Raya's Testimony...

My present name is Raya Kovensky, my maiden name was Wachotinski. When
we came over to the U.S., within five years my father changed it to Watkin. I was
born on January 30, 1930, in Danzig, which at that time was a free state between Germany and Poland. My parents were born in Kiev in imperial Russia, my older sister was born there as well. I believe it was at the time of the Bolshevik revolution when my father felt it was time to get out of there. He laid the groundwork for my mother carrying my baby sister to travel from village to village towards the West, to get to Danzig. At that time Jews were very well in Danzig. My father was in the lumber business. I would say it started changing, maybe even before, but for me in 1937. I do remember the Nazis in the streets, I do remember the children being taught very, very early on to hate Jews. When I went home from school I would always see if I can seek out an older adult so that I could walk with that person knowing that these children won’t harm me if I am with an older adult. You couldn’t go to the park. You couldn’t go to the theater. You couldn’t go to public school. We had a lovely synagogue that was, of course, destroyed during the Kristallnacht. My father had the same foresight that he had with Russia, I mean the Bolshevik revolution there, and he felt the same thing was happening. I think my father realized that whatever plans he started making had to be finished and we had to get out before it was too late. Fortunately for all of us. Otherwise, I couldn’t be here talking to you right now. We did not leave until June of 1939. I think I was very excited because I realized that I was going to America. The Goldene Medina, which means the land of gold. Gold in the streets and all that, which, you know… as a child, I guess you believe anything. I remember the Statue of Liberty being gold in color, which of course, it is not. But coming at the time that the sun was setting and it just turned golden. I remember she was so beautiful to look at it. And it’s a wonderful thing to reach American shores and to see this wonderful, wonderful statue. We had my aunt greet us in New York, she came and then we took the train to Chicago. I don’t think there is a person alive who does not recall what exactly they did on December 7, 1941. I remember very vividly saying to myself, “Oh my god, we’re at war. We just left Germany two years prior to escape the madness there. How are we going to be involved? How horrible.” I was devastated that this could happen to us here in America now.