Four Perfect Pebbles

Content Warning: The section of the guide contains discussions of discrimination, graphic violence, and death.

Along with the Blumenthals, about 20,000 Jews sought refuge in the Netherlands, and most went to live in refugee camps. The Blumenthals lived in a refugee camp called Westerbork, where they had their own small four-room home, reasonable work hours, and the ability to be together. Ruth describes this time as “not so bad at all” (47), particularly in comparison to what was to come. Marion filled her days by attending informal classes or collecting pieces of foil to trade with her friends. When the Netherlands surrendered to Hitler, the Nazis quickly took over the country and the refugee camps. Westerbork was converted into a transit camp for Auschwitz, encased with barbed wire. Each day, thousands of Jews were taken in and out of the camps and sent on cattle cars to the deadly concentration camp in Poland.

Westerbork became more crowded by the day, and the Blumenthals knew their time was running out. They heard about a program in which Jews could apply to be “exchanged” for German prisoners with the British, who occupied Palestine. Ruth and Walter signed their family up for this program, but when the train arrived to transport them to Celle, Germany, it became immediately clear that something was wrong.