Apfelrot
My name is Hyman Turenshine and I was born in Debica in 1927.
My mother and her family were born and raised in Debica and my parents married there in 1918
. My four older brothers and older sister were were also brought up in Debica.
About 1929, my father moved our family to a city in the Polish Ukraine.
The rest of my brothers and sisters were born there.
At the begining of W.W.II, in 1939, my parents sent me back to Debica whereI lived with my Maternal
grandparents Yitzchak Mallin and Hannah Mallin Apfelrot.
While in Debica, I was known by the name of Chaim Apfelrot.
In mid 1940, my grandmother and later my grandfather were relocated to the forest outside Debica where
I assume they were shot.
I worked/lived in the Kalman Goldblum bakery for about 2 years (1940-1941).
I attempted to e-mail Goldblum's grandson whose father and uncle would remember me but the e-mail
address came back undeliverable.
I did'nt know his son's survived the war, or just foward this to them. . In the winter of 1941 Kalman Goldblum was killed with his wife in in Debica.
A town Pollock by the name of Mikhail Such took over his bakery.
I worked loading coal and cleaning locomotives at the Debica rail station from 1940 to about the end of 1941.
From there Iwas transported to bershatka foe about six months and then to Huta Kamaroska for another six months.
In 1943 I was sent to Pustkov where I worked in Shoe shop foe about one year.
In early 1944, when Pustkov was being dismantled, Iwas transported to Aushwitz Birkenau where I worked as a bricklayer.
After the death March we were sent to Orienburg and then to Flossenburg. I was liberated in fenced in enclosure
at Straussberg in April 1945. When the war ended Ionly weighed about 60 lbs. in 1945 and Iwas hospitalized fore a few months.
I attemped to return to Debica in late 1945. At the train station my former non-Jewish neihbors in Debica greeted me.
Iwas told that if I went into the town they would hang me.
I got on the next train west and worked in a D.P camp until coming to America in 1949.
the following photos are photos of my father, parents and older brother in Debica after W.W.I.
Hyman Turenshine (Chaim Apfelrot)
