Benjamin Morris Gasul (1898-1962) was born in Latvia. He traveled to the U.S. on the"Empress of Russi" ship at the age of 16 and settled in Kenosha, WI. He graduated from Rush Medical School in Chicago and continued his studies in Vienna where he married American Lala Rosenzweig (she sang in the opera house). Dr. Gasul practiced pediatrics until 1945 when he became focused on heart disease in children. He developed an academic training program in pediatric cardiology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, published a textbook, and established a monthly meeting where physicians consulted each other on the diagnosis and treatment of childhood heart disease. Named Gasul Club Meetings, these informal sessions still occur today. Dr. Gasul and Lala had three daughters: Gloria Gasul Gottlieb (b. 1928), Sandra Gasul Dreyfuss (b. 1934), and Judith Gasul Simon (b. January 1939; the donor). Henry S. Newman (1920-2013) was born in Warsaw and lived on Nowolipki Street as pictured in this film. During the war, he remained in the ghetto in Warsaw until 1942 or 1943 when he, along with his mother, father, and two brothers, were discovered in the ruins of a building. Henry and brother Benjamin were sent to Budzyn labor camp near Lublin, and later to other camps, before being liberated from Dachau in 1945. Benjamin died immediately after liberation. Henry married and lived in Munich, Germany directing stage theater performances before emigrating to New York in 1949. He worked in television, and promoted environmental quality. Henry's story was adapted into a play performed at Harvard University - http://www.budzyntheplay.com/. Read the New York Times obituary at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6D6133AF937A25757C0A9659D8B63
The Gasul Family consists of Gloria Gasul Gottlieb, Sandra Gasul Dreyfuss, and Judy Gasul Simon.
This film was preserved with a 2010 National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) cash grant.
The use of the term"ghett" in the title card is inaccurate as this film pre-dates the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto. Note that the date is approximate and based on age of baby (born in January 1939) shown at the end of the film in Story 4570 as well as warm-weather clothing worn by individuals. Henry S. Newman (1920-2013) was discovered in this film by his daughter, Aleksandra Krsmanovic, in January 2015 (see http://olawnuczkadory.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/to-byl-maj.html).
Title:"The Jewish Ghetto" Exquisite color footage of Jews in the Jewish quarter of Warsaw, EXTs, sunny day, on or near Nowolipki street, a commercial area. Steady pan of Jews mingling in the streets, milling about, shops line the streets in the BG, signs in Polish. Two men dressed in shambles sleeping on the curb. MS, group of old and young Jews, boys horsing around and teasing another with a large satchel on his back. LS, Jewish woman wearing a wig gathers laundry in an alley. MCU, two religious Jews holding parchment papers converse on street corner. 01:02:33 LS, main street in Jewish quarter, Nalewki Street. MSs, CUs, Jews smiling, teasing each other, curiously pointing to the camera. Vendor sells sunglasses. Pan up to man in window. Another group sitting in chairs on the street, including children. 01:03:30 Close pan of large group of Jews with one blind elder standing in the center. Camera moves left showing Henryk Newman on left at 01:03:44. 01:03:48 Three religious elders with beards and dark hats sitting in chairs in front of a shop, one shields his face from the camera, younger Jews crowd around them. Short LS of main cobblestone street in Jewish quarter with people, carriage, and car.
Prewar Warsaw Jewish quarter