From the Eyes of a Child—Part 3

Coming to America

by Sherri Stewart

A few months ago, I spent the afternoon with Zofia Zsibinski, (Zosia for short), an eighty-four year old Polish woman who exuded confidence and elegance. From outward appearances, no one could have believed this petite woman with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes could have endured such a tumultuous childhood and lived to tell about it.  Her story couldn’t have been summed up in a single article, so I broke up her story into three parts: The War Years in Poland and Germany, The Years of Servitude after the War, and Zosia’s Life after Coming to America.

From the age of three, the Nazis forced Zosia and her family from their home in Poland onto a train to Germany, where she endured her early years in a dozen different internment camps. One time, her parents, sisters, and Zosia were told to grab all their belongings, strip, and enter a building where they waited for the gas to take their lives, but the conduit for the gas had been destroyed, so they lived to see another day.

When the war ended, life didn’t improve for the Zsibinskis. Nazi soldiers were replaced by German farmers who bid on families to work their fields, and for the next few years, the family lived in a barn loft without heat and little food. Because of Zosia’s cheery disposition and ability to speak a little German, she ingratiated herself to the farmer’s elderly parents, who gave her extra food and freedom to move around the farm.

With little hope of their lives ever improving in Europe, Zosia’s parents made the decision to move to a different country, but in order to do so, they’d need a sponsor from the target country who would guarantee that the family could stay together, find employment, and receive room and board. One such family in Australia agreed to sponsor them, but just as they were about to board the ship, the offer was withdrawn because the sponsors wanted a smaller family.

 

Months later, the Polish Alliance found them a sponsor named Joseph Warjas, an elderly man who worked for Packard in Detroit. After a tumultuous journey across the ocean where Zosia’s mother almost died, they arrived at Ellis Island in the spring of 1951.

Their first view of New York was disheartening. Zosia’s sister Helena said, “Daddy, why did you bring us to hell?” They took the train to Detroit and ended up at 17808 Wexburg. Their sponsor, Joseph Warjas, greeted them with open arms. He told her parents, “As long as I’m alive and I have a dime, your children will be taken care of.” Zosia’s first memories of her new home included the big white box in the kitchen called a refrigerator, two bedrooms, and of all things, something called a bathroom. There were even apple trees in the yard. Zosia had never seen a black person until she ventured out of the house and met her neighbors. They welcomed her and her family with open arms and brought them clothes. She also remembered how meticulous their lawns were. One of their neighbors took Polish lessons so he’d be able to talk to them. Although Zosia and her two sisters had second-hand dresses to wear, they had to share one pair of shoes and a babushka, so they couldn’t attend the same mass.

The family lived there for four years. They walked to church, and Father allowed Mother to sing in the choir. Father got a job sweeping floors at a little factory for five cents an hour. When he received his first two nickels, he broke down in tears. The nickels meant more than money; they meant freedom and a future. Zosia never smiled as a child, and her mother always covered her own mouth when she talked. When Uncle Joe took her mother to get her teeth checked, the dentist cried when he saw her teeth. Her mother said it was “a Hitler thing.”

One bright spot in those first years was Club PNA (Polish National Association) which welcomed newcomers, but it was located three miles away, and the Zsibinskis walked there twice a week. Choir rehearsal, lessons on Polish and American history, and art and drama gave them the center they needed to thrive as a family in the community. They also enjoyed picnics and festivals where they participated in Polish dances.

In the fall, Zosia started school at Corpus Cristi. The nuns showed no compassion to the tiny eleven-year-old who spoke little English. They taunted her and then sent her to Mother Superior when Zosia responded with some bad words she’d picked up. Twin boys who had witnessed the interaction stuck up for Zosia by telling Mother Superior what the nuns had said. She made the nuns apologize to Zosia. School was always hard for Zosia who suffered from dyslexia and the language difference. However, she worked hard and finally graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle School in Detroit. 

 

Zofia got a job at JL Hudson’s as a stock girl. She handled all the stock from the third-floor basement to the 23rd floor. Eventually, she was promoted to millinery buyer. Mrs. Charles Fisher and Mrs. Henry Ford were two of her clients. Zofia loved the glamour of it all and later worked as a rep for a wig company. It was there she learned about upper-class behavior. She bought her mother a $25 dress, which was a lot of money for a young girl who supported her parents for $2 an hour pay. Her indomitable spirit and work ethic enabled her to make her way up to superintendent of cosmetics at Revlon and Clairol with an office in New York. 

 

 

Sherri Stewart is woman of faith who loves all things foreign whether it’s food, culture, or language. A former French teacher and flight attendant, her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She savored boterkoeken in Amsterdam for A Song for Her Enemies, and crème brûlée in Paris for its sequel, What Hides beyond the Walls. A widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who always has to fix her computer. As an author, editor, and Bible teacher, she hopes her books will entertain and challenge readers to live large and connect with their Savior. Join, chat, and share with her on social media. Newsletter Facebook Twitter Instagram Website
If the Nazis stole your house, wouldn’t you be justified in stealing it back?

When Tamar Feldman admits to her husband, Daniel, and mentor, Neelie Visser, that she broke into her former home, they scold her for taking such a risk. Tamar is tired of being careful. She’s tired of living in the present, as if the past doesn’t matter. But the painting of the violin girl in her former bedroom draws her back again and again. She finally steals the painting to return it to its former owner. Now maybe this small act of justice will help Tamar start to heal. When Neelie sees the painting, she reveals a secret about it that will take the three of them on a quest to Amsterdam and Paris to find justice, forgiveness, and new beginnings. What Tamar doesn’t realize is the past isn’t finished with her yet; in fact, it’s as close as the walls in her house and even follows her to Paris. Amazon