Harry Cymerint

"Don't be intolerant, treat everyone equally"

Date of birth

03/02/1925

Where were you born?

Ostrovice, Poland

Where did you grow up?

Ostrovice, Poland

Name of father, occupation

Joseph, Shoemaker

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Leah, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents, four sons, one daughter: Simon, Philip, Morris, Harry and Paula

How many in entire extended family?

Too many to count

Who survived the Holocaust?

Simon and myself. After the war, my brother died when the ship he was on was blown up.

When I was at Auschwitz, for a period of time, I worked in the Crematorium. After a while, they would kill the Crematorium workers. I had a feeling it was “my time,” that I would soon be killed. One day, the Germans announced that they were looking for tradesmen; painters, carpenters, electricians. If you called out that you were a painter, then they would ask you questions about painting. If you lied and did not know about painting, they would shoot you on the spot. The guy standing right next to me lied and they shot him on the spot. I used to go to school half a day and paint half a day. I answered their questions correctly and moved into another camp.

Name of Ghetto(s)

Warsaw

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Dachau / Theresienstadt / Treblinka

Occupation after the war

Painter

Spouse

Sally, Homemaker

Children

Jeffrey, Financial Services; Joyce, Case manager for the elderly; Linda, Annuities

Grandchildren

Seven Grandchildren: Aaron White, Jordan White, Shane Blankenship, Chance Blankenship, Beau Blankenship, Jacob Cymerint, Katelyn Cymerint. Five Great Grandchildren: Aubriella Blankenship, Lucas Blankenship, River Blankenship, Dakota Blankenship

What do you think helped you to survive?

My brother helped me. Luck and determination helped me survive the death march. Luck, determination, attitude, never gave up.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Don't be intolerant, treat everyone equally