Jack Abramowitz '66, a retired Grumman aerospace engineer, spoke with Chabad Jewish Student Group president Hannah Gold. He explained his commitment to sharing his experiences with Nazi Germany.
“I feel absolutely lucky that I was saved. God intervened to save my family when six million of us were murdered and destroyed throughout Europe,” Jack Abramowitz ’66 has said. He chronicled his family’s experiences in “3 Stalwart Acts Of Faith Saved My Family From The Holocaust.”
- First, while his father had a visa to leave Germany on November 10, 1938—the day after Kristallnacht—he was arrested before he could leave. Jack’s mother, who was pregnant with him, raced to Gestapo headquarters with the visa and, remarkably, managed to escape death herself even after bravely affirming her faith, while the woman behind her in line was summarily shot and killed.
- Second, Abramowitz’s father then left, as scheduled, to the United States, which put his family on a path to survival.
- Third, in 1941, after receiving the visas Abramowitz’s father had sent to Germany, the family boarded the last ship to leave Germany for the United States until after World War II.
- Abramowitz believes that these acts of faith—and what he calls a stroke of God’s good luck—are the bedrock of his and his family’s ultimate survival.
He recently spoke with Hannah Gold, Adelphi Chabad Jewish Student Group president and nursing major in Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health. Chabad faculty adviser Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, facilitated the get-together.
Gold summarized her conversation this way: “It’s one thing to read about the Holocaust. It’s another to hear about it directly from someone who lived through it.”
You earned your master’s degree at Adelphi. How was your time here?
My experience at Adelphi University was positive. I was part of the Grumman-Adelphi master’s program, working full time during the day and attending classes at night. The professors were excellent.
However, as it was 59 years ago and I was only on campus in the evenings after work, I didn’t have the typical full-time student experience.
Please reflect on your involvement with Chabad.
Chabad is a remarkable organization, and I have been involved with them for many years. Their work in spreading awareness of the Jewish faith and community is incredibly important. My three sons were all involved with Chabad at their respective universities—Berkeley, University of Texas and Columbia—and continue to be active in Jewish causes today.
You regularly empower and educate students in Palm Beach County K-12 schools, as well as in Robert Watson, PhD’s Lynn University Holocaust class, by sharing your story. Why is Holocaust awareness so important and why is it so important that these students understand your history?
This is crucial due to the current rise of antisemitism worldwide.
It is paramount to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. Education is key.
While many believe antisemitism originated with Hitler, its roots can be traced far before that—back to the historical persecution of Jews. It is vital to share this knowledge with young minds.
Can you share some advice for me or for someone who isn’t part of the Jewish faith?
It’s important to continue the work you’re doing now [with Chabad].
It can also be beneficial to understand different perspectives by reading texts like the Quran.
Speak to students and share the truth, helping them to discern factual information from misinformation.
I share my story so this can never happen again.