Renee Salt, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, has lived through unimaginable pain and loss, but the haunting memories of her childhood during the war still feel vivid.
For Renee, a child of Zdunska Wola, Poland, the horrors of the Holocaust began when she was just 10 years old.
In her new memoir, A Mother’s Promise, co-written with journalist Kate Thompson, she revisits those dark years in detail.
Despite the passage of time, the trauma of the war has never faded, and Renee remains dedicated to sharing her story, hoping future generations will learn from the past.
A Childhood Shattered by Nazi Invasion
Renee’s childhood, once filled with warmth and family gatherings, was brutally upended when the Nazis invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
She recalls the overwhelming sense of loss as German soldiers took over her home in Zdunska Wola.
Forced into a ghetto with her family, she describes the harsh realities of their new life under Nazi occupation—wearing a yellow Star of David, walking in gutters to avoid the pavement, and enduring cruel humiliation at the hands of the SS.
It was a life of constant fear and deprivation.
Witnessing the Unimaginable at the Ghetto’s Liquidation
In 1942, Renee’s life took a tragic turn.
One summer morning, the ghetto in Zdunska Wola was liquidated, and Renee’s family was thrown into chaos.
SS officers ordered all children under 18 to be separated from their parents.
In a desperate attempt to protect her daughters, Renee’s mother, Sala, tried to hide them, but it was too late.
Renee’s beloved younger sister, Stenia, was torn away from them and never seen again.
This traumatic event would stay with Renee forever, as she recalls the screams and cries of mothers torn from their children.
A Family Lost to Nazi Brutality
Despite the horrific separation, Renee and her mother survived, moving from one camp to another, while losing nearly everyone in their family.
Over 200 members of Renee’s extended family were murdered by the Nazis.
In the brutal selections at the ghetto, most of her family was condemned to death. Renee and her mother fought to stay alive, using every ounce of strength to hold on to each other.
Narrow Escapes from Death at Lodz and Auschwitz
Renee’s story is one of constant brushes with death.
When the family was moved to the Lodz ghetto, they faced squalid conditions—no food, no water, and rampant disease.
Yet, a miraculous moment occurred when an SS officer tried to remove a gold ring from Renee’s father’s finger but failed, leaving the ring to fall at his feet.
In Lodz, Renee and her family’s survival was a daily battle, but the worst was yet to come.
The family was eventually transported to Auschwitz, where death lurked around every corner.
The Terrifying Arrival at Auschwitz
Arriving at Auschwitz, Renee was confronted with scenes of horror beyond her imagination.
Separated from her father and subjected to the infamous selection process by Dr. Josef Mengele, she barely escaped death.
The young girl, who had been through so much, found herself facing yet another death sentence.
But, miraculously, she was spared, and along with her mother, was sent to a different part of the camp.
The horrors of the gas chambers, forced labor, and deprivation became her new reality as she and her mother clung to life.
Survival Against All Odds at Bergen-Belsen
After Auschwitz, Renee and her mother were transported to the notorious Bergen-Belsen camp in northern Germany, where conditions were even worse.
The camp was overcrowded, food and water were scarce, and disease ran rampant.
But it was at Bergen-Belsen that Renee’s mother’s strength became her lifeline.
As Sala fought to keep her daughter alive, tragedy struck just 12 days after the camp’s liberation.
Renee’s mother, who had been her rock throughout the ordeal, passed away, leaving Renee orphaned at just 15 years old.
Reunion, Romance, and a New Beginning
The war may have stripped Renee of everything, but it also brought an unexpected twist.
When Renee was living in Paris, recovering from the trauma, she met Charles Salt, a British soldier who had helped liberate Bergen-Belsen.
The two soon learned they were related through Renee’s mother.
Their shared past was a bond that led them to marriage in 1949.
Together, they started a new life in London, where Renee found a sense of peace and stability after years of unimaginable suffering.
The Legacy of a Survivor: A Mother’s Promise
Renee’s memoir, A Mother’s Promise, is a powerful testament to the love between a mother and daughter in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Though the scars of the past will never fade, Renee is determined to keep her mother’s memory alive and ensure that her story serves as a warning to future generations.
In an interview, she reflects on the lessons learned from her harrowing experiences: “We should learn to live in peace with one another, so perhaps then the world will be a better place.”
Never Forget: Renee Salt’s Final Message
As Renee recalls the devastation of the Holocaust, she stresses that the lessons of history must not be forgotten.
She is adamant that anti-Semitism and hate still have a presence in the world today, and the horrors of the past must never be allowed to repeat themselves.
Despite all she has been through, Renee’s voice remains resolute.
Her message is clear: peace and understanding must prevail for the sake of future generations.
A Testament to Survival and Strength
Renee Salt’s journey is one of survival, resilience, and the enduring power of love.
Despite losing so much, she has emerged from the ashes of history to become a beacon of hope and strength.
Her memoir serves as a testament to the incredible strength of the human spirit and the love of a mother that never fades, even in the darkest of times.
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