Today 80 years ago, Isabella Weinreb was three months pregnant with Viviane , when she jumped in the night of 19-20 April 1943, around 2AM from the 20th deportation train – Transport XX – from Mechelen direction Auschwitz.

Isabella escaped with a broken wrist , and knocked on the door of this St. Kamillus institute in Bierbeek, where she was helped further on her escape route back home in Brussels. Viviane was born 6 months later at in Brussels.

Viviane, who is now living in the USA, returned this week – on Holocaust Remembrance Day – to the place her mother escaped and saved both their lives, together with photographer Jo Struyven , author Nathalie Strubbe, and documentary filmmaker Michel van der Burg. During the St. Kamillus visit , reporter Tom de Leur made with photographer Dirk Vertommen an interview published April 19, 2023 in the flemish Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad – https://m.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20230418_97055388 – “Vivianes moeder was zwanger van haar toen ze van de trein sprong die haar naar de gaskamers moest leiden”

Yesterday, April 19, 2023 , Viviane Yarom told her story of the escape from Transport XX, at the Study Day on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the 20th convoy presented by the Jewish Museum of Belgium and The Auschwitz Foundation in the Jewish Museum of Belgium, in Brussels.

In the Jewish Museum of Belgium , the exhibition ‘236 – Land(es)capes from the 20th convoy’ by Jo Struyven and Luc Tuymans, runs until Mon 14 August.

April 19th also the catalog book by Jo Struyven and Daniel Weyssow (Auschwitz Foundation) was published , which includes dutch and french editions of “Escape from Transport XX…born 6 months later” translated from the original english text of a chapter in the ebook published April 19, 2019 : Viviane Yarom-Castegnier & Michel van der Burg. ‘Viviane’s Story: Escape from Transport XX… Born 6 Months Later’. Download available via Miracles.Media.

License info : Viviane’s Story in Belgian Newspaper | 20230420 | Miracles•Media | TakeNode 6394354b-afb1-46ac-b635-2f5d33c15c76