Pinchas Reif
"Have integrity have respect for life, work hard. it will pay off. "
Name at birth
Pinchas Reif
Date of birth
05/04/1915
Where did you grow up?
Czernowitz, Romania
Name of father, occupation
Moses Reif
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Sofia
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents and eight or nine children
Who survived the Holocaust?
Only three survived, Pinchas, and his brothers, Jacob and Leon
Pinchas didn’t talk much about the Holocaust. He stated, we have to live.
Where did you go after being liberated?
Pinchas and his wife, Klara, moved from Czernowitz to Ploesti, Romania. The majority of his family members left for Bucharest, Romania, Ploesti nearby. Pinchas’ brother Leon lived in Ploiesti
When did you come to the United States?
1964
Where did you settle?
Detroit, Michigan
How is it that you came to Michigan?
Pinchas’ brother, Jacob Reif, lived in Detroit, sponsored them to come to America.
Occupation after the war
In Romania after the war, Pinchas was in the transport business, later worked in quality control in the dairy industry. In the United States, he initially worked for his uncle in the scrap metal business. After 2 ½ years, he was hired by a tool and die company, the company later moved to Ohio. Pinchas later opened a gas station and sold used cars there. Tragically, he was murdered there.
When and where were you married?
1940 or 1941 in Czernowitz, Romania. Pinchas left for the army shortly after their marriage. His wife, Klara, raised her two nephews who were orphaned in the Holocaust.
Spouse
Klara Spierer Reif,
seamstress
Children
Misha, Anita, and Susan
What do you think helped you to survive?
His motto was, believe in life. After the war, he emphasized living in the moment, he encouraged us to get educated. He cherished his grandchildren.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
Have integrity have respect for life, work hard. it will pay off.
Interviewer:
Interview given by Susan Dines, daughter of Pinchas Reif
Interview date:
08/23/2022
