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Names Nowy Sacz The Kannengisser Family The Lustig Family My Father My Mother Village Vacation Life at Home Our basement

The noises from the streets carried bad omens. Heart breaking screams, shootings, killings, supplications followed by deadly silence. Jews were being killed left and right and Jewish blood was flowing in the homes and in the streets. No pity was shown to the Jew. Everybody was killed: children, women and old people. The bloodthirsty Germans stopped at nothing but continued their methodical and systematic killing. I, Mordechai, laid in my warm bed wrapped up from toe to head in the blanket. I could not fall asleep as I heard the noises from the streets. My brother Moshe Yossef slept well, knees bent. We slept in the same head but our heads were at different ends of the bed. He was in a deep slumber as a twelve year old can be after a busy day. His head pointed to the door; he was always curious to know what was going on in the hallway.

I heard my parents whisper in the next room. My mother and my sister, Rachel, were sleeping in the bed. Rachel was fast asleep, exhausted from the fears of the day. I heard my father's footsteps. Perhaps he went to the window to see what was going outside or perhaps he was moving items from place to place or perhaps he was still praying. I listened to the breathing of my brother and tried to relax. Loud and heavy boots seemed to approach our apartment. I prayed that they skip our place. But not this time. Our luck had run out. Impossible to relax. I suddenly heard doors opening and closing doors downstairs. German curses directed apparently at the inhabitants of the apartment. Then a burst of gunfire, followed by another round. Heavy furniture was being moved and I heard the sound of broken glass. I began to tremble and could not control my hands and feet.

Silence ensued. Perhaps they forgot about us and went to another place. No, I heard heavy steps ascending the stairs to our apartment. I slid under the blanket and covered myself completely. I thought that perhaps they will skip our floor and head upstairs to the apartment under the roof. I was shaking beyond control. I was afraid. They probably killed the Hertzberg family that lived under us. There is no sound in that apartment. Now it is our turn to die. I heard them enter the apartment of our next door neighbors, the Sheinfelds. I knew the sound that their entrance door made. They left the apartment intact. They entered the next apartment and a burst of fire rang out. I slid further under the blanket. My brother continued to sleep; perhaps he would manage to survive. The shootings moved closer and closer, furniture pieces hit the floor and the sound of broken glass was heard everywhere. German orders. I also heard voices crying.

The main door to our apartment burst open. They entered our room where my brother and I slept. They quickly headed to my parents' room. I was wondering what would happen there. Meanwhile I stopped breathing and intently listened to what was taking place in the next room. What would they do to my father or mother? What fears I had. I heard one of the German murderers ask my father what he did for a living. He answered very softly, I am a bookbinder. These were probably his last words. The German ordered my father to turn around, I heard a shot and my father fell to the ground. I shriveled in fear. I whispered, Dad. My mother broke out in hysterical screams and she too was killed. Silence ensued. My mother, I said to myself under the blanket. I heard my sister crying and shouting mother, mother. A shot was fired. Quiet. I closed my eyes tightly under the blanket. I broke out in a cold sweat. I could not control my fears. The Germans were now leaving my parents room and heading back to our room. I heard them approaching. And hoped that they would leave already. They looked at the bed, and one German said, look what we have here. Another one said, it is merely a child. The former pulled out his pistol and fired directly into the head of the sleeping Moshe Yossef. I held my breath and did not move. I felt my brother's blood dripping on my legs. At last, they left the room. One of the murderers said in Polish, good night. I remained in bed not knowing whether they would return. I was frozen with fear. I did not cry, I did not scream. My tongue seemed to be glued to the inner palate. I remained in bed until the shooting stopped. An eerie silence followed. I saw feathers soaked in blood cover the floor.

I must get up from the bed, I said to myself. But I remained sitting. My feet were shaking on the floor and my body seemed to sway. My eyes saw the horror and death everywhere. I saw my brother still laying with his head on the pillow as though he was still sleeping. His head was shattered . I closed my eyes. I looked at the room of my parents and saw my father on the floor amidst a pool of blood. He was shot in the head. I said to myself, Father, what have they done to you? My mother and sister were sprawled on the bed profusely bleeding while feathers from the quilts soaked in blood covered them. The walls and the floors looked like a slaughterhouse. Mother, Rachela, I whispered, but no response. I now realized that I was an orphan without father, mother, sister or brother. Was this my destiny, my luck? I would never know. The picture of my dead family would remain with me as long as I live. It would inspire me to continue to live and

Copy of Markus Lustig's birth certificate

Below are listed the members of my dear family from the city of Nowy Sacz or Sandz in Yiddish. The city is located south east of Krakow, in southern Poland near the Slovakian border.

My father was Yaakov Kannengisser and my mother was Ita Lustig. My parents married at a religious ceremony that was not recognized by the Polish state. So all the children were listed under my mother's maiden name Lustig. Notice my birth record listed me as Markus Lustig. I was born on May 25, 1925. My parents gave birth to a previous child who died in infancy. My sister was born in 1926 and my brother was born in 1930. We lived on Piarska Street, number 34 that met Zelazna Street, the Jewish section of Sandz.

Nowy Sacz was established in 1292. Jews lived in the city for centuries. Already in the 14^th century, a Jewish community existed in Sandz. The Swedes conquered the city in the 16th century. The city experienced fires that caused large destruction including the synagogues that were later rebuilt. At the beginning of the 19^th century, the Polish government forced the Jews of Sandz to live in the Jewish quarter. “Sandz Hasidut” was created and established by Rabbi Chaim Halbershtam, author of the famous Hasidic book “Divrei Chaim” or The Words of Chaim. He was frequently referred to as the Divrei Chaim. He was born in 1793 in Tarnograd, in the Lublin region in Poland, and was invited to Sandz in 1828 to be the spiritual leader of the community since there was an officiating rabbi in town. He refused the post and accepted the postion when the officiating rabbi passed away in 1830. The event occurred three days after the Passover holiday. This day was celebrated in Sandz by assembling all the children who studied in the yeshivas. They marched to the cemetery where the rabbi was buried. The children carried charity boxes to collect donations. Thousands of Hasidim used to come to Sandz from all over Poland, mostly Galicia and Slovakia. The Polish railways placed special trains at the disposal of the Hasidim who came to visit and pray at the tomb of the rabbi. The latter's grave was enclosed by a dome where the entire family was buried. Near the dome, stands were erected that sold religious articles and food. This tradition continued year in, year out until the Germans conquered Poland. The rabbi had seven sons who established their own courtyards in various Jewish communities in Galicia, Poland. The family extended its influence throughout the area. The various Hasidic courts frequently scrimmaged with each other. The Germans practically wiped out the Halberstam dynasty. Between the wars, the Jewish community had already established many Jewish institutions to study torah. The city had many yeshivas where religious study was exclusively taught. There were also many study halls where young men continued to study religious texts.

Levi Kannengisser

My paternal grandfather, Levi Kannengisser, and his wife, Esther, had six children. My father Yaakov Kannengisser was the oldest. He was followed by Awraham, Zwi, Bluma, Frida and Moshe. Levi Kannengisser grew up in the village of Mszana Dolna or in Yiddish “Amsane” on the outskirts of the city of Sandz. From 1909 he lived in a big house in the village of Szlomka. The house had many rooms as was the custom in those days. The outhouse was in the yard next to the small warehouse and the water well nearby provided water to the house. My grandfather was involved in many business ventures, namely: he cultivated a piece of land, raised turkeys, ran a small saloon where the farmers could relax and drink sharp spirits. He also dealt with wood. He would go to the forest and select trees that would be cut down. He or his brothers would estimate the number of cubic meters of wood that the tree would give. They would then hire haulers who would transport the logs to the saw mill, The haulers would receive a portion of the wood for their labor as did the saw mill for cutting the logs. He also bought raw skins from animals that that were not cured and sold them. He was a very busy person and made a nice living. In 1937 my grandfather and his wife left the village and moved to Sandz. They moved to the house where my maternal grandmother lived on Romanowski Street that led directly from the main market to the river. Three rivers crossed the city: the Dunajec, the Kamienica and the Lubianka. We lived near the Dunajec River.

My uncle Moshe Kannengisser, also lived in the same old building under the roof. He was drafted in 1937 and took part in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1938 when Poland demanded and received pieces of territory in Czechoslovakia, He continued to serve in the Polish army until the war. My aunt Primet

Primet Kannengisser		Sara Jakubowitz, a sister of Esther Kannengisser

The bride is on the right, Mania, a niece of Yaakov Kannengisser		Zwi Kannengisser with his wife

My great grandfather Moshe Yossef owned a big building in Sandz with many apartments to rent. Precisely opposite this building lived my maternal grandfather Shulem Lustiger who was a fruit merchant. My mother's uncle Mechel Lustiger was a known alcoholic; he could not budge without a small flask in his possession. His wife divorced him. He took me on many excursions that I enjoyed. He had two children, a daughter and a son Nathan. Nathan lived in Krakow and managed to flee to the Soviet occupied zone in Poland. Later, I will describe what happened to him.

Mother's aunt, Yetta Lustig- Raich , was married to Dawid Raich. They had two sons: Aaron Reich who left for Kashou, Slovakia, where he was the cantor at

In this house lived Shulem Lustig in 1937. A year later he moved into the house of Levi Kannengisser

Grandfather Shulem Lustig and his wife, Miriam nee Branshteter, born in the hamlet of Stryi-Doniec, had eight children: Abish, Ita, Yehoshua, Nathan, Yecheskel, Chaim, Rivka, and Aaron. Shulem Lustig dealt with fine leather.

Abish Lustig married in 1912 in Poland. They had a daughter named Riwka. He served in the Austrian Imperial Army during World War One. Following the end of the war, the family moved to Berlin, Germany. He lived on Muleh Street 8. He was forced to leave Germany by the Nzis and settled in Palestine in 1933. Yehoshua Lustig married and moved to Krakow.

Seated is Shulem Lustig and his wife Miriam. Standing from right is Riwka Lustig, Yehchezkel Lustig, Ita Lustig, Nathan Lustig and Aaron Lustig

Abish Lustig

Dawid Lustig and his sweetheart

Rivka Lustig married Boguchwall in 1938 in Sandz. They opened a store selling writing materials on Kazimierz Street. Aaron married in 1940 during the war. He married the baker's daughter who lived on Waluba Street. They gave birth to a baby. They always had bread. Shulem Lustig died in 1936 of hernia rupture.

Yaakov Kannengiser, my father

Meanwhile I was born in 1925. My parents again opened a similar store and again failed to make a go of it. They could never get another permit to operate a store. So they converted a corner of their apartment into a store. They assembled a few boards, sheets and shelves. They brought their merchandise home and started to sell from their house. They sold a bit cheaper than the regular stores. They had a variety of buttons, bands, beads threads and tissues that tailors needed. Competition was stiff but the home business was successful. Many tailors came to buy their supplies from the Kannengissers' store. The Zeifert family was one of our best customers. That family had several sons who survived the war and reached Palestine where they have since passed away. One of the brothers named Naphtali sewed clothes for the famous Israeli actress Hannah Robino. He married and adopted a daughter. I maintained contact with him until he passed away. In 1930, my brother Moshe Yossef was born at home. There was a great commotion and many doctors were there. I was sent away to grandfather Shulem Lustig where I remained until things settled down and mother resumed her duties.

Ita nee Lustg Kannengisser, my mother

My sister, Rachel Lustig

Standing is Mrs. Lustig-Kannengisser and her children: Mordechai, Moshe Yossef and Rachel

Mordechai Lustig-Kannengisser visited the farm in the Szlonka village where he spent many summer vacations with his family

Grandmother Esther had two sisters, Libe and Sarah, who lived in Germany. Grandmother was an excellent housekeeper. She baked and cooked for the entire family and we appreciated the homemade food. All items were fresh from the country that the farmers brought to the house: butter, cheese, eggs, chickens, fruits in season like apples, plums, peaches. On occasion I was sent to the nearby grocery called “Maletz” to buy bread, candy or fly traps. The countryside was full of flies in the summer. Next to the grocery lived another Jewish family named Schechter. Close to the hamlet lived Baruch Mastbaum who owned a minimarket. The local Jews prayed at the place. On holidays, the Jews went to the nearby hamlet to pray at the study hall.

Uncle Moshe was discharged from the Polish army early in 1939 and he was never recalled. We lived in an apartment where the rooms were big. In one big room lived the five of us: three children and our parents. We paid rent to the owner, Itzik Sheinfeld, as did the other tenants. Everything was in the room. The building was hooked up to the electrical system in 1937 and also to the water line. Our place had a water faucet but no sewage pipes. We could only use the faucet for water. The faucet was located in a corner of the room where there was also a chair with a hole in the seat. At the bottom of the chair was a basin to collect the water when we washed ourselves. Under the basin was a pail where the dirty water from the basin was emptied. We considered ourselves lucky since we did not have to bring pails of water from the well. The building was big and toilet facilities were downstairs in the yard. Usually, at night, we used a night pot if we had to go and then emptied it in the morning. This saved us from running in the middle of the night to the outhouse in the yard, especially in the winter. The laundry was hung to dry in the attic in the winter.

Itzik's wife gave birth to four children: Gusta, Zwi, Ella, and Baruch. Itzik's father, Yossef Pivnik, sold leeches and I followed him for hours watching him sell his merchandise to the farmers and smoking a long pipe. Yossef died at a ripe old age during the war. All the tenants in the building dealt in commerce. Two tenants dealt in illegal merchandise. They traded in flintstones and saccharine. They stored the merchandise outside their apartments, in the cellar or in caves. Two other tenants were religious teachers: Shmuel Braber and Hershel the tall one who taught Talmud and Eliasz Lustig who taught Yiddish and other languages (he was not related to our family) lived in an apartment in the building. In the yard lived and worked Zonderling who built tombstones. I loved to stand and watch him draw and chisel the letters that he later colored in a gold color. A woman lived in the building who sold pieces of bread and also entire breads. There was also a hauler of goods who lived in the building. He transported goods from place to place or village to village.

All the tenants had access to the cellar where coal and wood was kept to heat the building in the winter. Well-to-do tenants had small shafts on the ground floor through which coal was dumped and reached their private small cellar. Most people had access to the cellar where they had small areas to store food, potatoes, apples, cabbage, marinated cabbage and meats. The cellar kept everything fresh and cool.

Father worked in a butcher shop where he removed the veins from the meat before it was koshered. He was paid five pennies for each cleaned kilo of meat. We had no lack of money or meat and food. We always had enough to meet our needs. Sometimes, the butcher gave my father extra parts of the cow, like liver, brain or lungs. He also received a kilo of meat a day. Sometimes he sold the extra meat. We had plenty of meat and fish and had Friday night dinners where we sang songs. My father drank a bit of vodka and enlived the evening. My mother even had a maid, a somewhat retarded girl, who washed the floor and removed the garbage. She slept in the attic at the house of my maternal grandfather and grandmother.

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