Judith Meisel was born in 1929 in Josvainiai, Lithuania. Her father died before the onset of war. She survived the Stalin regime in the early years but her mother's sister did not. Jews were rounded up by Lithuanians and executed. Many Lithuanians were anti-Semitic. This made her mother fearful and resulted in her family relocating to the town of Kaunas. The Jews were doing nothing to provoke the anger. It was just their religion that was driving the hatred in others. These thoughts weigh heavy on Meisel. No religion is better than another. People have to live together in appreciation of others. While the family was at Kaunas, they were taken into the Kovno ghetto. This happened after Hitler broke the agreement with Stalin to share ownership of the countries of Poland and Lithuania [Annotator's Note: A few weeks prior to the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, Adolf Hitler made a pact with Soviet Russian Premier Joseph Stalin to collude with and not invade Russia. That agreement was broken in June 1941 when German forces pushed into Soviet controlled Poland and then ultimately into the Soviet Union.]. Stalin and Hitler were both ruthless individuals but Hitler was the worst. Meisel was astounded that an educated country like Germany could allow a leader like Hitler to rise. Meisel, her mother and sister were moved to the ghetto in Kovno after an edict came out that said the Jews should gather at a large educational facility [Annotator's Note: spelling of the facility could not be determined. Further references in the interview to Yiddish descriptions may not be certain.]. After recent sleepless nights, Meisel has the memories returning to her of what happened [Annotator's Note: at times in the interview, Meisel seems to be overcome by the flood of memories.]. Meisel was ten years old at the time of her entry into the ghetto. Prior to that, Stalin was unconcerned with the deaths of Jews. People were made to wear a yellow star on the front and back of their clothing stating that they were Jude or Jewish. Her mother was a hard working seamstress who earned money for them. She told her children she would sew the star on their clothing. When she was asked by her daughters why they had to have that done, other restrictions were explained. They could not walk on the sidewalk, only in the middle of the street. There were few automobiles at the time, but if a Jew was in the street, drivers did not have to honk the horn at them. The Jews were told to go to a place where they discovered nothing but dead bodies. The location had an educational facility for Jews. Two of her cousins were killed after having to dig the hole for their burial. They had a Torah with them. Meisel has kept many of these facts from her children so they would not be full of hatred. The memories have lately returned to Meisel. The Jews could not escape because some Lithuanians served as helpers in rounding them up. If they attempted to escape and were caught, death would result. If they were not immediately killed, they would be interrogated to provide information on Jewish hideouts. Her mother refused to go to the ghetto at first. She would have preferred to be killed. She hid some of her valuables in a hole dug in their backyard. Meisel's mother found a small place for them to live. The Nazis came with a Lithuanian collaborator to round up the Jews near their residence. The Lithuanian told them that no one was going to come out of their incarceration alive. That man was bad. He was hung after the war. He told the Jews to find a place to sleep. They were not to be outside. They would be in trouble if they were. When Meisel and her family arrived in the ghetto all the spaces were taken. They finally found a room that held three families with eight small children. Meisel, her mother, sister, and brother shared the space. As soon as someone was killed, someone else moved in to take their place. That situation changes a person. Trusting strangers became very difficult. It seemed that acceptance of the existing harsh rules might lead to survival. That was not always the case. The Jews could bring very little with them into the ghetto. Meisel brought a small pillow. She did not know what her brother brought because he was taken from them and sent to Dachau [Annotator's Note: the concentration camp near Munich, Germany.]. Her brother passed away in Canada. Meisel's sister also lived in Canada [Annotator's Note: Meisel, her brother and sister immigrated to Canada following their liberation and the end of the war. Meisel later moved to the United States.]. Survival in the ghetto depended upon a person having a job. Every day, the Jews would be divided into one of four groups. Her mother was a wonderful seamstress so her skill was very desirable. Some people who had lost their children in the selection process would ask Meisel why she was still alive while their children were dead. That happened frequently. Meisel was not allowed to cry when questioned. The children had to hide all day long. When she went to Stutthof [Annotator's Note: a German concentration camp she was later sent to via the Auschwitz death camp], she was given a job working with heavy metal objects. The material was used in war production for the German Army. Money from the Jews largely supported the war effort. Payment for her work was not important to Meisel's mother. She was satisfied that her children were still alive. Her mother put Meisel to work but reminded her that she had to say that she was 15 years of age. It was unusual because her mother previously always admonished her to never tell a lie. Meisel worked on construction of an airstrip for the Germans. Meisel's mother was very religious. She would not eat anything that was not kosher. She would continue sewing and finding small jobs for her children. Meisel smuggled items in and out of the ghetto. She would acquire a small amount of butter in exchange for some of her mother's jewelry that had been a gift from her cousins. Bartering was not done in the open at that time. A loaf of bread was used in transporting the jewelry for the bartering.

Judith Meisel saw someone in the ghetto [Annotator’s Note: Kovno ghetto] when she was 13 years of age. Her hair was totally blond so the man said she looked like a Christian. He told her that she could participate in smuggling items in and out of the ghetto because she was very small. She would meet an individual named Modka [Annotator’s Note: unsure of spelling] who would direct her to a location where bartering for goods could occur. Her mother was upset about the risk her daughter faced. It could mean death. Meisel smuggled anyway. Unexpectedly, there was a proclamation given for the Jews to go to a big field and stand in rows. Germans were there in beautiful clothes. They would say "appeal-appeal" [Annotator’s Note: meaning uncertain] but her mother looked down. She told her children not to look the man in the face. She said that by looking at the man's feet, a person could determine where they would be sent. In some cases, they would not come back. After two separate iterations of this, another proclamation was issued. The people could not tell what time it was because they had nothing to tell time with. They were not allowed to take anything with them when they were loaded into trucks. They were taken to a ford and told by a capo [Annotator's Note: a collaborator with the Nazi efforts to eradicate the Jews. The individual was usually treated with favors until his time came to be killed] that they would never leave. It was cold and Meisel had no appropriate clothing. She learned to live with hardships during this time. The guards would take ten people at a time and bring them somewhere [Annotator's Note: potentially a pit] and kill them. It is still there. Meisel has revisited the site. There were 20 people remaining with her. She was 14 years old. Her mother told her that they were going back. The guards told the group that they had run out of ammunition. They would not be shot. Instead, they were brought to Auschwitz.

Judith Meisel was taken by train to Auschwitz. They were loaded into a car with others who were already there. Feces was everywhere. A person could not sit down. Crying children were aboard. It was unbelievable. At Auschwitz, the previously loaded group was taken out. No numbers were given out until after the separation of those to be killed immediately. Even though Meisel survived, she did not get a number. She was herded onto a truck. They travelled hours on end to get to Auschwitz. A beautifully dressed man told the people that no one would come out alive. They were assigned their place and told not to go outside. A woman came to the captives with the same message concerning them not surviving the incarceration. Escapees would be executed along with their whole group. It was the worst place to be. Meisel was interviewed for over four hours. She did not understand German but came to know what "schnell" meant. Some inmates were taken to another train bound for Stutthof [Annotator's Note: a concentration camp located in north Germany]. She was recently interviewed about Stutthof because local people did not want to talk about it. She could not talk about it because it was the worst of the worst. Upon arrival, the inmates were stood up shoulder to shoulder in the freezing cold even though it was June. There was a selection process. The barrack had four or five people to a bunk without cover. The inmates attempted to rotate but with limited success. Those conditions reveal the best and worst in people. She was separated from her mother. The 1,500 Jewish women were allowed to drink water for only one hour per day. It was impossible. Some people could not even open their mouths. It was important to follow the directions of the guards. Coats were removed from the new arrivals so that the wool could be extracted. Meisel observed big heaps of shoes. The memory still sticks with her. The leather from the shoes was removed by inmates. The arrivals were examined by people who were not medical professionals. The examination sought any silver or gold. Hair was checked for valuables prior to it being shaved off. Her mother had her gold teeth torn from her mouth. She was covered in blood. Meisel's long hair was noticeable. A Nazi talked to another and said that he would like to give Meisel's hair to his child for her doll. The man who was cutting her hair stopped and pulled it out by the roots. The pain was extreme. She had sores and did not think she would survive. She could not say anything. The hair was taken for the puppe or doll. The people fell in position and had to stand there and not look anyone in the eyes. Her mother could not talk, but she kissed and hugged her daughter when their guards could not see them. They were not allowed to express emotion in front of the Nazis.

Judith Meisel was standing with her mother and sister when they discovered that her sister had typhus. That was the number two killer in the camp [Annotator's Note: the group was in the Stutthof concentration and death camp where numerous inmates were exterminated]. Her sister was taken into the small hospital where a friend tended her. After a few stays in the hospital, a person would be killed. Meisel and her mother were not allowed to talk to the sick child. Without warning, Meisel's mother and her group were taken to the gas chamber. Meisel wanted to go with her mother before either of them knew the exact destination. She was allowed to go with her mother. They were told to undress. As they were moving to the next compartment, a man screamed at Meisel for her to hurry. Meisel's mother told her daughter to run and escape. Somehow, with all the guards, Meisel managed to flee the gas chamber even though she was naked. Toward the end, the inmates were told if they wanted to stay they could. Otherwise, they would be brought to the killing place. Spunky Meisel went to her sick sister to tell her they had to get out. Her sister, though ill and incapacitated, was forced to exit the hospital. At that time, 9,000 Jewish women were killed. The women then left the camp on a march. It was cold. It must have been December because they saw the trees in the people's home [Annotator’s Note: ostensibly indicating Christmas time in 1944]. Meisel contracted typhus as her sister improved. They had walked a full day when bombs started falling. The Russians were liberating the area. The girls and another woman fell into a ditch. The woman decided to die where she was. Two Russians and an Englishman were helping the guards move the captives. They had been captured by the Germans. Meisel was helped by a woman who might have been German or Polish. She gave them fresh clothes. The Russians told the girls to cross a river on all fours and be careful not to break the ice. They were to go to a monastery where the people were good. They were admonished to watch out for others who might be bad. Announcements were posted concerning the escapees. She learned later what happened to some of the escapees. Meisel’s sister got a job. Since she was suffering from typhus, she could not move.

Judith Meisel and her sister were treated nicely at the convent [Annotator's Note: they had just escaped a death march from the Stutthof concentration camp in about December 1944]. They told the girls that help would be given only if they converted to being Catholics. Her sister told Meisel that they should not convert because they were the only Jews left. She went back to [Annotator's Note: location name uncertain]. That was a location for storage of ammunition. When Meisel recovered [Annotator's Note: from a bout of typhus], she went to work along with her sister. They worked for a sadist who was very cruel to them. Even though she would dress them to go to Catholic Church, she treated the girls badly otherwise. When Meisel's sister did not do what was demanded of her, the woman stuck her with a fork through and through. There was a flood of blood. When a group of people saw how thin the two girls were, the woman explained it away. It was just the way they were allowed to eat their food. She would tie their hands behind their backs and only allow them to dip their faces into their food to eat. That was because she had lost her pet dog. She had nine children. They did not know that Meisel and her sister were Jewish at the time. Meisel and her sister escaped through a window in the middle of the night. Meisel had entered the ghetto in 1942 and was liberated 5 August 1945. The cruel woman told the girls that they would have to go to Denmark. Neither sister knew what Denmark was. When they travelled, there were Germans boarding a ship. It was torpedoed. Meisel did not swim. She was saved by Danes in a small boat and brought to Denmark. The sisters were liberated shortly afterward. The woman only had three children left and they drowned. Meisel and her sister were told they could go anywhere they wanted. It became heaven. She gained weight from her 47 pounds. People were surprised that she was Jewish and managed to survive. The Danish Jews had not returned at that time. The girls wrote their names in Yiddish and that revealed the fact that they were Jewish. They were hugged and celebrated. The war was over.

Judith Meisel was helped in Denmark after the country's Jews returned home. Only 42 people died in Theresienstadt [Annotator's Note: concentration camp in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia]. People wanted to adopt her. A rabbi told them not to convert to another religion. She and her sister agreed with him. Judaism is very important to them. Their brother was sent to Dachau. He was separated from his mother and sisters at Auschwitz. A woman aided in the reunion. She had managed to recover her two children. She had left with a Polish family [Annotator's Note: many Jews in Nazi occupied Europe sought safe haven for their children with non-Jewish families]. She had escaped to Sweden. She met Meisel and her sister in Denmark. She gave them the address where notices of lost loved ones were posted. Her brother found the notice from the girls seeking information about him. He contacted them. He had wanted to return to their home in Lithuania, but Stalin [Annotator's Note: Soviet Russian Premier Joseph Stalin] was in control there. He knew that he would never be allowed to leave after his return. Instead, he settled in Toronto, Canada. He invited his sisters to join him. Meisel decided to go to Canada. She met her husband and the future father of her children on that voyage. He had gone to Israel to fight for them. He was not old enough to be in the army. They married after he returned home. Later, she moved to Philadelphia.

Judith Meisel lived in Canada with her brother. They shared a room. Her brother married and stayed in Canada. He loved it. He was in the clothing business. Meisel and her husband married. He was born in Canada. He was a Jewish educator. The family moved to Minneapolis. Her first husband and Meisel stayed in Philadelphia. They divorced which left Meisel as a single mom for nine years. Her former husband moved away. She met her new husband, Fred. He passed away shortly before the interview. In Philadelphia, Meisel went to Temple University to get the education she missed in her youth. Her children grew up in Philadelphia. It was her new husband's hometown. The family eventually moved to Santa Barbara where it expanded with grand and even great-grandchildren. She was aided by her brother in the move to the United States. He helped her come from Europe to Canada. She earned her degree in early childhood education after she moved to the United States. She loves social media but thinks it is harmful to children. She never saw bananas or oranges before coming to Canada and the United States. No country in the world is like the United States but Meisel does not like what she sees happening today. No one asked about her experiences in Europe while she was in Canada. When she was in Philadelphia, she was upset by the treatment of African-Americans. She did not like how they were being treated in her neighborhood. She went home and baked cookies and brought them to the family. She became involved in civil rights and even met Dr. Martin Luther King. She wanted all people to have the same opportunities. She wanted her children to be fair to all. She met Elie Wiesel [Annotator's Note: Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor and author committed to keeping the memory of those events alive. He carried the message of acceptance of others in his works and speaking engagements]. Wiesel was at a speaking engagement when they met. They knew of each other though they did not know each other well. There was, however, a connection between them since they suffered similar circumstances in the Holocaust. Meisel knows God does not want man to kill man. There will be a judgment for the wrongs done. Meisel suffered cancer for over two years. It was predicted long ago that she would not survive, but she did. She wants young people to find out what happened in the past so they can work on their future with that knowledge. People have to work together to make the world better.

Judith Meisel does not fear speaking her mind as a result of her experiences in World War 2. She has nightmares as a consequence of things she witnessed. She is not afraid though. She feels the United States is an incredible country that always tries to do the best it can. It is important to stay positive because negativity leaves a person helpless. The situation only worsens. Being an inmate in the concentration camp caused hatred within her. She did not want to pass those feelings on to her descendants. She hopes anti-Semitism and all the other hatreds will be eliminated. All people are part of this world. We should live in harmony and help the underprivileged. Her age restricts her ability to change the future. Germans have asked her to comment on her life in Stutthof [Annotator's Note: Meisel was an inmate in the Nazi concentration camp in Stutthof, Germany.]. The residents of Stutthof did not want to talk about wartime events. They do not tell their families or those from the outside about what happened there. Meisel has been questioned by government agencies such as the FBI. In addition to being questioned, she was asked to identify people in photographs. One was very familiar to her. It was "Meydele" [Annotator's Note: Meisel uses the Yiddish term to identify the “young girl.”]. She was nicknamed "the pretty girl". She made a point of telling the inmates that they would not come out of the camp alive. Many of those who had responsibilities in the camp have been executed. Others are still being sought. The interviewers could not understand how Meisel could remember all that she did. Some who were interviewed declined to sign off to their interview. Nothing can be done with their testimony without their acknowledgement. There is archival information about what went on during those times. One individual from the Stutthof camp was captured about ten years prior to Meisel's interview. The man was so aged that he had to be treated by a physician. He denies any responsibility even though documentation indicates he was there at the camp. On 14 November [Annotator's Note: 2017], a speaker discussed the case against another accused person. The topic was presented near Meisel's residence. It was attended by not only Jews but other interested people. After Meisel was interviewed, she was asked what should be done to the guilty. She responded that the newspapers should make known what those people did in the past. Execution is not necessary. It would be enough for the culpable person to know that his fellow citizens and neighbors know of the deeds that were perpetrated by the guilty individual. She has no feeling for them. Others should decide what to do with them. Executions are quick and permanent. It is better for the person to see their family suffer as a result of their actions. That would be sufficient justice. Nothing would be gained by their death. Meisel lives in a wonderful place and has been well provided for by her youngsters.