Before the darkness

Warsaw, Poland – September 1939

The smell of freshly baked challah filled the Rosenberg family's small apartment, mixing with the crisp autumn air drifting through the open window. Fourteen-year-old Hannah Rosenberg sat at the wooden table, carefully braiding another loaf under her mother's watchful eye.

"Make sure the strands are even, Hannah," Leah Rosenberg said, her voice gentle but firm. "A good challah must be balanced."

Hannah sighed, adjusting the braid. "I'd rather be outside with Rivka."

Her mother gave her a knowing look. "And what would you be doing outside?"

Hannah smirked. "Running faster than the boys."

From the other side of the room, her father, Jakob Rosenberg, chuckled as he polished his reading glasses. "That's my girl. But perhaps one day, you'll find something other than racing to be passionate about."

"I doubt it." Hannah grinned. "Besides, Rivka and I are the best in the neighborhood."

Leah shook her head fondly, but before she could respond, the sound of boots striking the cobblestone streets below made everyone freeze. The laughter in the apartment faded as Jakob stood and moved toward the window. He pulled the curtain back just slightly, enough to see but not be seen.

Hannah swallowed hard. She didn't need to look to know what he saw. The Nazis had arrived.

She had heard her father whispering with other men in the synagogue about Hitler's invasion of Poland. About how Jews were being forced from their homes in Germany. About how it was only a matter of time before Warsaw felt the full force of his cruelty.

A loud knock on the door made Hannah jump.

Leah wiped her hands on her apron and moved toward the door, but Jakob stopped her. He motioned for Hannah to take Avi, her eight-year-old brother, into the bedroom. Without hesitation, she grabbed his small hand and pulled him along, her heart pounding.

She left the door open just a crack and listened.

The voices outside were sharp, clipped. German.

"We are collecting able-bodied men to assist in city restoration," one of the soldiers said. "Your name?"

Jakob's voice was calm, but Hannah could hear the tension underneath. "Jakob Rosenberg. I am a tailor, not a laborer."

"You are Jewish." The soldier's voice was cold. "That is all that matters."

There was a pause. Then, the sound of papers shuffling.

"You have one week," the soldier continued. "After that, all Jewish businesses will be shut down. Do not test our patience."

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, then silence.

Hannah held Avi close, feeling his small body tremble against hers. When she finally let go, he looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"Are we going to be okay?" he whispered.

Hannah forced a smile, even though she wasn't sure of the answer. "Of course we are," she lied. "Everything will be fine."

Warsaw Ghetto – November 1940

Everything was not fine.

Hannah stood at the edge of a long line, gripping Avi's hand tightly as they waited for the meager rations that would keep them alive for another day. The once-bustling streets of Warsaw had been transformed into a prison. Tall brick walls surrounded the ghetto, cutting them off from the rest of the city. The air was thick with the scent of unwashed bodies, rotting food, and sickness.

The Rosenberg family had lost their home months ago when the Nazis forced them into the ghetto along with thousands of other Jews. Their new home was a single, cramped room shared with another family. Hunger was a constant companion, and disease spread like wildfire.

Hannah's stomach ached with emptiness, but she ignored it. Avi needed food more than she did.

Rivka stood beside her, her face gaunt but still full of determination. "I heard Tomasz and his group are planning another food smuggle tonight," she whispered. "If we can help—"

"No." Hannah cut her off, shaking her head. "It's too dangerous."

Rivka scowled. "Everything is dangerous now."

Hannah couldn't argue with that. Every day, people disappeared. Some were taken by the Nazis. Others simply collapsed from hunger and never got back up.

The line moved forward. A woman in front of them, barely more than skin and bones, reached out for her ration of bread when an SS officer suddenly shoved her to the ground. The stale loaf tumbled into the dirt.

"You're too weak to work," the officer sneered. "Why waste food on you?"

The woman clawed at the ground, sobbing, but no one dared to help.

Hannah turned away, gripping Avi's hand even tighter.You're too weak to work," the officer sneered. "Why waste food on you?"

The woman clawed at the ground, sobbing, but no one dared to help.

Hannah turned away, gripping Avi's hand even tighter.

Rivka's voice was barely a whisper. "We can't keep living like this."

Hannah wanted to agree. But there was no way out.

Warsaw Ghetto – April 19, 1943

Gunfire echoed through the streets. Flames licked the sky. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising had begun.

Hannah ran through the alleys, pulling Avi behind her as explosions shook the ground. The resistance fighters—young men and women with barely any weapons—were fighting back. The Nazis had come to destroy what remained of the ghetto, but the Jews refused to go without a fight.

Rivka was among them. Hannah had begged her to stay back, but Rivka had only smiled. "If I die, I'd rather die fighting."

Hannah didn't want to die at all. But it was becoming clear that she might not have a choice.

She turned a corner and froze.

A row of SS soldiers stood with their rifles raised. Behind them, flames consumed what was left of their home.

"Hannah Rosenberg!" one of them called. "Come forward."

Her breath caught in her throat. How did they know her name?

Then she saw him.

Jakob Rosenberg, kneeling in the street, bruised and bloody.

"Father!" Hannah started to run, but Avi's grip on her hand stopped her.

Jakob looked up, his face filled with sorrow. "Run, Hannah," he pleaded. "Take Avi and run!"

But before she could move, the officer raised his gun.

A shot rang out.

Hannah screamed.

Her father crumpled to the ground.

Avi's grip on her hand was the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

The world blurred. The soldiers were moving toward them. Hands grabbed her arms. She fought, but it was useless.

The last thing she saw was Avi's terrified face before everything went black.

Auschwitz – A New Nightmare Begins

When Hannah woke, the world had changed again.

She was on a train, packed so tightly between bodies that she could barely breathe. The air was thick with the stench of sweat, fear, and death.

Auschwitz.

The name was whispered like a curse.

She didn't know where Avi was. She didn't know if Rivka was still alive.

All she knew was that she had to survive.

Even if she had to do it alone.