The Gendler Girls from Memel
Holocaust Survivors and Sisters
Leah Gendler Fink
&
Naomi Gendler Jacobson
Welcome to gendlergirls.com. Here we are presenting and preserving the story of two extraordinary women: sisters who survived the Shoah together. Who encouraged each other, took care of each other, and saved each other in the most extreme and barbaric circumstances. Leah Fink, the older sister was 19 years old, tall, athletic, and as would be seen later, incredibly bold when the Germans invaded in 1939. Naomi Jacobson, who was then called Hana, was only 11 years old, but despite her youth, behaved with uncommon maturity and strength througout the years of their ordeal.
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They and their oldest sister Chaya, who did not survive, were born to Joseph and Perel Gendler in Memel, Lithuania. They enjoyed what they later referred to as the gu'te tzeiten, the good times, of normal life before the Nazis invaded and shattered their existence and their family was forced to flee Memel for their lives. Eventually, both of their parents were murdered, as well as Chaya, Chaya's husband, and their son, Avram, and many uncles and aunts and cousins. From their family only Naomi and Leah survived.
Our Mission
Our main goal is to educate people about the Shoah, or the Holocaust, by shedding light on what life was really like in these incomprehensibly cruel circumstances. Sometimes it can be hard to imagine that these things actually did happen, so we feel that it is important to show the actual people who have lived through those experiences and managed to survive.
In addition, we hope that sharing the video testimonies of Naomi and Leah Gendler, and photos and details of life as it progressed in the years and decades after the war, will not only provide an inspirational view of their spirit to survive and build new lives, but also will provide an unassailable answer to those misguided individuals who already in our time are beginning to doubt if these events actually occurred.
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It is our sincerest wish that by sharing Naomi and Leah's incredible and inspirational stories, we can honor the memories of the 29,000 souls that were lost in the Kovno ghetto, the 65,000 souls that were lost in the Stutthoff concentration camp, and the 10,000 souls lost at the 7th Fort.
By sharing these intimate stories, it is our hope that their experiences are never forgotten and more importantly, never repeated.
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History
In this archival footage from the Associated Press, you can see the Gendler's shop at the following timestamps: 3:10, 3:47, 3:55, and 5:30
The front page of the Chattanooga News March 23, 1939 features the headline of Hitler's speech in Memel.