The hunger was great in the ghetto. Rations were so small that many died from
starvation. At first there was nothing to eat at all. One had to sneak into the still
unoccupied Latvian houses, which was very dangerous, in order to look for anything.
Potatoes were frozen but we did not care and ate them anyway. Children and adults
foraged through compost heaps and looked for all kinds of dregs. Of course, people
contracted illnesses and rashes.
Searching in Latvian houses for food and clothing was called ”requisitioning”.
Everybody searched through those houses. One day I was caught, along with others,
by the Latvian SS.
They took everything from us
and beat us, and we were lucky
to have gotten away alive. We
didn’t return for several days
till hunger forced us back. One
was constantly threatened in the
ghetto, even at night. The Latvian
SS, who were our main guards,
broke in and raped girls and
women -and boys, too- and stole
their clothing and other things.
Living conditions and survival strategies
