Bill Text: IL SR1452 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Margot Schlesinger.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-03-01 - Resolution Adopted [SR1452 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SR1452-Introduced.html

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SR1452 LRB100 20935 ALS 36517 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
learn of the death of Margot Schlesinger, who passed away on
February 7, 2018; and
WHEREAS, Margot Schlesinger was born in Germany to Yaakov
and Sabine Wind on July 24, 1918; she was a member of the
dwindling group of people, known as the Schindlerjuden, who
survived the Holocaust because they were on Schindler's List;
she was one of the last of that group living in the Chicago
area; and
WHEREAS, In 1938, when her father was arrested on
Kristallnacht, she charmed one of the guards into letting him
go; by 1939, her four brothers and a sister had fled Germany
and headed to the United States, Shanghai, and Palestine; she
had a visa to go to England, but she did not want to leave her
parents; they were expelled to Poland, and without papers, were
"stateless Jews"; and
WHEREAS, As deportation rumors swirled in mid-1942, Margot
Schlesinger urged her parents to go into hiding with her, but
they refused; she later returned for them, but found their
apartment empty, sealed with Gestapo tape; a month later, she
married Chaskel Schlesinger, whom she met in Tarnow; and

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WHEREAS, In 1944, Margot Schlesinger was among the
approximately 300 female workers of Schindler who were
mistakenly sent to Auschwitz; before Schindler was able to get
the women back, she survived a selection process by Josef
Mengele; when he sent her to the line for execution, she spoke
up about her ability to work and was sent back; while at
Auschwitz, she saved the life of her cousin's fiance by asking
to have the woman's name added to Schindler's list; she forever
remembered the relief she felt when she was returned to
Schindler's custody and the kindness of his wife; and
WHEREAS, After liberation, Margot Schlesinger's husband
sold bolts of fabric he had hidden under his old home to help
fund their emigration first to France, and eventually to
Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Margot Schlesinger credited her survival to near
misses, lucky breaks, and miracles; she was active with
Congregation Ezras Israel and worked as an election judge; she
and her husband spoke about the Holocaust to school and civic
groups; after his death, she continued her public speaking; and
WHEREAS, Margot Schlesinger greeted the births of each of
her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with
love, gratitude, and a touch of glee; she was a fabulous cook

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and baker; she lived her life with the following philosophy:
"Everybody's born as a human being. There's no place in the
world for bigotry and for race hating"; and
WHEREAS, Margot Schlesinger was the loving wife of the late
Chaskel Schlesinger; the devoted mother of Aline (the late
Rabbi Morton) Yolkut, Dr. Sabine (Dr. Harold) Himmelfarb, and
Regine (Stuart) Meisel; the proud grandmother of Rabbi Daniel
(Anna), David (Rachel), Dr. Yonit (Dr. Raphi), Elana (Yossi),
Elie (Ronit), Jeremy (Rena), Dr. Rachel (Ariel), and Ariella
(Yaakov); the cherished great-grandmother of many; and the dear
sister of the late Edward (the late Tania) Wind, Hy (the late
Rita) Wind, Willi (the late Pnina) Wind, Julius (the late
Sonya) Wind, and Shoshana (the late Zvi) Tannenbaum; therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Margot Schlesinger and extend our sincere condolences to her
family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Margot Schlesinger as an expression
of our deepest sympathy.