Born To Remember: Claire Soria

Joe Soria

Go inside the mind of Claire Soria, a life of a hidden Jewish child during WWII in Belgium and her family, her journey to America and her inspiring journey of loss, perseverance and perspective all told in conversation with her grandson.

  1. EPISODE 1

    Episode 1: Cousin Nina

    Send us a text The story of Claire's beloved cousin Nina Majster and her family in the days before and during WWII in Belgium, Auschwitz & beyond. Born to Remember Podcast Website Join The Born To Remember on Facebook Each episode will also include a link to a select charity that any proceeds from the episode and series will go. Any support you wish to give will also be more than welcome. Our first donation will go to The Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler County. ----- Want to dive deeper into topics discussed in this episode? Episode 1 Notes Laeken, Brussels - Claire's Birthplace Brussels, Belgium - Claire's Childhood Home The history of Brussels Belgium during World War II Jewish cultural heritage sites in Belgium Coal mining sites in Belgium Languages spoken in Belgium Rypin, Poland Jewish underground fighters during the Spanish Civil War (including Claire’s father)  Belgian Resistance during WWII Why the Belgian Resistance Deserves More Attention German invasion of Belgium in 1940 Additional articles Siegal, Nina.“A Film Captures Jewish Life in a Polish Town Before the Nazis Arrived.” New York Times. January 5, 2022. Online edition. Film clip available online via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. International Review of Social History , Volume 60 , Issue S1: Migration and Ethnicity in Coalfield History: Global Perspectives , December 2015 , pp. 13 - 39 ----- CREDITS Created, Directed, Written & Produced by Joe Soria Edited by Leland Holden + Joe Soria Additional Production Assistance By Kate Lichota Original Music By Chris Morgan A special thanks to Robert Soria, Jessica Soria Korsunsky and Jacqueline Soria. And of course the biggest thanks goes to Claire Soria for her willingness to share her story. Have a question? Email at

    25 min
  2. EPISODE 2

    Episode 2: Belgium At War

    Send us a text Part two tells the story of Claire's family life in Belgium at the dawn of World War II. All Episodes: Born to Remember Podcast Website Latest Updates/Photos: Born To Remember - Facebook / Instagram . Each episode will also include a link to a select charity that any proceeds from the episode and series will go. Any support you wish to give will also be more than welcome. Our second donation will go to The Hidden Child Foundation (ADL). ----- Want to dive deeper into topics discussed in this episode? Using Yiddish to fight the “othering” of Jews in Poland via the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington The Sound of Jewish Life in Poland via the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington Jewish Life in Argentina: A Cultural Guide via Wander Argentina Argentina Virtual Jewish History Tour via the Jewish Virtual Library Jews in Argentina via Google Arts & Culture Jewish Immigration to Argentina via the Brown University Library Center for Digital Scholarship How South America Became a Nazi Haven Via History.com Ratlines (German: Rattenlinien) - a system of escape routes for Nazis and other fascists fleeing Europe via Wikipedia The ‘hidden’ Nazis of Argentina via Historiamag.com The Twentieth Train: The True Story of the Ambush of the Death Train to Auschwitz by Marion Schreiber - published by Grove Atlantic Attack on the 20th Train Convoy via Wikipedia Escaping the train to Auschwitz via BBC News Deportation of Jews from Mechelen, Belgium via the Holocaust Encyclopedia (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) ----- CREDITS Created, Directed, Written & Produced by Joe Soria Edited by Leland Holden + Joe Soria Additional Production Assistance By Kate Lichota Original Music By Chris Morgan A special thanks to Robert Soria, Jessica Soria Korsunsky and Jacqueline Soria. And of course the biggest thanks goes to Claire Soria for her willingness to share her story. W

    33 min
  3. EPISODE 3

    Episode 3: Hiding With The Sabauxs

    Send us a text Claire Soria details the story of the Sabauxs, the neighbors who took her in and hid her as their own grandchild during the Nazi occupation of Belgium  in World War II. All Episodes: Born to Remember Podcast Website Latest Updates/Photos: Born To Remember - Facebook / Instagram . Each episode will also include a link to a select charity that any proceeds from the episode and series will go. Any support you wish to give will also be more than welcome. Our third donation will go to The Survivor Mitzvah Project. ----- Want to dive deeper into topics discussed in this episode?  The Foreign Excellent Raincoat Company was the name of the Brussels company that was established in December 1938, by Polish-French Jewish businessman and ardent communist, Léon Grossvogel on behalf of Red Army Intelligence spy Leopold Trepper, as a cover organization for Soviet espionage operations in Europe during Nazi Germany. Jewish Hidden Children in Belgium During the Holocaust: A comparative study of their hiding places at Christian establishments, private families, and Jewish orphanages by Charlotte Decoster, U of North Texas 2006.  I Survived The Holocaust As A ‘Hidden Child’—Thanks to the Mercy Of Strangers by Suzanne Loebl, Forward.com My Mother Was A 'Hidden Child' During The Holocaust. She'd Be Horrified By What's Happening At The Border by Edith Goldenhar, WBUR.org 'Hidden child' tells his story of surviving Holocaust by Brian Brackens, 88th Air Base Wing Office of Public Affairs Hidden Victims // Rachelle & Jack Goldstein  Alan Goldstein, Tampa Bay Times Coming Out of Hiding: Childhoods as Non-Jews  Frank J. Prial, New York Times Bibliography of Hidden Children resources (USHMM) Created, Directed, Written & Produced by Joe Soria Edited by Leland Holden + Joe Soria Additional Production Assistance By Kate Lichota Original Music By Chris Morgan A special thanks to Robert Soria, Jessica Soria Korsunsky and Jacqueline Soria. And of course the biggest thanks goes to Claire Soria for her willingness to share her story. Want to reach out? Em

    30 min
  4. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Preview: Born To Remember: Claire Soria - A Hidden Child Holocaust Survivor Story

    Send us a text Synopsis A preview of the upcoming series Born to Remember,  the inspiring and heart-wrenching stories of Claire Soria in her own words. From her life before WWII in Belgium, hiding as a Jewish child during the Nazi occupation, her voyage to the USA in late 1940s and so much more. This is a tale that spans the world from a village in Poland to the shores of Ellis Island , a small apartment above a bread factory in Brussels to an orphanage in Cleveland. Come on this multi episode journey to hear this Holocaust survivor share her life long journey and the story of her family and loved ones told directly to her grandson Joe Soria. Welcome to Born To Remember: Claire Soria.  Episode 1 Release Date: March 20, 2022 If you like what you hear, please subscribe on your preferred podcast platform to get the latest episodes as they are released. -------- Note From The Creator My grandma Claire Soria has always told me pieces of her stories forever and then would say “Remember when I told you…” It’s a phrase we often hear but I think most people use it as a trigger not to firm up their memory. Despite hearing so many tales for so many years, I still feel I had no ability to recollect details and info and family members and felt it necessary to get these stories in their best form, directly from the person in the ultimate oral tradition of the Jewish people. A life well lived is worthy of making sure it is a life well remembered. -------- CREDITS Storyteller/Inspiration: Claire Soria Written/Directed: Joe Soria Edited: Joe Soria & Leland Holden Produced: Joe Soria Additional Guests: Jessica Soria Korsunsky, Jacqueline Soria Episode Notes Research: Kate Lichota Additional Music: Christopher Morgan Special Thanks To Robert Soria for recording assistance and setup assistance for interviews. Additional Info/Episode Notes: Born To Remember Website Born To Remember Facebook Page Any proceeds from this show will go to various Jewish and Orphan charities including:   https://www.survivormitzvah.org/ https://bluecardfund.org/

    5 min

Trailer

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Go inside the mind of Claire Soria, a life of a hidden Jewish child during WWII in Belgium and her family, her journey to America and her inspiring journey of loss, perseverance and perspective all told in conversation with her grandson.