United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
folder 1
Jordan family collection
Collection of photographs relating to the Jordan family from Miskolc, Hungary. Gyula Itzhak Jordan (b. Nov. 30, 1895) and his wife Aranka Zeisler Jordan (b. January 29, 1904), parents of Judit, (b. June 13, 1929). The Jordan family moved to Budapest in 1932, where Judit attended Scottish missionary Burgerschule, but in September 1943 she was transferred to a Jewish Gymnasium. In March 1944, with German invasion of Hungary, Jewish children were not allowed to attend school. The Jordan family had to move to a building marked with a Star of David. Gyula worked in the basement of the building, repairing bicycles. In July 1944 Judit tried to pass as a non-Jew, using false papers which she received from her cousin, but soon found out she was wanted by the Gestapo, and she returned to her parents. In November 1944, Judit and her mother were forced to dig anti-tank trenches near Budapest airport. After 3 weeks they were marched back and on the way representatives of Zionist organizations managed to give Swiss Schutzpasses. Judit and her mother escaped to a protected Swiss House and her father came there later. On Jan. 10, 1945 they were taken to a ghetto and on the 18th the Soviets liberated the city. In May 1946 they left Hungary and on board ship “Max Nordau” reached Palestine. Judit met Zvi Fenster, survivor of Łódź ghetto and they married on Dec. 18, 1949; they have two children: Orna and Erez, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.