Here’s another amazing story of love – this one from my friend, Dr. David Rosenthal. In it he shares the profound story that led to his adoption as a baby, and his future adoption as an heir and follower of Jesus Christ. It’s the story of three women who loved him greatly. One gave him life; another gave him a home and a name; the third pointed him to the Author and Finisher of his faith. Read on…
Esther Kaufman was born June 12th, 1917 in Bucharest, Rumania. Magdalena Barta was born not far way in Budapest, Hungary on June 23rd, 1924. These two women shared a strange and unique destiny and were part of a long love story that continues until today even though both are deceased.
Magda grew up a young girl in a Jewish household. Her life was mostly uneventful until the age of 15 when her parents accepted a dowry from a family friend who was 45 years old and had recently lost his wife to a terminal illness. She was married and not much is known about this relationship. During these years, the Nazis were coming to power and Adolph Hitler became a force to be reckioned with. Magda became pregnant by her husband most likely in 1940 and bore a son which she eventually abandoned and left with her mother to raise. By an act of fate, her mother and this son were killed in a bombing raid on Budapest in 1944.
Magda, who had the nickname “Blondie” because of her beautiful blonde hair, became involved in the Hungarian underground movement getting Jews out of Nazi-occupied Hungary. At one point, she reportedly witnessed storm troopers suddenly marching upon the second-floor wing of a hospital in Budapest and scooping up all of the 18-19 Jewish-born babies and throwing them out the second floor window to their death below while their mothers and Magda looked on in absolute horror. Magda suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder her entire life because of this and many other horrific events she witnessed.
Magda is reported to have had an affair with a German officer who was assisting her in getting Jews out until the Gestapo got too close and he turned Magda in. She was arrested and incarcerated as a prisoner-of-war, since she was not suspected of being Jewish because of her blonde hair.
On May 4th, 1945, Germany surrendered and the prisoners were transferred to a farmhouse barn not very far from the prison. That night, Magda found a man and escaped from the makeshift prison. She was to find out later that everyone in that prison was taken into a nearby field and shot the very next day.
Magda eventually married an American serviceman and moved to Oklahoma, where she and her husband James had two girls. In July 1950, Magda’s husband was called back into service – this time for the Korean conflict. Magda moved in with her husband’s sister, but was kicked out two weeks after he left the US. Magda was thrown to live on her own the best she could with two young girls and very broken English skills. She and the girls had poor living conditions at best. In February 1951, Magda was raped and became pregnant by an allegedly unknown person. She dared not go to the police because she was petrified they might be connected with the Gestapo and send her back to Germany. She found solace and help, as well as a place to live, at the Edna Gladney Home in Fort Worth, Texas. Soon thereafter, she rounded up her two girls and took a plane to Fort Worth to have her baby.
On October 26, 1951, Magda bore a son whose crib name “Nathan” which means a “a gift”. Ten days after, “Nathan” was adopted by a childless Jewish couple. Esther and Dan Rosenthal of Houston adopted “Nathan” and renamed him “David Brandes Rosenthal”.
I am that “David.” Esther (Kaufman) and Dan became my adoptive parents. I was raised in a Reformed Jewish tradition, eventually moving to Dallas at the age of 6. Another real love story is found with my neighbors down the street. The Youngs took me to church for the first time at the age of 10 years old – to hear W.A. Chriswell. Mrs. Young took me to her Bible and showed me Romans 1:16 “To the Jew first…” The Youngs took me to Sunday School twice and I wanted to have a Bible the second time I attended like I saw every one else was carrying. The only Bible I could find and afford was a paperback Bible of unknown version that was “expurgated”. I did not know what this meant, but when my Sunday School teacher saw that Bible, I believe she was horrified. Before I left that day, Mrs. Harold Huesing presented me with a real Bible. I still have this Bible and in the coverleaf it reads. “To David Rosenthal from Mrs. Harold Huesing, whose heart is filled with gratitude to the race which gave us the Holy Scriptures. July, 1962”
Mrs. Huesing worked with the 11-12 year old age group for over 40 years at First Baptist Church of Dallas, and I’m certain she is a big part of my salvation. After becoming a Christian at the age of 21, and many years later, I looked up Mrs. Huesing and visited her in her home in Irving, Texas. It was good visit and I will always remember it.
Each of these women profoundly influenced me and gave me life. I thank God for the journey and His love, which becomes more apparent each day I live. All things continue to work together for good.
David, I love stories about adoption. Especially since we (the family of God) are all adopted. So are my grandsons and they are wonderful and such a gift, as I know you were to your adopted parents. thanks for sharing
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