Testimony

Helene Grubair-Hermantin (Née Helene Majster Grubair) was born in Brussels in 1936 to Polish parents, grew up in a large, close-knit Jewish family. Her father was a unique factory worker producing camping equipment in Belgium. They celebrated Jewish traditions more as a family reunion than a strictly religious practice. Following the German occupation of Belgium in 1940 Helene’s parents hid in a factory. Her mother worked for the underground community, distributing food stamps and aiding those in hiding. Helene was separated from her parents and moved in with her parents’ friend outside of Brussels. Helene stayed in Aalst for around a year, where she had to learn and adapt to Dutch language. Her parents had to change their hiding place, they found shelter in the attic of their homebuilding with the help of poor neighbours. During the war many non-Jewish civilians played a vital role in the family’s survival. At some point of the war Helene had to leave her parents again and found shelter in a convent in Kortenberg. After the war, Helene reunited with her family, and they rebuilt their lives from scratch in the United States. She resumed her education, although she struggled with discipline and feeling different from her peers. Her wartime memories, including wearing the Jewish star, left a lasting mark. As she grew older, Helene became involved in organizations like Solidarité and L'Union Sportive des Jeunes Juifs, following her parents' insistence on maintaining connections with their Jewish heritage and community. She got married and had a daughter and two grandchildren. Her interview was recorded in 1997, in Miami, Florida.