As thousands of new prisoners arrived in Theresienstadt each day, thousands also left, having received notice that they were being transported east. The death camps were no longer just a rumor. Each transport took several boys from John’s room, and as each boy packed his meager belongings and said goodbye, the others were left to wonder anxiously when their turn would come. Elsewhere in the world the tide of war was turning. Hitler’s armies were losing in Russia and Italy. Surely they would be beaten, but would it be in time?
For the longest time, John and his family, and Beda and his family, as well as Ruda, Irena, and others managed to avoid the yellow deportation slips that would send them to the east. Because John’s father was a doctor, his services were still needed in Theresienstadt. Beda and Frances’ father had suffered a leg injury while doing forced labor in Budejovice, and that enabled him to delay his family’s transport. Viktor Kende was able to keep the Stadler family safe. He had a job in the Theresienstadt transport department, which let him prevent some family members from joining the trains.
But they could not all avoid the yellow slips forever. On one cold day in November 1943, John and his family, along with thousands of others, received orders that they would have to leave Theresienstadt.
John stared at the little slip of paper and began to shake. The boys in his room were quiet, looking sadly in his direction and silently giving thanks that they had not been the ones selected.
John’s mother came to help him pack for the journey. She pretended to be cheerful. “Another train ride,” she said, smiling faintly. “But it won’t be for long. We’ll be home soon. You’ll see.”
This time, John was not fooled. He was scared.
The next day, he said goodbye to the boys in his barracks.
At four o’clock a.m. he and the others boarded their trains. These trains did not have seats. They were cattle cars – dark, cold, and filthy. Families were pushed in until they were jammed together: men, women, and children. Finally, the heavy metal doors slid shut with a bang that echoed in the early morning air. The train left the station.
Their destination was Auschwitz.