WW II survivor publishes memoir; fi nds happiness in America
TAKE ON EVERYTHING
NEW YORK CITY
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BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
When Anneros Valensi made the
move to the United States in 1966,
she found a sense of belonging and
happiness, after surviving the horrifi
c atrocities of World War II in Germany.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 32 OVEMBER 8-14, 2019 BTR
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The 81-year-old Riverdale resident
shares her story in ‘Where is Home?’
self-published in November 2013 about
her upbringing in post-war Germany,
while ‘Finding Happiness in America’
published in March 2017 tells her transition
to adult life in New York City.
Born in East Germany in 1938, Valensi,
a non-Jewish refugee, recalls the
fall of the Nazi regime in World War II.
Though Hitler was gone, life in East
Germany was strenuous. Valensi’s
family suffered from poverty living
under Russian occupation beginning
in 1945.
“Life under Russian rule consisted
of hunger, danger, bombing, homelessness,
uncertainty and heavy physical
work for women and everyone else,”
Valensi said. “My mother was so worn
out and couldn’t go in the fi elds. She
was punished by doing the Russians’
laundry.”
At the age of 6, Valensi and her family
were evicted to West Germany in
1946, arriving with nothing but the
clothes on their backs. Valensi recalls
hunger, fear of war, and the trauma of
an unsettling life.
World War II survivor, Anneros Valensi, 81, chronicles her life’s journey in post-war Germany
in two of her published books, “Where is Home” and “Finding Happiness in America.”
Photo courtesy of Anneros Valensi
“They loaded people up in trains
and counted how many people were at
the station,” Valensi said. “We never
knew where we were going to be, most
of our time were spent on the train
loaded with refugees.
After traveling to various locations
throughout Germany, Valensi couldn’t
wait to leave the country and see what’s
happening in the world, she said.
“Nobody wanted to talk about the
war in Germany,” Valensi said. “It was
a horrible sight that people just wanted
to forget. At times, not knowing and
getting any answers, I felt ashamed,
embarrassed and felt that maybe I
caused all of this misery.”
At the age of 22, she became a registered
nurse and moved to London,
England, in 1961 to work as an au pair.
Yet, she still didn’t feel that sense of belonging.
In 1966, she made her way to the
United States and trained in Kansas
City to become a fl ight attendant for
Trans World Airlines, she said. When
she relocated to New York City, her life
changed for the better — she fi nally
found a place to call home.
“I wanted to enjoy my work and
create a life here,” Valensi said. “I felt
comfortable here and the people were
nice.”
Even though she travels to Germany
to visit her family, she feels happiness
when she returns to the states,
she said.
“I always looked a step ahead,”
Valensi said. “I wanted to grow and I
didn’t want to go back to what I had. I
wanted to learn more and thrive and
do things better.”
Today, Valensi still continues to
write and she is currently into poetry.
She has two children and three grandchildren.
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