Garry Kappy
"Always look to the future, but never forget the Holocaust."
Name at birth
Gershon Kaplanski
Date of birth
12/26/1924
Where did you grow up?
Opatow, Poland
Name of father, occupation
Joseph Kaplanski,
Men's clothing business
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Rochel Sherka,
Housewife
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents, Israel, Genia, Cesia, Frank, Esther, Leah, Fried, and I.
How many in entire extended family?
About 20.
Who survived the Holocaust?
Five siblings who eventually emigrated to the United States and Canada.
Before the war my family lived comfortably owning a clothing business. My mother, Rochel, died in 1936 of pneumonia. My father, Joseph, died of typhus while running a soup kitchen for Jewish refugees. I attended Tarbut (Hebrew school).
Name of Ghetto(s)
Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)
Where did you go after being liberated?
Wurzberg, Germany.
When did you come to the United States?
1947
Where did you settle?
Detroit, MI.
Occupation after the war
Meat packer.
When and where were you married?
1951 in Detroit, Michigan.
Spouse
Viola,
Homemaker
Children
Irvin, physician; Ira, men’s clothier.
Grandchildren
Two.
What do you think helped you to survive?
Will power.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
Always look to the future, but never forget the Holocaust.
Experiences
Survivor's map
