Leslie Blanco-Joseph Morton (survivor testimony)

     Joseph Morton was born on July 11, 1924 in Lodz, Poland, which later became the site of a Jewish ghetto. At the time of his testimony he was 73 years old. Joseph came from a family with 6 children. They lived in an apartment building in what was considered a mostly Jewish neighborhood. His mom was a stay at home mom and his father was a tailor who later became a policeman while they were enclosed in the ghetto. He mentioned many times of how close his family was. They would have a get together every Saturday night before sundown and play music. He and his friends use to bike ride, ice skate, and play soccer for fun. He said the first real sign of danger that he could remember was when the Poles started pointing out who the Jewish people were because the Nazis couldn't yet tell them apart. He also said that he believed the war started on a Wednesday and by Friday the Nazis had already invaded Lodz. He said that as a warning to obey they hung three men.

     By 1940, they had enclosed the ghetto with wire walls. Many people were dying out on the streets from starvation. The Nazis would close up the streets and take people away to death camps. He was transported out of the ghetto by a wagon. Once at the camp he made it through the selection process and ended up in the same wagon with his father, brother, and a cousin. They were stripped of everything, including jewelery, gold, and sometimes even their gold caps on their teeth. Joseph, his father, cousin, and brother went to work at the camp. They never really had specific jobs they just did what they were told to do, while having potato sacks on their feet. After this they were shipped from camp to camp. Morton was later hospitalized. While hospitalized, liberation had begun. When Jacob was healthy again he and his family made their way to Canada. Then, they came to the United States.

Quotes:

“You were always living in fear, besides being hungry you always had that fear”

“To this day, I still get nightmares.”