“April 29th, 1945, was the most glorious day of my life, I call it my Second Birthday” -Leslie Aigner We interrupt our regularly scheduled Plight programming to commemorate this momentous day. 79 years ago, Leslie Aigner was liberated from Dachau concentration camp by the 42nd infantry division of the United States Army National Guard. He is seen here sharing his experience and expressing his deepest gratitude to the troops who rescued him and so many others like him. Today, and all days, we celebrate and thank our brave service men and women who lay their lives on the line to ensure our safety and protect our freedom.
It was a shock to the system. It felt like an impossible question to answer. Thoughts began to race through their heads. Was this a trap? Could they trust a stranger? Could they survive if they didn’t? They looked at one another, all wondering if this would be their saving grace or certain demise. Left without many other options, they took the chance. Lesley’s father responded affirmatively that they were indeed escaping and did in fact need help. The mysterious man proved to be a hero, but his help would come at a price.He assisted Les’s stepmother, an older woman who had trouble walking, into the buggy and guided the group to a barn nearby. Upon arrival, they found that they were not the only ones who had taken a chance this evening. In total there were thirteen people who would attempt to cross the border. Eight adults and five children all hoping for the same thing - freedom.The escape artist explained to the group that the Russians were on high alert, actively trying to catch people attempting to flee the country. Against the backdrop of white snow, their flares would produce the effect of daylight, making it easy to track any movement. The solution: white sheets. Keeping them held over their heads at all times offered camouflage against the icy terrain. In exchange, he requested they hand over all of their valuables. Everyone complied. Eva & Lesley produced a watch, some trinkets, and whatever cash they had. In that moment, nothing was more valuable than a better chance at survival…
They packed light so it looked like they were going on holiday to spend time with family. That was the story they all agreed upon prior to departing Budapest. The group began to sell some of their belongings to gather as much money as they could. The first thing they sold was Les’s leather Jacket, a warm gift Eva had bought him when she worked at her job in the factory. It was enough to get them the few dollars they needed to start their journey. Christmas Eve would be the day. Knowing festivities would be in high gear, happiness would be in the air and perhaps a bit of leniency would be too. With a small Backpack containing their identification papers and a few necessities, they boarded a train for the Hungary/Austria border on December 24th, 1956. To the unassuming eye, they looked like a model family visiting relatives. Though, it wasn’t the unassuming eyes that worried them. The AVO (a Hungarian secret service equivalent) were known to check in on each passenger. About halfway through their journey the time came. An AVO guard approached the group and asked them for identification and an explanation of their travels. Terrified of making one wrong move or saying one wrong word, they stuck to their story perfectly and made it past their first hurdle. Still in shock, and crippled by nerves, the four of them barely took a breath, blinked an eye, or said a word for the remainder of their ride.When the train made its final stop, it was on to phase two of their escape. It was the dead of winter and the Budapest cold was fierce. Snow was piled so high they could barely walk out of the train station exit. To make matters worse, they hadn’t a clue of where they were going. They knew they had to go as far as the train could take them, but now the path forward was far less clear. With no map, compass or GPS to assist and snow falling fast, things began to feel bleak.As they started to slowly move away from the station, a man approached them. He appeared to be a farmer,
Though they felt certain their only true path to safety was leaving the country, that also meant leaving loved ones behind. Eva, heartbroken but determined, told her mother and sister about their plans. Ibolya, with a young child and compromised immune system was unable to make the journey. Gizella, knowing her departure would make Ibolya’s life incredibly difficult and getting older herself, could not bear to leave. Gizella gave Eva her blessing, though that didn’t quite quell Eva of her pain- “It was difficult, I cannot tell you how hard it was for me to leave. Especially knowing that they would not be able to communicate, as letters were still censored and could put both of them in danger. It was a goodbye for who knows how long”When Lesley told his family the news, his father and stepmother decided they would go with them. Lesley’s sister was sadly unable to join.The group leaned towards coming to the United States. Les’s stepmother already had a son in the US, and Lesley, remembering his liberation by American troops, yearned for that feeling of freedom once again. They all knew the journey would be treacherous, The unknown was daunting and all they had to hold onto was each other and hope. Hope they would make it to a land that would offer them freedom, acceptance and a new start.
When we last left our heroes, they had married fifty-nine days after their first date, Les always joked about their “very long engagement.” Soon after they wedded, thanks to Eva’s resourceful mother, the newlyweds were able to settle into their very own apartment in Budapest. Leslie and Eva created a lovely home in their modest flat and dreamed of their future together.As a nationwide revolution was failing and Communism continued to tighten its grip, Eva felt a growing unease building within her. She couldn’t bear the thought of raising children in a land marred by hate. Then, one day, while Eva and Lesley were waiting in line for bread, they heard menacing whispers from two men behind them in line. “Let’s get the commies first, then we will get the rest of the Jews” - shivers went down their spines. Hearts pounding, Eva and Lesley shared a painful glance. In that moment they knew they must act fast. The couple returned home and quickly agreed that they could no longer see a future in such a broken and dangerous place. The next step was planning their escape route.Leaving behind everything they knew, they crafted a journey toward an uncertain future, driven by determination and fueled by hope.
That love took them right to the altar! 59 days after they first met, they were married.But dont fret, this is not where our journey ends. We have much more to explore. Would they live happily ever after? Would Hungary prove to be their perfect home? Were kids in the question?Stay tuned…
Well, the dating did indeed continue. The glasses stayed on and Les and Eva became the love of each other’s lives. On March 21st, Eva and Leslie returned to the scene of the crime, Zoltan and Emma’s humble abode, to attend the bris of Leslie’s new nephew. Amidst the snipping, Zoltan and Emma were on their best behavior - not a quarrel or half eaten pastry in site. Acting like love birds, they were filled with joy to see that their unorthodox, albeit effective, matchmaking techniques had paid off. Although money was extremely scarce, Les was so grateful for their introduction that he used his hard-earned pay to purchase a flower brooch for Emma. Though he may have had to sacrifice some basic necessities for a while, the thank you was something he was compelled to do. For what they gave him in return, changed his life. Now it was time for Leslie to meet Eva’s family, and in his shy and very charming way, he won them over immediately. Over the next several dates, they visited places they remembered from childhood, learned what made the other laugh, and continued sharing intimate moments from their traumatic pasts. Where would this love take them?
Flash, AKA Leslie (because who wouldn’t love a superhero name?) asked Eva for a second date. But plucky Eva played hard to get and responded with a quick and unequivocal “No. “I have other plans,” “But I am free the day after.”After their second date the stars aligned and they met again, and again, and again. For 58 consecutive days the dating continued and each meeting brought them closer. Talk about “speed dating” they were taking it to another level.One night, not much unlike the twenty prior or the many to follow, Eva and Leslie…(you guessed it!) went on a date. Eva, self conscious of her glasses since childhood (bookworm by day - blind by night) had a habit of ditching the spectacles whenever she met up with Les. Even if it meant tripping on a cobblestone or two… Then came the infamous dinner and a movie date. Eva, not wanting to sit through two hours of a blurred Clark Gable on the big screen (or whoever the heartthrob was at the time) slyly slipped on her glasses in the dark. Les, noticing everything about Eva and always ready with a compliment, quickly quipped. “Oh, I did not know you wore glasses. You look beautiful,” Just like that, he had saved the day. Eva gained the confidence she deserved and maybe even fell a little bit harder, not on the cobblestones…but in love. She hasn’t taken her glasses off since!Would the dating continue? Would she get new frames? Or would Les, just be a flash in the pan!
“Flash” as you might have guessed, was none other than Leslie Aigner. And that wobbly woman who had one too many aperitifs would help kick off a long and beautiful love story. As Eva and Leslie walked to the park together, for the first time in a long time, everything in the world felt right and they both let their guards down. Naziism swiftly followed by Communism has a way of making you a bit distrustful of strangers (go figure), but luckily for the pair, love was in the air and somehow they knew it was ok to be vulnerable. Upon arriving at a park bench near Eva’s apartment, neither were ready to part ways just yet. They casually took a seat, not realizing they would remain in the same spot until dark. For hours, Eva and Leslie spoke about life, family, hobbies, work and everything in between. The conversation ranged from humorous to horrifying and at the end of it all one thing was clear - they had found the person that they would spend the rest of their lives with. Well, at least that was clear for one of them. Les, absolutely smitten, asked Eva to meet back up the following afternoon. Eva, holding all of the cards, chose to keep them close to her chest. She told him that she was busy (she wasn’t) but perhaps they could meet the day after. Was Eva still unsure if she had met her true love? Was it all moving too fast? Was she just playing hard to get? Stay tuned…
The two said a swift goodbye to the Rothschilds and left the bickering couple behind. They made their way to the café, where initially the conversation was awkward and filled with silent pauses. They ordered espresso, and observed the lively boisterous room, filled with other patrons drinking more than just coffee. Seated next to them was a sturdy older woman who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her aperitif. Filled with delight, she rocked back and forth on her chair, mimicking the motion of a coin-operated pony ride found outside supermarkets. Dressed in a black skirt and a casual costume of the time she continued to order aperitif after aperitif. Then, when she suddenly leaned her chair back just an inch too far, chaos ensued. She started to topple over in what seemed like Chaplin silent film slow motion. Too tipsy to think coherently, instead of grabbing the table for balance she grabbed the tablecloth and much like a magician in training, all of its contents came crashing down upon her. Did I mention the skirt? Well that too went flying up over her head and revealed far more than the cafe goers had signed up for. Her crash to the floor, with its cacophony of shattering plates, glasses and one big final thud, grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. Despite their best efforts to contain their laughter, once they ensured the woman was okay and finished their espresso, the young pair took a stroll to a nearby park and had a great giggle. The awkward silence was no more and the undeniably funny event sparked incredible conversation…
As Flash made his grand entrance, and after a few smiles were exchanged, everyone settled and took a seat at the makeshift dining table. The massive surface doubled as a place for meals and Zoltan’s workspace. A furrier by trade, his table needed to be large enough for stretching and cutting, and thus it spanned the length of the room. Emma created lovely place settings with tea for four. Even in these hard times, she took special care to make sure it all looked just right. As Emma set down a beautiful plate of yummy treats, Eva felt the weight of everyone’s eyes gazing on her.Zoltan and Emma sat at opposite ends of the room, while Eva and the young man sat directly across from one another. The distance between Zoltan and Emma was so vast that it felt like they needed a microphone to communicate. The awkwardness in the air was thick, you couldn’t cut it with a knife. Zoltan, known for his eccentricity and hearty appetite, did something unexpected. Whether it was to break the ice, or his love of Petit fours, one will never know. But in a swift moment- Zoltan grabbed each pastry, taking a bite out of every one, before graciously returning them to the plate. Let’s just say Emma was not too thrilled about this. The young man’s face turned bright red with embarrassment as Emma and Zoltan’s usual bickering battle began. The gloves were off and shouting commenced. Fortunately, for Eva, her tea-mate - a quick-thinking hero - managed to ask a question during a break in the back and forth: “Eva, would you like to go for an Espresso? I know of a very nice place.” Eva leapt from her seat so fast she almost tumbled out of her chair. She had to stop herself from shouting “yes please!” and back down the three flights of stairs they went…
After extensive contemplation, Eva decided to accept Zoltans invitation to tea. Sunday arrived and so did the bitter Budapest cold. Wrapped and swimming in Gizella’s oversized coat, Eva’s petite figure looked like a shadowy blur in black. She walked what felt like a hundred blocks on slick cobblestone streets, the wind whipping her face, hoping she wouldn’t be blown away before reaching her destination.She arrived at a monstrous apartment complex, and took a few moments to defrost before climbing three flights of stairs to the apartment. When she knocked on the door she was greeted by Zoltan’s wife, Emma.Before the two could finish exchanging pleasantries, a “flash” came flying up the stairs. A young man, with boundless energy burst into the apartment. Eva instantly realized this was not just an innocent cup of tea but rather a clearly hatched plan by Zoltan and his wife to introduce “The Flash” to the bright eyed redhead.
“Times They Are A Changing” Eva found a job as a bookkeeper in a fur and leather coat factory. The irony? She didn’t even own a coat of her own. But hey, who needs a fur when you’ve got the warmth of gainful employment? She was happy to be working and making new friends amidst pretty fabrics and a cast of curious characters. One such character was a lively older gentleman by the name of Zoltan Rothschild. During lunch Eva attended to another one of her duties (not very bookkeeper-ISH) but rather managing and playing the music for the office. A DJ ahead of her time, it proved to be a task she enjoyed doing. Zoltan, the modicum of a broken record, could not wait for the lunch bell to sound. He would greet Eva with a hello and request to have his favorite song played over and over and over again! Knowing it was a lot to ask of Eva, Z, would often bring gifts in the form of flowers and pastries hoping to persuade her to continue. For Eva, the delicious pastries alleviated some of the pain from hearing this never ending melody-which she has since blocked out of her memory! After many occasions of obliging Zoltan, the rest of the staff began to moan and groan louder than some of the machines in the fur factory. They were tired of hearing Zoltan’s song and strongly requested she put an end to it. One day, knowing she needed to change his “tune” and fast, for fear of losing her job, Eva simply told Zoltan that she couldn’t play his favorite music any longer. When he protested, plucky Eva suggested he buy the record and play it at home! Zoltan quickly replied that he did not own a record player but eventually acquiesced. Feeling badly that he may have put Eva in a difficult position, Zoltan invited her to tea at his home. Eva, unsure of what to make of the proposition, told Zoltan she would think about it. And after inquiring with her colleagues, she found out that Zoltan was a model citizen, albeit a tad overzealous in his musical preferences. Would that be
When Les returned from the army in 1950, he went directly back to his job as a Machinist. Though his service inflicted significant emotional trauma, he was unable to take any time to recover. As he described the working conditions under the newly established Communist party in Hungary “if you don’t work, you don’t eat.” He moved into a single bedroom away from his family. Though he made a good friend at work, his life was largely lived in solitude. Left without a strong support system, he lived the next few years in a rigid and lonely routine.
Though Eva’s entire life had been torn apart due to her religion, at the time, she could hardly grasp what it meant to be Jewish. It would take years for her to fully understand the culture and customs that she nearly died for. From as far back as she could remember, Jewish faith was synonymous with persecution. Her family, forced to conceal who and where they came from, were never able to properly expose Eva to the traditions and customs of Judaism. Following liberation from Nazism, and now with communism looming, the vibrant culture of her Jewish religion still needed to be suppressed. Attending Temple was not a possibility, antisemitism persisted and almost all of the Synagogues were in ruin from the war. Still, amidst all of this destruction, Gizella was able to spark a small flicker of light to help her daughters remember. Remember their culture. Remember their faith. Remember to hold on to who they are and that the fortune of being alive was to live. And so, although still hidden in a windowless kitchen where no one could see, Gizella lit shabbat candles each Friday, giving Eva & Ibolya courage to embrace the future.
Shortly after starting to work as a full time Machinist, Les was drafted to serve in the Second Hungarian Republic’s army. Upon arrival at the base, he was hosed down and shaved. He was then sent to the barracks where he found bunk beds packed into cramped quarters. This process felt all too familiar. Les found himself reliving his arrival to Auschwitz just three years prior. While he had dealt with some nightmares after the camps, this process triggered them to become far worse. From that point on he would frequently experience awful night terrors. Finding himself transported back to the horrors of his recent past, he would wake screaming and covered in sweat. His time in the army would also prove to be difficult. Singled out by a few of his superiors, Les was made an example out of and often put at odds with the rest of his fellow comrades. Among many cruel instances, Les’s group would not be able to stop running until his glasses had completely fogged up. While his duty would end after 2 years, the nightmares would stay with him for the rest of his life.
When Eva was only eleven her older sister, Ibolya, met and married another survivor. They soon gave birth to a child, János. The family endearingly referred to him as Jancsi-Ka and he became a shining light in their eyes. Having only known pain for so many years, this new life was a reminder that hope and joy still remained.Ibolya had felt ill for a while, but she often dismissed it as being just a cold. Her condition worsened shortly after giving birth, and after having to be hospitalized, Ibolya was diagnosed with tuberculosis and went in quarantine for two years. During that time, Eva became the main caregiver for her sister’s child as her mother and her brother-in-law were working several jobs to support the family. Desperate to see her child, Eva and her mother would bring Janusz to the hospital and hold him up in front of the window of the hospital room so Ibolya could catch a glimpse of her young son. The hospital was very far and they had to rely on public transportation. It took them two street cars across the city to get to where she was being quarantined. Although not ideal conditions, Eva and the rest of her family made sure that János was raised with love and laughter.
Even after returning home and reuniting with his family, Leslie remained deeply lost. Despite being surrounded by loved ones, the haunting memories of the camps persisted. His father became consumed in the search for his wife and daughter. Clinging to the hope that they were still alive, he avoided discussing the horrors that his son had faced.Leslie yearned for understanding and connection but was left to confront his demons alone. His sense of isolation only deepened when his father remarried.Turning to his sister for comfort, Leslie found temporary refuge, yet her own struggles within her marriage limited the support she could offer. Leslie, merely 16 years old, continued to struggle on his own.
Though Eva, Ibolya and Gizella were back in their home, things were drastically different. Housing shortages in Budapest made it so that they were once again forced to share their apartment with strangers. After two years, uncomfortable conditions and an offer to relocate drove Gizella to find a studio apartment where her family could be alone. Though their new building had been largely destroyed in the war, it was intact enough to build a peaceful new home. Fortunately for Eva, the unit also came with a built in best friend by way of a young girl named Agnes - her new next door neighbor. Despite returning to school as a 2nd grader in September of 1945 and continuing her education through High School, Eva never shook the feeling of not belonging. Though no longer the subject of blatant ostracism, the division still remained. She did find solace in a student named Vera Neiman. Both petite young jewish girls, they always ended up sitting together in the front row. Unable to escape notice from their strict teachers, they became fast friends. Eva and Vera stuck by each other’s sides for the next seven years, remaining a support system for one another from childhood into their teens.
In an excerpt from a 1995 interview, Les describes beginning a new life after liberation: ”I can’t count my blessings that three of us, from the same family (survived). Sometimes I think that this helped me keep my sanity…it’s just unheard of. And then besides this, from around 25 or so people around the seder table, only 2 cousins of mine lived…My father started working and I went back to learn my trade. My sister went to school to finish her education and I finished my trade school and started working as a Machinist. But things, they were hard, it’s no question - it was freer but it wasn’t free. In 1948, the communists took over Hungary and even though it was not open antisemitism, it was hidden antisemitism still around us. It was hard, it was. My father never - he actually did not give up finding my mother and my little sister for years. He went all over. wrote letters to Red Crosses all over the world and tried to find them. But in myself, I knew their fate. I knew that. And it was such that I didn’t even want to talk about it”
