Lia Juhl, née Slobodkin
(Riga 1906- Amsterdam 1998)
Lia was born on 04.06.1906 in Riga, Latvia, to her parents, Ben-Zion and
Sara Slobodkin . Her father, Ben Zion Slobodkin was born in Minsk and
met her mother, Sara Schwartz, while he was serving as a soldier in the
Tzar army.
Lia Slobodkin with her parents and brother. 1907
Later her father opened a fabrik for trees in Riga. Her
mother, Sara Schwartz was born in Mitau (Jelgava) to a large family with
many children.
Sara Slobodkin was born as Sara Schwartz, to a family with many
children, in Jelgava Latvia. Her father, Haim Schwartz (son of Selik and
Sara), was also born in Jelgava himself, but his family roots are from
Germany. From her mother, Hene Klein (daughter of Haim Klein) family
comes from Lithuania, a religious family with many rabbis. When Sara was
a little girl, her mother used to read them a bedtime story before
going to sleep in Yiddish. Her father, Haim Schwartz, passed away when
she was young. Her elder brother, Yankel, emigrated to the United States
began sending cards to family to get them out of Latvia and to move to
the States also.
Marriage and motherhood
In 1903, Sara met
Ben Zion Slobodkin, tsarist soldier, born in Minsk, but he lived in
Krimenchuk as an adult, Ben Zion fell in love with Sara at first sight
and they married shortly in Mitau. In 1911, left Latvia, Scheina Rivka
Schwartz, Sara's sister. Sara and Rala was the last two sisters remained
in Latvia.
Brothers and sisters of Sara:
- Yankel Schwartz -
born about 1870, who emigrated to the United States, Yankel was married
to Hannah and they had six children.
- Deborah Gluschove - born 1872,
who emigrated to Glasgow with her husband Samuel, they had four
children born in Riga, of whom three died as children, only daughter
reached adulthood and married and had her own children.
- Abraham
Schwartz - born in 1875 or so, died in childhood.
- Hirsch Schwartz -
born in 1878 or so, moved to the United States in 1900 at the age of 22
or so.
- Mary Gercn - born 1882, emigrated to the United States, where
she married Jacob Gercn, the couple had four kids.
-Jennie Cohen -
Born in 1884, emigrated to the United States, where she married an older
man over 30 years and his name was Meir Cohen, the couple had two sons.
she was also known as Scheina Rivka.
Lia with her maternal Aunt, Scheina Rivka (Jennie) Cohen nee Schwartz.
Jerusalem in 1957
Selik
Schwartz - born 1889, emigrated to the United States, where he married
Esther and they had five children.
Sarah Slobodkin, née Shwartz
Lia was the second daughter of Sara and Ben Zion of six
children.
Schwartz was the extensive family in Latvia when Lia
was born, but soon the family began to travel to Glasgow and the United
States. Riga remained only Sara Slobodkin, Lia's mother, and Sara's
sister Rala. Rala married the goldsmith Leib Lurje, who was well known
jeweler in Riga. The couple had children, all cousins grew up together
as brothers and sisters. Leib Lurie died when Lia was young.
Abraham Lurje and his brother Isser, who she considered as a
brother.
Lia
was proud of her mother's lineage, Schwartz family. Lia's cousin, Isser
Lurje, Lia cousin, was during World War II among the few who remained in
Latvia during the war, stayed in the Riga ghetto and survived the hell
on earth. Gertrude Sheinfeld's book - Journey to terrorism, which tells
the story of the Jews of Latvia, the number of detail about everything
that had Isser Lurje. Lia herself has died without knowing that her
favorite aunt and cousin Isser, who she considered as her brother grew
up with her, survived the horrors of war and was still alive.
Lia's parents
Ben Zion Slobodkin - Lia's father, born in
Minsk, in 1874 or so, had a waterfall trees near Riga, before that was a
soldier in the army tzar, was a visit to Riga when he met fell in love
with Sara Schwartz.
Sara Slobodkin - Lia's mother, a native
reflected born in 1881? into a family with many children.
Lia's brothers and sisters
- Haim
Slobodkin - born in 1904, living as a salesman, who was married to Sara
Rebecca Schwinik. They had two daughters: Tanya and Hanna.
Sarah and Tanya Slobodkin. 1934
Sarah and Grandaughters Tanya and Hana
Tanya
Hana
- Rachel
Slobodkin - was born in 1908. Was named after her grandmother, Rachel
Slubodkin. she was married to Isaac Hitry and had a daughter, Shulamith.
- Beille Slobodkin- born in 1911, was married to Mendel Ostrom and
they had her son, Elia.
Lia's sisters Beila and Rochel
Ida Slobodkin, youngest child, born in 1922, she was a
ballet dancer.
Sara Slobodkin nee Schwartz, daughter of Hene klein and Haim Schwartz.
With
husband Benzion and daughters, Rochel, Beila, Ida and Holsie. 1933
All
the six people were killed in Ghetto Riga...
Lia married in 1931 to the actor Avinodov Borkum.
Lia and Avinodov Borkum marriage certificate
Lia and Avinodov left Riga in 1933 and moved to Amsterdam. Lia had
called Riga the "Little Paris", and when she came to Amsterdam, she has
found a village compared to Riga, she took the nail polish cap head
adjusts to the scene.
A newspaper from Riga 1935, Lia's sister Ida is on the pictures
Lia and Avinodov Borkum
About Avinodov(Eugen) Borkum in a newspaper
In 1941, the Gestapo caught Lia and
Avinodov they were taken to prison. Lia moved during the war between the
four camps, and the later of which was Auschwitz, where she was
released. Abinodov Borkum was executed in Auschwitz in 1943 (details).
According to the two documents below Lia was first interned in the
Westerbork concentration camp (Netherlands), then from February 2, 1944
in the concentration camp of Vittel (France).
Document of Lia in the Westerbork concentration camp . 1943 (concerning her nationality it is written "Stranger", not Jewish )
Lia's document in the concentration camp of Vittel.
Her passport was made in Berlin on November 27, 1940
Lanhauser, commandant of the Vittel concentration camp. 1941- 1944
After
the war
When Lia was released, she tried desperately to locate her
parents, brother, sisters and nephews. But much to her sorrow, all of
them were executed Rumbula in 1941. She was using her family to go
through the hard times, her maternal aunts, especially Jennie Cohen who
lived in New York and Mary Gartzman who lived in Connecticut. Aunts sent
her money, clothes, and then sent my cousin from New York, Abraham
Cohen, who changed his name Cassel. Abraham was in Amsterdam until Lia
began to grow stronger and come back to herself how she could. In 1948
she met and married a Fritz Juhl.
Lia and Fritz Juhl wedding in 1948.
In 1949 their son was born, Ben Zion
Juhl, who died hours after birth. The doctors told Leah that following
what she went through the camps, it was a miracle that she managed to
get pregnant in the first place.
Lia and Fritz Juhl. Amsterdam. 1953
Lia refused to return to Riga
ever again, since the city is full of dirt and her family ashes, as she
said. She kept in touch with her cousin, Abraham Lurje and his wife,
Scheina Niselsohn who lived in Riga, through letters.
Lia Juhl. Amsterdam. 1978
Lia Juhl. 1994
Lia's
memory and story is the family heart forever.
Lia and Fritz Juhl Grave in Amsterdam
The lost Slobodkin
dynasty from Riga
After the war Lia was the only surviving daughter
of Sara and Ben Zion. Leah lost her infant son who was born in 1949.
After the death of Lia in 1998, No one has left from Sara and Ben Zion
descendants. Before her death, Lia perpetuated the names of her parents,
brother and sisters in writing and gave it to her cousin's daughter,
she never ever talked about the family but before her passing she wanted
them to be remembered. The Slobodkin family remembered the glorious
lives on in the hearts of nephews and cousins.
This is the letter Lia wrote before her death
about her family murdered in Riga.
Photos and info submitted by Asi Lurje.
See also Lurje family
Adler family
