Dear Mrs. Gabriel,

I’ll never forget the beautiful toy railroad set that your son, Horst, got to play with each Christmas. Your husband would only put it out in December, and each time he did, I was invited to share it with Horst. You lived in the same building as me. Your family was Christian.

I’ll also never forget Berlin in 1938 and the tobacco store across the street from our fifth-story building. On Kristallnacht, we could hear the screams of the Jewish owner as the S.S. came to smash his windows and take him out onto the street to hurt him. It was a bloody mess. That same night, all of the synagogues were either burned or completely vandalized.

In fear for my family’s safety, you and your sister came to our place to help protect us. My father was on a business trip in Hamburg and when he called home, my mother said, “Stay in Hamburg, get lost, because the Nazis are here to get you.” You were angels who put themselves in danger in order to help save my family…

Ernest, age 86

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Mitzi,

You were our housekeeper and my nanny for the first six years of my life.

You were the most important person in my young years. I saw more of you than either of my parents. 



Each weekday morning, you walked me to kindergarten and then picked me up again for lunch. We walked towards our apartment at the edge of the Danube Canal through the colorful streets of Vienna. You prepared my lunch, tucked me in for a nap, and later played games with me till you prepared supper. I took your presence and care for granted.

After Kristallnacht, you disappeared from my life and I missed you terribly. I cried and prayed for your return but soon we were forced to leave our apartment and I was sure you would never find us again. One cold February afternoon, there was a knock on our door—a knock always sent shivers of fear into our souls—but when my mother opened the door, it was you, Mitzi. You had a spray of lilies of the valley in your hand and a Happy Birthday greeting on your lips for me. It was my seventh birthday and I was filled with joy for the first time in many months…

Ruth, age 76

 **The full versions of both letters are in the book, The Things You Would Have Said**