Halina Litman stands between her aunt, Irena Keh, and mother, Olga Litman, in a prewar photograph, circa 1934–39. Halina’s aunt was killed during the Holocaust. US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Halina Peabody
For as long as there has been war, mothers have risked their lives to protect their children. In Nazi-occupied Poland, Olga Litman did everything she could to save her daughters as they were hunted by the Germans. They moved between towns, hid with farmers, and took on false identities. When a man discovered that Olga and her young daughters, Halina and Ewa, were Jewish, she bargained with him, giving away every last belonging and appealing to his conscience. “I don't know anybody who was as brave as my mother when it came to her children,” Halina recalled. Discover stories of mothers’ devotion during the Holocaust and sacrifices mothers are making today in Ukraine.
Guest
Halina Litman Yasharoff Peabody, Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer
Commentary
Heidi Levine, Contributing reporter, Washington Post
Host
Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Watch live at facebook.com/holocaustmuseum. You do not need a Facebook account to view our program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum’s Facebook and YouTube pages.