Statement of Haim Adizez
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HAIM ADIZES, from father Abraham and mother Reina (born as Bahar), born 12.11.1924 in Pristina, clerk, Jew by nationality, FNRJ citizen, permanent residence Pristina, JNA street number 61 , married, father of two children. At the request of authorities of Internal Affairs in Pristina to say what I know about the arrests, persecutions, internment and execution of Jews, I give the following
STATEMENT
Before and during the war till 1942. In Pristina lived a large number of Jews. Somewhere in May 1942, on the initiative of Sukri beg and Albanian national Committee, a majority of Jews was forced to remove to Albania. Removing was carried out by groups, without an escort, as we previously received documents with which we had to report to Albanian Prefecture at the place where we were ordered to come. Me and my family, among many others, moved to Berat in Albania. We had freedom of movement and we could also work. We were not allowed to move from Berat and in addition we had to apply twice a week to Prefecture so they could be sure that no one went away.
After the Italian capitulation in 1943. Germans came in the town. In fear of the Germans and thinking that situation in Pristina was better, almost all Jews from Berat came back to Pristina at the end of 1943. While we were in Berat, I found out that Balists shot in Pristina Bahar Jakov as well as Josif Konferin, also from Pristina. After returning from Berat we stayed in Pristina till May 1944, as I remember, when Germans interned all of us at Sajmiste in Belgrade. There we stayed a month and during that time many of us died from starvation and beatings. I know that Ustashas shot Gisela Levi. I also know that in May 1944, just before the internment at Sajmiste, Germans shot Muson Bahar and his son Solomon.
From Sajmiste we were interned in Germany, where we were settled in Bergen Belsen concentration camp. There we were exposed to the mistreatment, beatings and hard labor. In the time, a great number of people died from starvation, beatings and diseases. Among those who died were my father Avram Adizes, my mother Reina and my sister Flora Levi. At the beginning of 1945, we were transported in railroad cars in order to be transferred to some other camp because at the time allied troops advanced. On April 23.1945,on the open railroad Russians liberated us . Later we were coming back to our home in the groups. From my family my sisters Luca and Jafa and I returned. My younger sister Jafa moved to Israel in 1948. where she still lives and older sister Luca is married in Novi Pazar.
I don’t have anything else to add regarding the issue because I no longer remember many things .
22.07.1960.
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