Sister Olga came eventually, too, and helped to calm and supply
this strangely collected society. You children had your minds
rather preoccupied due to all that commotion, but when evening
came and Dad did not arrive back, a weeping and wailing began
where exhorting and comforting seemed vain. Did I, myself,
not actually feel the same way? But tiredness got the best over
the tears and the dear sleep took you into his faithful arms and
chased away all misery for a few hours.
About morning it got a little quieter in the town. It was June 30th,
1941, a fateful day. Our guests, who had already slept, left us early
in order to look after their loved ones and homes. Sister Olga also
had to get back to her care of the wounded and promised me
to inquire about my husband at the Police Headquarters. How
good it was that they had all gone; for during the course of the
day there was a strict house searching in our place; and had the
strangers, refugee-Jews, been found with us, we would have all
been shot without mercy, small and big ones. This is how they
raged in those frightful days. But God sheltered us with His good
hand and did not let the enemies in where we were until the
danger had passed. In the evening, Sister Olga returned, weary
and knocked out. Under extreme danger she had managed to
get into the Police Station and had asked for a Commissary of
our acquaintance. This one granted her request to search for Mr.
Feinstein. He went about everywhere, calling his name out loud,
but without success. At the Police Station they regretted very
much that Feinstein had been arrested too; they admitted it had
been a mistake, but in the midst of the general confusion they had
not been master of the situation any more. Shooting continued
in the courts and streets around the Police Station. Sister Olga
related to me dreadful things she had witnessed. But where had
our dear father gotten to? We moved everything immediately to
find out. From the highest quarters the assurance was repeatedly
received that missionary Feinstein would be set at liberty at once,
when found in some camp. So we had another spark of hope,
and we wrote to every source from where we hoped we might
30 | Never Again: A Holocast Remembered