By Ellen T. Meth
The world I grew up in no longer exists. It disappeared, not only because it all happened a long time ago and things evolve and change naturally, but mainly because it was eradicated violently and ruthlessly, wiped out in gas chambers and crematoria.
Memories fade and by now there are but a few of us who still remember; there is no one left to ask about what we have forgotten. Some day you, too, may want to know more about your heritage. By remembering, I am also keeping those whom I loved, cared about, and who influenced my life ‘alive’ a little longer.
— Ellen T. Meth
BOOK
Kaleidoscope: A Memoir
Originally self published by Ellen T. Meth in 1998
Download a PDF version of the book — click here.
You can contact Robert Meth at: bob_meth@yahoo.com
VIDEO PRESENTATION
How A Polish Diplomat Saved Jewish Lives
Sponsored by the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles
Watch the presentation — click here.
Ellen Meth never knew the name of the man who saved her life. She was just a child when she and her father, Jewish refugees who had fled to Turkey in 1940, were declared “Catholic” by a diplomat at the Polish Consulate in Istanbul, allowing them safe passage out of Europe. It would be decades before Ellen’s son Robert Meth would take it upon himself to uncover the identity of this unsung rescuer. Through diligent research and chance encounters, Robert unearthed the story of Wojciech Rychlewicz, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Istanbul, who saved not just Robert’s family, but hundreds of Jewish lives. Robert discusses his historic discovery, his developing friendship with Rychlewicz’s granddaughter Hania Whitty, and his efforts to have Rychlewicz recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. This program was presented in partnership with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles and features remarks by Consul General Jarosław Łasiński.