Folks, welcome once again to.

Hey.

There's Just something about Kansas City where we have positive conversations about the people, places and things that make this such a wonderful city to live in.

And I couldn't be more honored or humbled than to be sitting across this table from this wonderful lady right across from me.

Of course.

This is Sonja Warshawski, and she... my madien name Grynsztegn.

Grynsztegn.

Yes.

I had a spelling Grynsztegn of that on here, So in Polish.

In Polish?

Absolutely.

Yes.

And, Sonja, better known not only nationally but internationally by her moniker, her nickname is Big Sonja, and I can't, I just can't tell you how much I've never met Leah.

You never met Leah?

She.

She's the one this.

My granddaughter and her husband are filmmakers.

And it's a long story.

How they started.

Yeah.

That's right, that's Lea and Todd Soliday is her husband and yes, Eventually they had to talk you into this because Big Sonja, whether you know it or not, is one of the last survivors of the Holocaust.

And, she has been telling her story for years.

Yeah, many years.

It took it took her a while to get around to that situation.

And somebody wanted her to write a book, and she said no, because I just think it's more powerful when you talk about it.

And so there is a award winning documentary called "Big Sonia" you can find on YouTube, you Prime and on Prime Video, you can find it almost anywhere.

And it is an incredible journey that you have taken to get where you are right now.

Sitting across from me is just.

The journey was just incredible from when you were a young girl all the way through the Holocaust, surviving six years in the camps.

In just the ghetto and in the ghetto before that, not all the six years, because when they came, especially our city was very, very well known all over the world because for the Bristol brochures we made and they needed us, the Germans.

So it became like a transit city.

What can I tell you?

Yeah.

It's unbelievable.

You know, if I was have to go on, with too long here, so.

Okay.

I will answer shortly.

Okay.

All right.

So um...take your time.

We're ok Go ahead.

Okay.

So as you remember in the history, it's too bad.

I want to mention to you that, the taking away the history from our young people.

And this is wrong.

You can imagine when they came in, I was not quite even 14 yet, but I was reading history since I was in the fifth grade already.

I wrote a poem, you know, in Polish.

And, our education was in a very high scale.

But it was very we felt a lot of anti-Semitism.

Absolutely right.

It's it's too bad to tell you the truth, because, you know, you expect the Christian religion should be a loving religion.

This is your story.

You have so many incredible memories.

Yeah.

Yes.

Memories from back then because you were old enough to.

You weren't like two or 3 or 4 years old.

You're already 11, 12, 13 years old at that point.

So your memories are as vivid as a teenager's are these days for when they, you know, is as they get older.

But in and you survive for a long time they were hiding in a lot of your story to me almost seemed like Anne Frank and their family were they were hidden behind these false walls.

If there was one that I was, as a witness, you know, against, late, you know it's on the end.

I'll tell you if it will be time or not, you have to come back.

Anyway' what I want to tell you, there was a horrible.

Women.

They were dying every day.

Like I say, thanks to my mom, this was.

You call it?

You go constantly.

constantly with blood already.

How do you call it that?

Soon the women were dying in front of me.

But thanks to my... because you don't want to eat, just drink.

And my mama managed.

We still have in the beginning, some Polish, Christian ladies.

Well, they sent him from there to to the Germany.

They worked in the farms, you know what I mean?

And then.

And one was from my hometown, a Jewish lady.

But we she already was careful, you know, we would.

They did it never in our life to see.

But we were happy for her.

Anyway, to make the story short, there was one especially.

We called them the Schlager.

She was worse.

A woman.

You will think can be so sadistic.

I would never believe in my life.

She was worse than a sadist.

She will.

And I have her on the picture.

She was, always have three German shepherds and a whip.

If you didn't many times.

If you didn't, if you would do anything.

But they want you to do.

You will not make it.

You had to.

Always my sixth sense I used my sixth sense otherwise I wouldn't be here.

I'll be honest.

You just knew what you could.

Yes, yes.

God, I think it's meant to be.

Something comes and I used it.

Otherwise I wouldn't be here.

You don't know what I went through, right?

Anyway, what I want to tell you.

So thanks to my mom, I made it because she was exchanging something with a girl, Was, you know.

Anyway, then you can imagine, for example, sometimes they needed that many, many, many.

And then as often you could hide it not to do what they want you, you had a better to survive.

But when we do it, we will only hide it under those barracks.

Specially if she caught you.

Do you know what you did?

I should probably try to kill you.

Worse.

She drowned you in those latrines, Oh gosh.

In those latrines.

You can imagine.

After the war, you know.

Three.

And I was a witness about it.

It's too long to tell you about it anyway, right?

But, they put him.

Yeah.

I was..

Right, you were a witness to it.

You were?

Came two from the FBI.

One day in rapped to my door.

And then they came because.

Do you know how she came to the United States?

I'll tell you.

One day, one of our girls were wearing them.

Those two were in, Brooklyn, New York, in a bakery.

And who is standing standing?

Her.

They were smart.

They didn't do anything.

They went straight to the FBI.

And the FBI was telling me.

Yeah, she married a G.I.

Oh, gosh.

Our boys.

Oh, boy.

And I can tell you that a lot of them came like this.

But she happened to be discovered.

Just one from us.

Okay.

Exactly.

Yeah.

So you survive the, Auschwitz-Birkenau and also Bergen-Belsen.

Now, what we're getting we're getting to.

I was shot in the Bergen-Belsen day to liberation, you know.

Right.

Well, in the deal is, so did you know any time before, how long did you, before you got an inkling that the English were close, the allies were close and that the Germans were starting to lose the war.

Did you have any idea?

Until they drove up and there they were, or was there some indication that the wars close to ending.

We were already heard from far for our kind of bombing, but we didn't know it.

One day I was very lucky.

I fell in a group, which I walked in, It's a barn, okay?

And we were peeling like rutabagas Or the...no potatoes, they say put it.

No, this was specially for it anyway.

And there was one latrine in the back In this special day.

We all..across from us was the men's camp that was, you know, you don't know what hunger can do, you know, how do you call it Rage.

Hell, they will take out the levers.

Yeah, but you cannot blame those you don't know.

Mostly where they were.

They were not.

The Russian soldiers fell down, you know.

Yeah.

And then in the front from the barn was a big, you know, hop up.

Those rutabagas were stir in, believe it or not, this day I had a feeling I will I was sitting with if we had women from all over Europe, from friends and even you wouldn't believe it from Greece.

None of them made it.

I saw when they were going to.

I don't know what to tell you first anyway.

So while this day we knew there not many of the SS came in in the SS woman, we felt something in the air.

There is something, something different.

So different.

So me very you know, I went out to the latrine.

I said there was an open thing that I can see more.

And sure enough, I see already here the tanks, tanks, tank coming.

You can feel it.

And I was so excited.

I wish I would go stay there.

So I want to share it with the girls.

And meanwhile the the men also started seeing it.

So where does the where is the hungry men?

Were running to the kitchen.

Okay, they are running not only kitchen grabbing one of those rutabagas, even with the dirt.

Say it.

Just eat it.

Yeah, because you're starving.

Don't know.

You know about it, right?

And so listen, they still have a guard in the front watching the rutabagas because he sees alread I get not I cannot till today understand.

He started shooting and I was trying to go back and the bullet came in here.

Came out through here and then took the girls just lightly wounded.

And I tell you, it's meant to be.

Because if he would shot me father, I wouldn't make it.

Yeah, right.

So.

Yeah.

So you have to feel the bullet went through.

Right?

And I didn't know what it was.

Suddenly I feel blood coming from my mouth.

And I tell you, sir, I was still.

I was amazed at the blood.

I didn't want to, I they said maybe I leave a little long.

I don't know, it's right.

And the amazing thing is you survive all this time and you're going to be liberated.

One that day I was talking to Almighty after what I went through.

And now.

So listen to this.

One of the Russian men, I was, you know, already took me out outside because they're coming through the window, he said in Russian, which I understood.

Before you die.

He said to me, look up and you'll see the liberation.

And I saw what was his name.

he was in charge.

And, well, if it was me writing Kramer.

Okay, I saw him.

All the soldiers and not only the soldiers, the women, all the SS women.

I had him on a picture till today.

I can tell you every every.

Because they were from Maidan.

Went with me later to Auschwitz now and then to Bergen-Belsen.

The same fate.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What can I tell you?

Yeah.

So?

So you liberated there and then who?

You were saved, obviously by a doctor.

Yeah.

Listen.

So I took.

They took me out.

They took all the wounded out in this.

It was cool.

Cool.

in a May.

No, I was liberated in, April 15th.

Oh, God.

Yeah.

April 15th.

So they put me on the ground like the doctors.

And what do you think the fury state from the English they got?

They didn't know they were so they didn't know what to do with the camp because it was all with typhus.

Right.

And typhus was killing us thousands and thousands.

Even now, the, what is her name?

And there is a book now, she she died in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Later I found out, Frank, any friend from Frank died there?

Yeah, right.

But she came much later.

Anyway about her.

I want you to know the true story.

Now.

Pick up the book.

Her friend who survived.

She tells the truth because some trying already putting on lies about it.

This is a book.

But that guy.

I just got that one of my, you know, clients who you still.

And he brought it with his wife came Sonia, this is the true story.

It's a book like this, I.

Anyway, what I want to tell you, the next thing like I say when I talk to the Almighty.

Now after this, I have to die.

So I still.

It was very.

After they pulled us out.

They didn't know what to do with us.

So I'll never forget.

They put us in one barrack who was empty, and we were lying all night on the on the floor.

Not a real floor, you know what I mean?

Around the dirt.

Yeah, in some others.

And then the next day.

Because do you know one then they boom the whole, you know, Bergen-Belsen was boom to the ground because they, they are scared to do you know, it was horrible.

And by the way, if I wouldn't have typhus when I was in the Bogota, I mean, my brother, because you had already telling you the Germans they were scared to to get it, if you will not if you have in the family who has typhus, you have to report.

If not, will kill.

They don't so naturally.

So me, my brothers.

We didn't have a hospital.

It's interesting for doctors to hear not only water.

That's all wood we had.

And a mama, my mama.

I even I know she paid to the money to the fellow did not to cut my hair.

I had beautiful hair.

But she is wrong.

After so many men, I made it to coming out to anyway.

So me, my brother made it.

That helped me in a very big, big way to survive.

I survived the many times he was asking, people are dying around me every time you could pick up there, even the the proton, you know, some would even change the shoot.

I couldn't do it.

Take off the shoes we had.

You know, only from wooden shoes, you know.

Yeah.

And then when he came the winter, you know about the death march.

Oh, yes.

Absolutely.

March of can't, can't this terrible.

Yes.

It is really unbelievable.

Now when I close my eyes how the human being is stronger than a than iron.

Of course I was young.

Okay.

Right.

And another thing is I want to pointed out to you we had, like I say, from friends Belgian all over.

But the pole.

Yeah.

It was very easy to commit suicide around around fall.

We had everyday women.

All you had to do put one two finger on the electric.

That's it.

On the electric.

Yes.

That's right.

Oh, yeah.

You know there are heroes on one day that I know, but I refused.

Yeah.

Inside me I said I'm going to fight to the list.

Yeah.

And you did.

I fought it okay, so the wars, the war's over.

You've been wounded, now you're getting back to, you know, health a little bit.

And then how how did you get to first?

I wasn't a hospital.

Okay?

Okay.

Until I was a, you know, I could walk out right when I walked out.

I'll never forget because the older girls, they thought, I'm not.

That made it.

And I finally when I my first walk out, you can imagine you don't know anybody anymore.

You know, you always like to stick with me.

Your country, the languages were different.

I spoke a little French because I worked with them too, anyway.

And, so the poles, we were much stronger in a way.

But the climate was the same.

We could take the cold winters.

We had winters sometimes.

But that high snow, you know, that.

When they already changing your clothes to delousing, you could stay for hours.

I was not under in the, usually long term fall twice.

How all of them to take to the losing to you have to everything you know.

And we had to wait until when through this the delousing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You can imagine all naked to stand all were girls.

And then they put you again.

Powder on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And the winter if was a quote and it had a lining the Terao, the lining.

You can I cannot tell you more.

You don't have anything.

Not even socks.

And it I really don't know.

But you know, we walked in the winter in the SS men and you could see blood.

Blood on the snow.

Yeah.

From the feet.

Yeah.

Anyway.

Go ahead.

You know what you want to know.

And so after you get out of the hospital, okay.

And then now they're going to.

Now you're going to what?

Where do you want to go.

Okay.

So yeah, when I go to the hospital listen.

Yeah it's a good question.

And so sat and Zoltan suddenly I hear from one barrack Sonja.

Sonja.

They all thought she thought it's not you know, they thought, that she wasn't that time.

But this happen.

she came out with her friend, and from then on, her friend was born in Krakow.

She was about 15 years older.

She spoke already, like eight, ten languages you can imagine.

So made major.

Have the English.

American English.

Yes.

True hair.

Thanks God.

Later she had a better.

She worked in a canteen, you say, and Zoe in the canteen.

And then she had a better place to leave when the Germans, you know, had to the higher officers place, and then I, I was with them in this was my first thing.

That was your first, bitter.

That's right, that's right.

Concentration.

And after days later on, they turned, you know, the English still were helping us, you know.

And I want you to know, people don't never know how many we lost, because duration does.

Okay, I was in the hospital, so I will save, you know, anyway.

But you can imagine.

And they were telling all of us, please not that we want to give you more food, but it's just like a baby.

You know, if you don't eat right, you just have to do a little stuff.

Yeah, I think that's correct.

you are a you are smart You came here.

And then how did you get from New York to Kansas City?

Oh, when we came here, automatic.

You go to New York.

I still remember a Broadway, hotel was still.

I remember my I don't write, I remember Broadway Hotel, and they put us up on the 10th floor.

You can imagine I never, never become a difference.

Yeah, I was scared every time.

Was thinking I would say to my husband, oh, my God, if it's a fire or what won't be with us.

It's a kind of fear.

Sure.

So anyway, in the meanwhile, I tell you, my husband's, family, they send them to Kansas City.

Okay, so this automatically you went to Kansas City?

That's right.

with myself, especially after that fall.

Right.

And this was my fault too, you know.

And then I start blaming anyway, to make the story short, I try to live with each day at a time.

Yeah, you probably saw on the obituaries about the Jack Mandelbaum.

Did you know when I did not know him?

No, no I did.

I spoke to him a few weeks ago.

He was in a he was a very, very.

Yeah, he was a good number.

Yes.

Well, from what I gather from you and everything I've read about you and I've and I've, I've seen a documentary.

Thank you.

Your hand, the hate you could have had.

You would not be sitting here if you had just lived with that hate instead of forgiving.

And I know you're one.

The one saying you always have that I just loved that I took from this is that forgiveness has borders.

And I thought that was so, so compelling.

But you understand how I understand?

Yeah.

When they asked me, how can you talk about loss, what you have went through?

But I said, not hate.

And I explained to them, I shall never forget.

Do you know Adam from the resurrection?

The biggest.

oh yeah.

The church of the resurrection.

Yes.

Here he's been now a few pages about me.

I know him because of this.

I had two people, customers, and they were a, you know, debating.

No, no, no.

How often about forgiveness?

And I used to go with them very often to have dinner.

So one day when they when had this subject, they told them how I feel.

And then he got very eager, you know, understood me right away.

So he came, made a 90 minutes, a film.

Then he was showing it, and he's sitting at the court church, a rosary.

And I tell you how I did it, how I told the the, my students, if you were smart or it I said, listen, I shall never forget.

I shall never forgive, but I will never hate because first of all, forgiveness is very, very important.

But it has some borders.

He realistic even he understood this.

It has borders but hate.

No, I will never hate.

Even if I hate, I ruin myself and I become a hate myself.

Yes.

And they get it there.

Not.

You know, when I say forgiveness, who am I to say I would be ashamed for those people to say, who am I to forgive?

I said, this have to come from a higher place.

Well, let me tell you this.

I got it.

I'm closing.

I just say this, okay?

You are a treasure.

We love you here.

And, you're one of the reasons there's, just something that I can't see.

Stop by.

God bless.

Okay.

Come back.

Here I am, really.

I feel I am just a human being like anybody else.

You know, I only have this responsibility in me.

What sits in me that I speak for them?

Well, they couldn't make it right.

I have sinned just baby saying go on into the.

It's impossible.

They never stop.

Okay?

We love you.

Yeah.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, thank you.

So now I want to be praying.

I stay day by day.

I pray in the morning.

I pray in the evening for everybody, for the whole world to love, not hate.

We need it.

But, you know.

Perfect.

We're not going to talk about that.

Yeah.

I can take this off.

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

And.