Goldie Morgentaler discovered a collection of letters between her mother, Chava Rosenfarb, and childhood friend Zenia Larsson, dating back over 50 years, after her mother’s passing in 2011. The letters, written in Polish, documented their shared experiences in Auschwitz, a forced labor camp, and Bergen-Belsen during the Holocaust.
Following their survival, Rosenfarb relocated to Canada, while Larsson settled in Sweden and later published a book based on their correspondence in 1972. The letters revealed the challenges and new beginnings of two women forging separate lives in different countries after the horrors of the Holocaust.
Morgentaler, a professor emerita at the University of Lethbridge, was surprised by both the trauma and affection expressed in the letters. Despite enduring hardships, the correspondence also showcased moments of happiness and love, particularly Rosenfarb’s deep feelings for her husband, Dr. Henry Morgentaler, an abortion rights advocate and fellow Holocaust survivor.
Morgentaler compiled and edited the letters into a book titled “Letters from the Afterlife: The Post-Holocaust Correspondence of Chava Rosenfarb and Zenia Larsson,” which she will discuss at the upcoming Jewish London event during Holocaust Education Month in November.
The event will feature Sonia Halpern, an art history instructor at Western University, facilitating the discussion with Morgentaler. Halpern emphasized the importance of understanding the long-term impact of carrying memories from the Holocaust and praised the letters for shedding light on the unique experiences of two women navigating post-traumatic life.
Morgentaler hopes that sharing these letters will raise awareness about the Holocaust and inspire resilience in the face of adversity, especially amidst rising antisemitism. She emphasized the importance of recognizing the survivors’ struggles and their eventual adaptation to new cultures and languages in foreign lands.
The Jewish London event on November 13 will provide a platform for Morgentaler to delve deeper into the letters and her book, offering attendees a chance to gain insight into the profound experiences and enduring resilience of those who survived one of history’s darkest chapters.