| Boris Schuster
Born: April 15, 1925
From: Vilna, Poland
Slave laborer, camp prisoner at multiple sites
At 14 years of age, Boris served as an apprentice in a machine shop in Vilna, Poland. When the Germans invaded in1941, Boris and his family were crowded into the Vilna ghetto with other Jews. From there, he was transported to a slave labor camp where he worked as a lathe operator. For some reason, an SS captain at the camp befriended Boris and saved him-- numerous times-- from death. When the Russians advanced into Poland, Boris was transferred to the Stutthof concentration camp in Danzig. There he hauled corpses to the crematorium. Finally, Boris was sent to Dachau.
In 1947, with the help of The Jewish Community Council, Boris immigrated to the United States with help from Phil Welber, who owned Robertson’s Department Store in South Bend. Boris recalled how the Jewish community in South Bend opened their arms to welcome him.
Boris said, “Looking back...I think it was pure coincidence that I survived. There’s no logic.” |
