Joseph Berman

Date of birth

12/15/1915

Where were you born?

Kaluszyn, Poland

Name of father, occupation

Alter Pincus Berman, Manufactured Sheepskin Coats

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Sara Pearl, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Jacob, Shua, Motel, Moishe, Hancha, Aria, Chaya, Mendel, Simcha, Nathan, Fayga,

Who survived the Holocaust?

Myself, 4 Siblings, and 3 Cousins

I Had a wonderful life before the war. Attended School, played soccer, got together with friends, dated. Worked in the family business producing sheepskin coats. I was drafted into the Polish Army right before WW11 started.
During the war my family and I were imprisoned in our family factory and forced to manufacture sheepskin coats for the German Army to wear during the cold winter months. When we ran out of sheepskin material they placed me and my family on a train bound for Treblinka. I along with 4 siblings jumped from the moving train and spent the rest of the war in hiding. The rest of the family went on to Treblinka where they perished.

What DP Camp were you after the war?

Yes, in Lundshut Germany

Where did you settle?

Detroit, Michigan

How is it that you came to Michigan?

We had a friends in Detroit who sponsored us so after arriving in Ellis Island we traveled to Detroit

Occupation after the war

Fisher Body Plant and Samsonite Luggage as a leather cutter

When and where were you married?

Lodz, Poland, November, 1945

Spouse

Rena, Homemaker