GLORIA A. GLANTZ
Birth: May 22, 1939 - Wegrow, Poland
Survived: Hidden by Righteous Christians
Date of Arrival in the United States: April 5, 1950
Occupation: Teacher
Avocation: Holocaust Educator
Personal: Married, two children
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“COURAGE
UNDER FIRE”
THE STORY OF GLORIA A. GLANTZ
by Amy Nadel
Herricks High School
Gloria was born in 1939, in a small town called Wegrow in Poland where she lived with her parents and two older brothers until the age of three. During that time, Wegrow was primarily Jewish, but by 1944, no Jews remained. In 1942, when she was three years old, her mother took her to a small farmhouse outside the village of Wegrow and left her there to live until the war was over. After being introduced to Mrs. Kowalchik the owner of the farmhouse, Gloria was instructed to call her “Matka” which means “mother” in Polish and her name became “Gucia.” She was also told never to reveal her Jewish identity.
Gloria said she “seldom smiled, ate little, and cried a lot,” while adjusting to her new home. Soon the memories of her childhood began to fade but her mother’s singing would always be imprinted in her heart. In time, Gloria grew to love her Matka and her new home, and was raised as a Christian child, reciting appropriate prayers to prove her faith. German soldiers would appear with flashlights at all hours of the night, searching for hiding Jews. Luckily, Gloria was a convincing child and recited her prayers so well that the soldiers always believed her.
When the war ended in 1945, Gloria had only one aunt who survived WWII and was still living in Europe. Gloria’s aunt Norma came to the small farmhouse and told “Matka” the entire story. She wanted Gloria to
immigrate to the United States to live with her aunt Esther and Uncle
Max Bernstein in New York who had emigrated to America before the war.
In August of 1946, Gloria left her Matka and at the age of seven was
sent to a Lutheran orphanage in Sweden for one year. The waiting period
for immigration to the U.S. was years away so her aunt and uncle, the
Bernsteins, asked their friends in Canada if they would allow Gloria
to stay with them for a few weeks until they found a way to get her
to New York. What was supposed to be three and a half weeks turned
into three and a half years and Gloria became Gloria Morantz in Montreal,
Canada. Finally, Gloria arrived in the U.S. and was able to move to
the Bronx where she was renamed Gloria Bernstein and was adopted by
her “Mom” and “Pa” Esther and Max Bernstein.
Now, Gloria is married and has a new name once again, Gloria Glantz. She has two wonderful children and she recently retired from teaching at the Shelter Rock Elementary School of Manhasset. Her passion is keeping the story of the Holocaust alive. If she could speak to her real parents for three minutes, as one of her students requested, she answered: “You are not forgotten. The suffering of our people is not forgotten. The Jewish people still lives. You have two humane, intelligent and delightful grandchildren. You would have loved them dearly. You would have been proud of me, your youngest child. I have a rich life, filled with love, friendship, family and joy… And my life is filled with music, a gift I got from you, mother. You are alive in my heart always.”
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