Selma was born in Cologne, Germany but her family emigrated to Antwerp, Belgium in 1925. She married her husband Simon in 1939 and moved to Amsterdam. In 1942, Selma fled Amsterdam. She died her hair blond and took a boat to Rotterdam and then a train to Antwerp, then on to Lyon. In 1944, Elsa, Selma’s sister, and Simon were arrested in Chambery. Elsa was sent to Drancy and Simon was sent to Auschwitz on SNCF Convoys.
Selma fled to Grenoble with her parents but the family was arrested on the train. Selma’s mother was released, but she and her father were transported to Drancy on an SNCF convoy. In August, 1944, the camp was liberated and Red Cross workers arrived in the camp. In 1947, Selma emigrated to the United States.
“… I stood beneath the little window near the rear of the left-hand side of the train. Clearly, here was our last chance. … I closed my eyes wearily, and then I heard a woman’s voice saying, ‘If you jump, maybe you’ll be able to tell the story. Who else will tell this story?’” – Leo Bretholz
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