In the United States

Sol Baum at barber shop in 1920s (second from right)

In 1922, my grandmother, Pola, and two young children reunited with Sol in Kansas City, Missouri. They settled into an apartment on Independence Avenue where other Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe lived. It was also where my grandfather and his brother Sam opened a barber shop.

By 1924, my mother, Mary, was born and the growing family moved to a small home at 24th and College Avenue. Pola enjoyed weekly card games with a close circle of friends, including my paternal grandparents, Mary and Ben Zenitsky. Cousin Marcia often tagged along and remembered Pola as fun-loving and friendly. She spoke English with a thick accent and told jokes in Yiddish so the kids couldn't understand. 

Eventually, my grandfather moved his shop to the National Garage Building at 11th & McGee in downtown Kansas City. In spite of the Great Depression, the family lived comfortably and adapted to life in America. Sol bought his first car in 1935. They became grandparents. Pola became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1941. Their last name was shortened from Kirszenbaum to Baum.

Pola and Sol with children and spouses in 1939

As the country headed toward war, Sol's health deteriorated. He died in April, 1943 at the age of 44. Pola saw the birth of three more grandchildren before passing away in 1950.

I wish I knew more about their lives and asked more questions about what it was like for them during the war. I hope Pola and Sol lived the lives they hoped for in the United States—owning a business and a home, having a family and making the choice to become citizens. Thankfully, their decision to leave Lublin likely saved their lives, yet, the heartache of leaving family behind and losing them all, must have taken its toll.