American Red Cross International Services Gives Hope to Our Families

Written by Judith Raphael

June 3, 2002 — Thanks to International Services at the Red Cross, I learned things I never knew about my mother and my aunt, who were victims of the Holocaust. The Red Cross also informed me that my cousin survived the Holocaust just as I did -- he is living in England today! I hope to see my cousin this summer for the first time in over 50 years.

Valuable information about Charlotte Weisselberger Heller, Judith Raphael's mother who died in the Holocaust, was found through the American Red Cross.

Ever since World War II, I wanted to do something to keep my mother's memory alive, but I didn't know where to begin. Finally, in 1991, my daughter was in Washington D.C., working on Capitol Hill as a press secretary. She learned that the Red Cross just received documents from Russia with new information about people who were in the Holocaust.

After hearing this news from my daughter, I was inspired to call my local Red Cross office in Los Angeles in March of 1991. I told the Red Cross about my mother, my aunt, and my cousin. They passed the information to the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center in Baltimore, Md. Then, the Baltimore tracing center worked with Red Cross offices around the world to research my family's history. The Red Cross showed me true dedication. Every year at the holidays, the Red Cross sent me an encouraging card, with the message: "Don't give up."

Finally, in July of 1998, the Austrian Red Cross discovered information about my mother. When the Red Cross representatives called me, they told me I should come in for a visit along with a close relative, because this news about my mother's life was very personal. It was so nice of them to care enough to suggest that. So, I came in with my son. I simply needed to know what happened to my mother during the Holocaust. She is the woman who gave birth to me. I was very grateful to find out exactly where my mother was taken during the war, and the dates when she was taken to these places. Learning these things gave me the peace I didn't have for 50 years.

Then, in April 2001, the American Red Cross called me with the good news that the British Red Cross had found my cousin, who was living in England. And, several months later, I learned that the Czech Red Cross discovered new facts about what happened to my aunt during the Holocaust.

In fact, the Red Cross found information about every relative I asked them to research. This is one grateful recipient. The Red Cross brought the memories of my family back to life.

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