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Elizabeth <I>Ovitz</I> Moskowitz

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Elizabeth Ovitz Moskowitz

Birth
Death
1992 (aged 77–78)
Burial
Haifa, Haifa District, Israel Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Dwarf or little person as she was more commonly known as was a Pseudoachondroplasia dwarf. Born in Rozavlea, Romania Elizabeth was the eighth child of Shimshon Eizik Ovitz and the sixth with his second wife Batia. Shimshon was a little person while both of his wives were of average height. In total they had ten children, 2 with his first wife Brana both dwarfs and eight more with his wife Batia three of average size and five were dwarfs. Unable to get jobs due to their size they decided as a family to entertain. They became known as the Liliput Troupe. They traveled and entertained until the beginning of WW2 when as a Jewish family they were deported to Auschwitz. An SS soldier saw a family of with seven dwarfs and summoned Dr Josef Mengele to see them. He immediately took to them and placed them as well as the rest of their extended family 22 in all to the medical ward and conducted experiments on them. he told them that no harm would come to them as long as he was there. Mengele saved their lives in Auschwitz numerous times. Most of the family survived their time in Auschwitz, the few that did not were not on the same transport with the family, and returned to the village they were from but found life there to difficult. They then moved to Sighet. Life was still very difficult there so they went to Belgium, the only country that would give the entire family visas. They continued to perform but found their audience limited. After getting offers from the United States and Israel they decided on Israel. In Israel life was hard but good, they did not speak Hebrew and had to learn quickly. They performed for years but as they were getting older decided to retire and ran a cinema.
Elizabeth married Moche Moskowitz, just 10 days after their wedding Moche was arrested and taken to a labor camp. He survived and was reunited with Elizabeth in Sighet. Due to her size she was unable to have children.

They are the subject of the book "In our hearts we were giants."
Dwarf or little person as she was more commonly known as was a Pseudoachondroplasia dwarf. Born in Rozavlea, Romania Elizabeth was the eighth child of Shimshon Eizik Ovitz and the sixth with his second wife Batia. Shimshon was a little person while both of his wives were of average height. In total they had ten children, 2 with his first wife Brana both dwarfs and eight more with his wife Batia three of average size and five were dwarfs. Unable to get jobs due to their size they decided as a family to entertain. They became known as the Liliput Troupe. They traveled and entertained until the beginning of WW2 when as a Jewish family they were deported to Auschwitz. An SS soldier saw a family of with seven dwarfs and summoned Dr Josef Mengele to see them. He immediately took to them and placed them as well as the rest of their extended family 22 in all to the medical ward and conducted experiments on them. he told them that no harm would come to them as long as he was there. Mengele saved their lives in Auschwitz numerous times. Most of the family survived their time in Auschwitz, the few that did not were not on the same transport with the family, and returned to the village they were from but found life there to difficult. They then moved to Sighet. Life was still very difficult there so they went to Belgium, the only country that would give the entire family visas. They continued to perform but found their audience limited. After getting offers from the United States and Israel they decided on Israel. In Israel life was hard but good, they did not speak Hebrew and had to learn quickly. They performed for years but as they were getting older decided to retire and ran a cinema.
Elizabeth married Moche Moskowitz, just 10 days after their wedding Moche was arrested and taken to a labor camp. He survived and was reunited with Elizabeth in Sighet. Due to her size she was unable to have children.

They are the subject of the book "In our hearts we were giants."


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