In 1941, at age of 21, I was in the Slovak army. Jews had to wear different uniforms than non-Jews and could not carry guns, only shovels. I went home for Passover in 1942 and learned that my younger brother had already been taken. I knew that passing trains were filled with Jews. I had received a postcard from my father saying “we are all fine.” I had a non-Jewish army superior who warned me and gave me his uniform and papers to reach other Jews in the woods. I joined the Partisans.
In 1949, I received a letter from an aunt living in the United States seeking any survivors. I responded and came to Detroit.
To learn more about this survivor, please visit
The Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive, University of Michigan-Dearborn