Like many survivors who returned home to find their families and lives in shatters, Lotte and Ernest determined that they could no longer remain in Europe. They sought to reunite with Lotte’s surviving sister Nelly, who had spent the war years as a refugee in Shanghai with her husband Hugo and baby daughter. Lotte’s sister made it to Cuba (where she gave birth to a son) and eventually to Montreal, Canada. It was not easy to immigrate to Canada. One needed to be sponsored and the paperwork was complicated. To hedge their bets, they initially applied for Cuban papers in case Nelly and her family remained in Cuba. They then applied for permission to join them in Canada. Lotte, Ernest and their young daughter Hana left Prague for Paris, where they awaited their papers. When Hana contracted an illness their departure for Canada was delayed indefinitely. They eventually sailed for Halifax, and made their way via train to Montreal where the sisters were reunited.
French Travel Document
Letter from Cuban Ministry
This document authorizes Lotte, Ernest, and their daughter Hana to stay in Cuba for six months. The family had originally planned to travel to Cuba to reunite with Nelly and Hugo, but illness and bureaucratic complications prevented them from leaving Paris.
Shekel, Paris, 1949
This document verifies Ernest’s membership in the World Zionist Organization, which sought to “create for the Jewish people a home in Palestine secured by public law.” Members were required to pay dues by purchasing the Shekel.
The membership card shows Ernest’s address in France, where he lived with Lotte and their daughter, Hana, while waiting to receive permission to immigrate to Canada.
Ernest’s ORT Certificate, 1949
Certificate from the ORT, a Jewish international organization dedicated to “educating for life” and helping people become economically independent. This certificate is for a reeducation course in pastry making, Paris 1949.
Canadian Welcome Letters
The “Sugar Lady” Article, 1985
This article appeared in the Rosh Hashanah supplement of the Canadian Jewish News on September 12th, 1985. The highlighted section mentions a woman who gave sugar to the refugees during liberation – this woman is Lotte.
