Between 1939 and 1945, the Nazis exterminated over ten million “enemies” of the state, six million of them European Jews.
This is the story of not only a 1965 Sayville High School graduate, but it’s the story of two survivors of the holocaust, her parents and their family.
Miriam Citron was born in Gela Machla in 1948 to William and Bella Citron (Wolf Cytrynblum and Bela Kasztan). She was born in a displaced persons camp in Stuttgart, Germany prior to their immigration to the United States in 1949.
Miriam’s parents were born in Poland and both survived the holocaust and concentration camps.
William, her dad, was born to Abraham Cytrynblum and Chana Cypel in Plock, Poland in 1925. The Nazis killed his parents and most all of his family. William and his sister, Lucy, both survived the camps.
Bela Kasztan, her mother, was born in 1923. Radom, Poland.
Bela was born to, mother Machle Lehrman and father Jankle Karztan. The Nazis killed Bella’s parents, grandparents, brothers, and the entire family.
William and Bella, both 14, had been deported from their hometowns in German-occupied Poland to a HASAG forced labor camp in Skarzysko-Kamienna (1), where they first met. They transferred Bela to another labor camp that was liberated in 1944 by the Soviets. William was transferred to several labor camps and liberated in January 1945.
They met again after their camps were liberated by the Soviets. William said he recognized Bella through her beautiful long hair. The couple soon married and traveled to Germany. Miriam was born in a displaced persons camp in Stuttgart in 1948. While living in Germany, William studied to be a dental technician. Bella worked in a factory and fixed soldier’s socks for food. The family remained in Germany for a few years.
Then, In August 1949, they accepted the offer of the International Refugee Organization to emigrate to the United States landing in Boston. They Americanized their names to Bella, Miriam, and William Citron.
They offered William a job in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a dental technician.
William had an aunt, Sylvia, who immigrated to America in 1919. Sylvia Cypel and Harry Bialer were living in Sayville, NY.
By 1958, when the Citron family was visiting Sayville, his aunt persuaded them to stay. William became the manager of Bialers Department Store. The Citrons built a home on Candee Ave.
By 1960, after 30 years in Sayville retail, the Bialers retired. William purchased the Department Store and ran it for the next 25 plus years.
William developed into a community leader. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce. Was a member of the Kiwanis club. William was the president of Temple Shalom. He was the Vice President of B’Nai B’rith. Bella was a devoted wife working in the store. She was a faithful member with her husband at Temple Shalom and was a representative of Hadassah Sisterhood.
Their daughter was interested in many activities. Miriam would attend Sayville High School and graduate in 1965. She was a Girl Scout, an honor student, and took part in a few high school plays. Appearing in the play “Wish You Were Here”,1963, then “Where’s Charley” in 1964.
She graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. Then SUNY Albany with a Masters Degree in Psychology. She married Henry Burhans. She has had a long career throughout the country in her field, Psychiatric Social Work. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers.
Miriam lives today in New Mexico.
The story of William, Bella, and Miriam Citron certainly would have been very different had it not been for their remaining American relatives, Harry and Sylvia Bialer. The Bialer’s story is also an amazing story. They moved to West Sayville and opened a small dry goods store (Syliva’s Shop) on South Main St. in 1931. The Bialer’s expanded their store a few times then they moved to Sayville. The Bialer Department Store was the eventual result at 95 Main St. Harry and Sylvia had two sons, David &Seymour. They also had the retail bug and started their own business at the Sayville Men’s Shop, a Sayville institution.
In the end, the story is a story about a family destroyed by war. A family with the strength to move beyond their early horror. Their story is an amazing story of survival. One that inspires all of us to appreciate our great country and all the freedoms we sometimes take too lightly.
William, Bella, Miriam, Harry, Sylvia, David, and Seymour, thank you for making Sayville and our country a better place because of your love for family, community, and country.
William and Bella spent their retirement years in Boca Raton, Florida. In Florida, he became the president of the Century Village Holocaust Survivors group. They spent their last years sharing their story.
Realizing we all can never forget.
William passed in 2005 at 80 and Bella passed in 2015 at 93.
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