Elise Schorr (verh. Hollander)

Born:	09-13-1919
Faculty:	Philosophical School
Category:	Expelled student

Elise SCHORR (married: Hollander), born on September 13th, 1919 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), daughter of Emil Schorr (invalidity pensioner) and lived in Wien 3, Weißgerberlände 12/6. She had graduated from high school ("Maedchenrealgymnasium in Vienna's 2nd district, Novarragasse 3) in June 1937 and enrolled at the Philosophical School in the fall term 1937/38 and took courses in German and English language and literature Studies. Her first year of studies was also her last: In 1938 she was no more allowed to continue with her studies for racist reasons. 60 years later she describes this time in retrospect:

"Before the Anschluss I attended the University of Vienna for my first semester. At the time there was a strong sentiment among students against the present Vaterlaendische Regime of Austria and students of the Right and Left made common cause. However, the large student body showed strong feelings for Nationalsocialism. Especially, the lectures of one Professor Nadler were used as quasi protests, students appeared in white kneesocks, a symbol, and applauded and hooted at any and all anti-Semitic remarks made by Prof. Nadler. About 6 of us Jewish students were huddled apart from the others. I was immediately expelled at the Anschluss."

In November 1939 the family was expelled from their apartement in the third district , the furniture had to be sold to a party member at a nominal price under threats of denunciation but could move in to an aunt in the second district of Vienna. Elise Schorr succeeded to emigrate to the USA on February 16, 1939 and landed in New York on February 23, 1939 where she could live with the family of her mother's brother. Elise Schorr managed to get an affidavit to bring her parents to the USA and passages were already booked for them to leave for Cuba from Lisbon in mid-December of 1941. But as the USA had entered the Second World War, the doors were shut and her parents could not leave Vienna any more. In 1942 they were deported to Izbica and then were transferred to Sobibor. Elise Schorr was naturalized in 1946 and became a US-citizen but could not continue her studies in the USA but worked as temporary salesperson, as maid in various households, in factory packing and assembling toys and as proofreader in publishing firm (W.H Wilson Co) and finally as proofreader and editorial assistant at Vogue magazine.
Later she became a housewife and mother, rearing two children and lateron returned to work at a law firm (Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler) as proofreader and paralegal assistant. She died on March 21, 2007 in the USA.
In 2015 the family dedicated a "Stone of Remembrance" to her parents, Selma and Emil Schorr, at their home at Vienna's 3rd district, Weißgerberlände, 12.

Lit.: Austrian Heritage Collection at Leo Baeck Institute New York, information from her daughter Vera Hollander, 2016

Herbert Posch