Mr. David Jacobs was born in Tomaszów, Poland. He grew up within the small town, and soon joined his father in working at their family tailoring shop. At age 18, when the war broke out, Mr. Jacobs was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp, where he served as a slave labourer. Mr. Jacobs traveled across Europe to various concentration camps, including Blizyn and Auschwitz Birkenau, where he served as a cook for his fellow prisoners. After being liberated by Eisenhower and the American Armed Forces in 1945, Mr. Jacobs was soon given the opportunity to work. Soon after, he travelled to the Bergen-Belsen DP camp, where he and his brother were able to reunite with their sister. He began working for the American Joint Distribution Committee in order to help displaced Jews across Europe. Mr. Jacobs later moved to Toronto, Canada to continue working in the clothing industry, where he still resides today.
Mr, Jacobs was interviewed for this project in January 2015 by Sabrina Wasserman and Blair Gwartzmann.
Videos
- 1. David Jacobs - Prewar Memories.mp4
- 2. Prewar Memories, Part 2.mp4
- 3. Anti-Semitism; Escape to Warsaw.mp4
- 4. Returning to his Hometown.mp4
- 5. First Encounter with the Nazis.mp4
- 6. Life in the Warsaw Ghetto.mp4
- 7. Separation from Family.mp4
- 8. Betrayal.mp4
- 9. Problems with Other Prisoners.mp4
- 10. Parents; Life in the Ghetto.mp4
- 11. The Camps; Labour in Auschwitz.mp4
- 12. The Pre-War Tailor Shop.mp4
- 13. Postwar Trials.mp4
- 14. Meeting Jewish-American Soldiers; Working.mp4
- 15. Meeting Jewish-American Soldiers; Working, Pt. 2.mp4
- 16. Getting a Car.mp4
- 17. Getting a Car, Part 2.mp4
- 18. Finding His Sister; The Joint Distribution Committee.mp4
- 19. Working in Canada.mp4
- 20. Working in Canada, Part 2.mp4
- 21. Working in Canada, Part 3.mp4
- 22. Mr. Jacob's Children; Concluding Photo Essay.mp4
