Szefer
Submitted by his daughter Nina Elhalal, Ramat Hasharon.
Shlomo Leshek Szefer passed away on January 25th, 2018 at the age of 104.
Shlomo’s family was religious and as a child he was a Heder student. When the HaShomer Hatzair opened a branch in town, Shlomo joined the movement and later became one of the local leaders. In 1936, Shlomo was drafted into the Polish army and served for two years.
During the war, Shlomo was witness to the terrible Aktions and the methodical extermination of the Jewish population. For a while he worked as a forced laborer under the Germans but was able to escape and join partisan groups in the forest.
At the end of the war he wanted to immigrate to Israel, but his application was denied by the Polish government. In 1956 he finally received a permit and immigrated to Israel with his family. In Israel he worked in the petroleum industry. Thanks to his experience in this field, he made significant contributions to the development of the industry in Israel.
After his retirement he volunteered in many organizations: he assisted in the absorption of new immigrants, lectured in retirees’ centers, lectured about the holocaust in schools and more.
His life mirrors the history of the Jewish people in the last century: A Heder student, a Zionist leader, a soldier in the Polish army, a forced laborer under the Nazis, a partisan in the forests, a new immigrant integrating into the Israeli society and contributing to the building and strengthening of the Stat of Israel, a volunteer for a multitude of causes after his retirement.
Submitted by: Shlomo (Leszek) Szefer
A Pan Bog
New immigrant
The story of Shlomo (Leszek) Szefer, Intergenerational Gathering, Beit Wolyn, Dec 3rd, 2012
Photographer- Dave Bloom
Editor- Daniela Mavor
Interview with Shlomo (Leszek) Szefer (100 years old) - interview by Merav Sagie
Testimony clips
1. Leszek Szefer "Hashomer Hatzair" 1927
Standing from right to left - Wilek "bialy", Shlomo Oberlander, Mundzio (?), Leibko Henfeld
Sitting from right to left - Berko Bauer, Dora Dorfler, Dolka Kleiner, (?) Weiss
View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.drohobycz-boryslaw.org/en/families/boryslaw/schaeffer#sigFreeId10f31b369a
https://www.drohobycz-boryslaw.org/en/families/boryslaw/schaeffer#sigFreeId10f31b369a
