In 1940, following the invasion of France, Symcha enlisted in the French Army; he was discharged later the same year. Most of the foreign Jews who volunteered served in units of the Foreign Legion were stationed within France itself: these were mostly infantry units, as well as other small units annexed to the regular French Army; they took part in the fighting during the German invasion of France. Some of the volunteers were sent to units of the Foreign Legion stationed in North Africa.

In May 1941 Symcha Horonczyk was arrested in a wave of detentions targeting Jews who were not French citizens. He was sent to the Pithiviers camp in North-East France. His brother-in-law, Solomon Friedheim, his sister Leah’s husband, was sent to the camp together with him.

Symcha Horonczyk sent this letter from Pithiviers to his father and sisters in Paris, via the Duvau Family. The letter was written on 16 July 1942, the day on which the Vel' d'Hiv, or mass-arrests of the Jews of Paris, began. The next day, on the 17th of July, one of Symcha’s sisters, Esther Frenkel, was arrested together with her baby, Richard, and the two were sent to Pithiviers. By the time Esther and Richard arrived in the camp, Symcha had already been sent to Auschwitz. Symcha and Esther would never meet again.

Pithiviers, 16 July

Mr. and Mrs. Duvau,
If you would be so kind, I would ask you to transmit the following letter to my father and sisters at 19 Rue Turenne.
Thank you very much,
S. Horonczyk

My Dearest Ones,
You must know that I am in Pithiviers since Tuesday [it seems that Symcha and a group of prisoners had been working outside the camp, and had been recalled in preparation for deportation]. I arrived here with my friends, and we are leaving for an undisclosed destination. If I am able to, I will write from the road, or from wherever we arrive. In any case, don’t worry too much about me. Don’t forget that hard labor never scared me. I am leaving in good spirits and with a calm mind. I may be together with my friends.

If I know you as well as I think I do, you are probably very worried about me. I really ask you to be calm and not to worry so. Do not skimp on food, and do not think of me [prisoners in some of the French camps, among them Pithiviers, received food parcels from their families]. I repeat – do not worry about me, and be calm. Take care of yourselves and your children. Do everything you can to put the children in a [secure hiding] place. Don’t leave it to the last moment.

I have nothing more to say to you. I kiss and hug you with all my heart.

Yours,
Symcha

Symcha-Binem Horonczyk (second line from the top), number 556 on the list of Jews deported from Pithiviers to Auschwitz, 11 July 1942. The list details his personal details (name, date and place of birth), his profession (machine operator - apparently some kind of knitting machine or loom), and his place of residence (Baume, Niévre).

After more than a year of detention in Pithiviers, Symcha Horonczyk was deported on transport number 6 to Auschwitz.

The RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt, or Main Office for the Security of the Reich) transport left Pithiviers on the 17th of July 1942, and arrived in Auschwitz two days later. Upon arrival 809 men received the numbers 48880–49688. 119 women received the numbers 9550–9668, and were incarcerated in the camp. Most of the deportees were Jews with Polish citizenship. The youngest deportee was a 12 year old girl, and the eldest was a 42 year old man. Of the Jews who were deported on this transport, 18 are known to have survived.

Courtesy of Archives du CDJC – Mémorial de la Shoah

The ITS (International Tracing Service, Bad Arolsen Archive) card lists Symcha’s personal details, as well as the date he died (was murdered) in Auschwitz: 19 September 1942. The cause of death is noted as “heart failure”.

A Page of Testimony in memory of Symcha Horonczyk. The page was submitted by his sister, Chaja-Dwojra Korman.