Stories of Resiliencefrom HolocaustSurvivors (week 3)

Estelle Glaser Laughlin was born in 1929 in Warsaw, Poland, into a loving Jewish family. Her childhood was filled with joy, books, and the warmth of family life—until the outbreak of World War II shattered everything. When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, Estelle was just ten years old. The German occupation swiftly imposed brutal restrictions on Jewish families, forcing them into overcrowded ghettos, depriving them of their rights, and subjecting them to inhumane conditions. Estelle, her parents, and her sister were confined to the Warsaw Ghetto, where they struggled to survive amidst starvation and violence.

As the war intensified, the situation worsened, and Estelle's family lived in constant fear of deportation. In 1943, during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, they were captured and sent to Majdanek concentration camp, a place notorious for its cruelty and death. It was there that Estelle’s mother made a desperate plea to the guards to spare her daughters. Miraculously, Estelle and her sister were kept alive, while so many others perished. Determined to survive, they endured forced labor and unimaginable hardship. From Majdanek, they were transported to Skarżysko-Kamienna and then to Częstochowa, where they continued working under brutal conditions. Hope remained a distant but persistent force in Estelle’s heart. When liberation finally came in 1945, she was just 16 years old—too young to have seen so much suffering, yet strong enough to envision a future beyond it.

After the war, Estelle and her sister immigrated to the United States, seeking to rebuild their lives. She dedicated herself to education, determined to share her story and ensure that history would not be forgotten. She became a writer and educator, using her voice to advocate for understanding, resilience, and the fight against hatred. Her memoir, Transcending Darkness: A Girl’s Journey Out of the Holocaust, stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit.