on his back, wrapped in a bear skin. 

The Partisans would ambush the Germans, wherever they went. 

In all of Europe, only the Partisan's area remained free. 

We lived in the forests and moved frequently. 

I remember once saying to Sava, "Why are those people sleeping in the snow." 

"Milani," he said, "they are not sleeping..."

"...they are dead."