Klara Haya Loheit Hinkis
MAIL: mailto:t_sha133@yahoo.com
mailto:relationnet2012@gmail.com
Survivor Code: RelatioNet KL LO 23 VI AU
Family Name: Hinkis
Previous Family Name: Loheit
First Name: Klara
Date of birth: 1923
Country of birth: Austria
City of Birth: Vienna
Klara Loheit
Klara was born in Vienna in 1923. Klara's parents settled in Vienna after World War 1. Klara was the oldest daughter and she had a brother who was 3 years younger than her. Klara's family was a traditional Jewish family; her father went to the local synagogue every Saturday and on holidays. Her whole family met frequently and played domino and cards. In Passover for example, her uncle dressed up as Prophet Elijah and scared all the kids.
Klara's Family:
Klara studied at a Secular school and she had an anti-Semitic teacher. Her teacher used to call her "Horeit" which meant "Her Highness" in German to dishonor her. In her class she was one of three Jewish girls, one of whom was the local Rabbi's daughter. Each morning they were forced to pray like the Christians. They had a considerate art teacher who understood that they couldn't paint on Saturday, so he gave them an extension. In December 1937, she moved to a Jewish Gymnasium (High School) which eventually was closed by the Nazis. All of her friends were Jewish. She had a Jewish neighbor who asked her to be friends with her daughter, with whom she was friends with until 2009 when her friend passed away.
Klara at the age of 16:
The life of Klara's family was quiet and peaceful until March 13th 1938 – the week of the election in Austria. Her father supported the Social-democratic party and he used to wear a pin with the party's colors. One day her father went outside and he was very shocked to find the entire street covered with Nazi flags and symbols because Hitler invaded Austria that night. Her father owned a wool shop which he closed after the Nazis wrote "Jew" on his window-pane. The Nazis started taking the Jewish men to concentration camps, and her father who was 40 at the time was frightened. So he escaped to Israel through an agency called "Palestine". After he left, the SS came to Klara's house looking for weapons and they found their passports and took them.
Before they were forced to leave their rented apartment, they asked their third floor neighbors who were members in the Nazi party to return their passport and they agreed. The landlady knew that eventually the SS would force them out of the apartment, so she agreed to buy it from them for a small sum.
After they left the apartment they resided in a small Jewish restaurant which accepted homeless Jews. The only money they had was the money they got for the apartment. Klara's mother sent her and her brother to the diner nearby to eat. Because it wasn't a Jewish diner they only had pork, so Klara's mother said:"God will forgive us".Since the public places were closed for Jews, the only place the Jewish teenagers could go to was the park, and Klara used to go there with her friends.
In 1939 Klara was afraid to go outside because she looked Jewish, so she eventually decided to go to Israel with "Palestine" agency and live with her father. Her brother couldn't come with her because he was too young. She had to renew her passport, but renewal of a Jewish passport could only be done by the head of the Gestapo – Adolf Eichmann.
A dozen Jews stood in a line in front of Eichmann. He yelled at them:"You're eating all our food!" and then he said:"Men to Buchenwald, Woman to Theresienstadt!" Klara exited the building crying that she couldn't go to Israel, so her mother yelled at the "Palestine" agency people and convinced them to let her board the ship as a stowaway. She had to stay at the engine room for the entire journey. Klara described the voyage as "indescribable and horrible". The ship had no stabilizer, there was a lot of noise and smell of oil from the engines and she got sick. Luckily, her friends looked after her and gave her food each day. She knew that if she got caught she would be sent back to Austria.
After five days in the engine room, the ship anchored at Haifa harbor.
Meanwhile, her mother met a Jewish family in Vienna who had relatives in Israel, and they agreed to lend her money if Klara's father would return the debt to the family in Israel. Using the money, Klara's mother and brother managed to board the ship to Israel.
When Klara came to Israel, she lived in Tel Yitzhak, an Israeli Kibbutz. And her superior taught her Hebrew.
Vienna:
MAIL: mailto:t_sha133@yahoo.com
mailto:relationnet2012@gmail.com
Survivor Code: RelatioNet KL LO 23 VI AU
Family Name: Hinkis
Previous Family Name: Loheit
First Name: Klara
Date of birth: 1923
Country of birth: Austria
City of Birth: Vienna
Klara was born in Vienna in 1923. Klara's parents settled in Vienna after World War 1. Klara was the oldest daughter and she had a brother who was 3 years younger than her. Klara's family was a traditional Jewish family; her father went to the local synagogue every Saturday and on holidays. Her whole family met frequently and played domino and cards. In Passover for example, her uncle dressed up as Prophet Elijah and scared all the kids.
Klara's Family:
Klara studied at a Secular school and she had an anti-Semitic teacher. Her teacher used to call her "Horeit" which meant "Her Highness" in German to dishonor her. In her class she was one of three Jewish girls, one of whom was the local Rabbi's daughter. Each morning they were forced to pray like the Christians. They had a considerate art teacher who understood that they couldn't paint on Saturday, so he gave them an extension. In December 1937, she moved to a Jewish Gymnasium (High School) which eventually was closed by the Nazis. All of her friends were Jewish. She had a Jewish neighbor who asked her to be friends with her daughter, with whom she was friends with until 2009 when her friend passed away.
Klara at the age of 16:
The life of Klara's family was quiet and peaceful until March 13th 1938 – the week of the election in Austria. Her father supported the Social-democratic party and he used to wear a pin with the party's colors. One day her father went outside and he was very shocked to find the entire street covered with Nazi flags and symbols because Hitler invaded Austria that night. Her father owned a wool shop which he closed after the Nazis wrote "Jew" on his window-pane. The Nazis started taking the Jewish men to concentration camps, and her father who was 40 at the time was frightened. So he escaped to Israel through an agency called "Palestine". After he left, the SS came to Klara's house looking for weapons and they found their passports and took them.
Before they were forced to leave their rented apartment, they asked their third floor neighbors who were members in the Nazi party to return their passport and they agreed. The landlady knew that eventually the SS would force them out of the apartment, so she agreed to buy it from them for a small sum.
After they left the apartment they resided in a small Jewish restaurant which accepted homeless Jews. The only money they had was the money they got for the apartment. Klara's mother sent her and her brother to the diner nearby to eat. Because it wasn't a Jewish diner they only had pork, so Klara's mother said:"God will forgive us".Since the public places were closed for Jews, the only place the Jewish teenagers could go to was the park, and Klara used to go there with her friends.
In 1939 Klara was afraid to go outside because she looked Jewish, so she eventually decided to go to Israel with "Palestine" agency and live with her father. Her brother couldn't come with her because he was too young. She had to renew her passport, but renewal of a Jewish passport could only be done by the head of the Gestapo – Adolf Eichmann.
A dozen Jews stood in a line in front of Eichmann. He yelled at them:"You're eating all our food!" and then he said:"Men to Buchenwald, Woman to Theresienstadt!" Klara exited the building crying that she couldn't go to Israel, so her mother yelled at the "Palestine" agency people and convinced them to let her board the ship as a stowaway. She had to stay at the engine room for the entire journey. Klara described the voyage as "indescribable and horrible". The ship had no stabilizer, there was a lot of noise and smell of oil from the engines and she got sick. Luckily, her friends looked after her and gave her food each day. She knew that if she got caught she would be sent back to Austria.
After five days in the engine room, the ship anchored at Haifa harbor.
Meanwhile, her mother met a Jewish family in Vienna who had relatives in Israel, and they agreed to lend her money if Klara's father would return the debt to the family in Israel. Using the money, Klara's mother and brother managed to board the ship to Israel.
When Klara came to Israel, she lived in Tel Yitzhak, an Israeli Kibbutz. And her superior taught her Hebrew.
Vienna:
Vienna was the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and after World War I became the capital of Austria. Vienna was the home of many influential Jews such as: Sigmund Freud, Theodor Herzl and Martin Buber.
In March 13th 1938, the Third Reich lead by Adolf Hitler invaded Austria and Vienna became their provincial capital. Vienna became a hostile city for Jews, who were chased in the street and were forced to scrub the streets. All those who opposed the Nazi Rule were deported to concentration camps and murdered.
On the night of November 9th, many Jews' stores, buildings and synagogues were destroyed during Crystal Night; a horrible night which earned its name because of the never-ending sound of broken glass.
In January 1942, more than 65,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps, only 2000 of them survived.
Nowadays, Vienna is by far the largest city in Austria with the population of 1.7 Million. Vienna hosts many international organizations such as the UN and OPEC. In 2005 it was ranked first for quality of life.
In March 13th 1938, the Third Reich lead by Adolf Hitler invaded Austria and Vienna became their provincial capital. Vienna became a hostile city for Jews, who were chased in the street and were forced to scrub the streets. All those who opposed the Nazi Rule were deported to concentration camps and murdered.
On the night of November 9th, many Jews' stores, buildings and synagogues were destroyed during Crystal Night; a horrible night which earned its name because of the never-ending sound of broken glass.
In January 1942, more than 65,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps, only 2000 of them survived.
Nowadays, Vienna is by far the largest city in Austria with the population of 1.7 Million. Vienna hosts many international organizations such as the UN and OPEC. In 2005 it was ranked first for quality of life.
