Student Profile: Tauba Tola Bajla Sierpinska

A search in the Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants database yielded three different results that we believe to all be the same Tauba Sierpinska. In all three records Tauba is listed as being born in 1925 and two of the records state that her birthdate is February 6, 1925. Also, all three records list that her ghetto address was at one time SULZF29. Further evidence that all three are the same is that the second record includes the information UMG 15.10.42 RICHTER, stating that Tauba moved from the ghetto address SULZF to RICHTER on October 15, 1942. This lines up with the first record, which lists both SULZF and RICHTER as addresses. The records also list several occupations for Tauba, which are student, daughter of the house, and worker.

Sara: Thanks for submitting research on "Tauba Tola Sierpinska". Based on the database, I believe you have found the correct girl. However, I'm going to mark the submission as Possible but not confirmed, only so that I can get you to resubmit some of the Stage 1 information again.

Be sure to add all three of her names to the database (and note the slight change in spelling from Sierpinska to Sierpinski on one of those records) -- that way it provides a much more solid base for future research on Ms. Sierpinska.

As you continue on in your research, be sure to also note her several "occupations", including student, daughter of the house, and worker (Google Translator can be a helpful little tool when looking through the databases).

Excellent job with combining the records though, as well as utilizing the User Comments field for additional comments/Ghetto residence information. You've provided a really solid start for this student -- Good job!

Joafeta Sierpinska was born on June 18, 1887 making her 38 years older than Tauba. She is listed as "hausfrau" or "housewife." Joafeta's files included the same ghetto address and moving dates. We concluded that Joafeta may possibly be Tauba's mother or at least a close relative who was living with Tauba in the same place and times. While searching for possible relatives we also found a Miriam Sierpinska, born December 27, 1923, Rachel Sierpinska, born February 12, 1916, and two different files for a Sura Sierpinska (one with the middle name Rajzla and one with the middle name Reisla, but we believe she may be the same person), born May 2, 1914. All three girls are too young to be Tauba's mother, but may be sisters or cousins. Further evidence to this is that all three girls also have the same moving date and ghetto addresses as Tauba. We also found a Zelig Sierpinksi who was listed as a butcher and was deported to Chelmno in June 30, 1944. We found two records of a Zelig Sierpinski and one of a Selig Sierpinski. All three were born in 1902, and one specifies April 26, 1902. Although Selig is listed as living in Berliner 47, which is never listed in any of Tauba’s records, his records include the address Sulzf 29 11, as well as a move on October 15, 1942 to Richter 3, which are bits of information included in Tauba’s records as well. Therefore we concluded that Zelig was of some relation to Tauba, possibly her older brother or even father.

Excellent research, Sara. Having all of these family names associate with Tauba now will make research on the final stages all the easier.

Records often become more scarce and haphazard once people were deported from the Ghetto and so the more detailed Tauba's family tree is now, the more avenues people can research later to find clues about Tauba's life.

The note about Tauba's (presumed) father Zelig being deported to Chelmno in late June may become more important as you progress farther into your research. If, for example, there seems to be a complete void of information on Tauba's family after June 1944, there is the potential that perhaps Zelig was not the only one deported.

With all the background you've provided, there appears to be good potential for finding information in the next couple stages of research. Keep up the good work!

Using both databases, we ran a search for Tauba and her relatives using variations on both their first and last names. We unfortunately received no results that we felt matched anyone in the Sierpinska family. What we do know is that from September 1942 to June 1944 there were no deportations from the Lodz ghetto to the Chelmno camp. We know that Tauba changed ghetto housing in October 1942, therefore she was still alive by the time these deportations to Chelmno had stopped. It is possible that Tauba worked in forced labor, was sent to Auschwitz, or was sent to Chelmno once the deportations resumed in 1944, but at this time we are unsure of what exactly happened to her.

Sara:

Do be sure to add her "Change of Address" into the Dates section under Stage 2. As you mentioned, that is an important piece of information as it indicates that she at least seemed to have avoided the deportations to Chelmno in early 1942.

Also, under Stage 2 you can enter the names of family members that you have identified (Mother and Father have their own categories, and siblings/other family can be noted in the Comments field). The more basic information we can confirm on the database, the easier the following stages will get (and family members can prove extremely helpful in Stages 4 and 5).

Since there does appear to be a drop-off in information on her, I'd move ahead and try her name(s) in some of the Databases on Stage 5. The USC Shoah catalogue is not always the easiest database to navigate, but it can be a good resource for checking to see if Tauba OR members of her family survived the war. It does not have the handy little "sounds like" option on names however, so be sure to have some of the variations of her first & last name handy to make it a little easier on you.

Great job so far -- keep up the good work!