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Izrael Goldfarb was deported with transport XXIII to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He did not survive the war.
Izrael Goldfarb was born on February 7, 1909 in Aleksandrów, Poland. He was the son of Majer Chia Goldfarb and Liba Kestenberg. In June 1929 Izrael arrived in Belgium and went to live at Belgradostraat 29 in Forest. One month later, on July 18,1929, he moved to Buizingen. There he lived with his brother Icek, who was two years younger, on a piece of wasteland, where they raised several pets. The brothers were both factory workers. In December of that year Izrael moved to Halle. Then he moved to Ans, and later to Brussels and Saint-Gilles.
In June 1931 Izrael’s future wife, Rywka Rusinck, arrived in Belgium. She was born on October 17, 1902 in Samsonów, Poland. Upon arrival, she did not have a passport or a visa, so she was ordered to leave Belgium within 15 days. Finally, she was able to obtain a visa and could stay in Belgium. Rywka was a tailor and Izrael was a shoemaker. The couple also moved several times. On February 24, 1932 Rywka gave birth to their first child in Brussels: Rosa. Two months later, on April 26, 1932, the young mother received an unlimited residence permit.
Izrael and Rywka were married on August 5, 1933. Barely one month later the newly-weds had their second child: on September 12, 1933 daughter Malka was born. That time, their address was Brogniezstraat 105 in Anderlecht. The Goldfarb-Rusinck family subsequently moved several times within Brussels.
On May 10, 1940, the day Nazi Germany invaded Belgium, Rywka gave birth to her youngest daughter Esther Goldfarb in Brussels. Unfortunately, Rywka Rusinck died shortly afterwards, on September 9, 1940. The following year, on October 9, 1941, Rachel Fajersztajn was born, the adopted daughter of Izraël Goldfarb and Rachela Fajersztajn. Initially the family lived at rue Nancy 28, but Izrael’s last known address before his arrest was rue de Rollebeek 40 in Brussels.
During the occupation, Izrael obeyed the anti-Jewish laws of the occupation authorities. On December 20, 1940 he registered in the Brussels Jewish Register, together with his children Rosa, Malka and Esther. At the Dossin Barracks on November 27, 1943 Izrael was put on the list of transport XXIII under number 546. Transport XXIII left the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen on January 15, 1944 together with a special Roma transport, in the direction of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Izrael was murdered.
Daughters Esther and Rachel definitely survived the war, probably daughters Malka and Rosa too.
Publication info:
ADRIAENS Ward, STEINBERG Maxime (et al.), Mecheln-Auschwitz, 1942-1944. The destruction of Jews and gypsies from Belgium, 4 volumes (volume 1), Brussels, 2009.
