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Adolf Hitler is born
On April 20, 1889 was when Adolf Hitler is born. -
Jack Mandelbaum is born
On April 10, 1927 Jack Mandelbaum is born and is a survivor of the holocaust. He grew up in the port city of Gdynia owning a fish cannery with his family. He lives with his mother Tzesia and two siblings in an apartment near the beach. -
Hitler becomes a general
In 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg announces that Adolf Hitler is the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party ( Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany. -
Summer 1939
As the days passed during Summer of 1939 many stories surfaced about hitler's hatred towards the Jews. -
World War 2 starts
On September 1, 1939 is the time when World War 2 starts created by Hitler. Within 48 hours, England and France declared war against Germany, which had officially began the war. -
Nazi Party marches into Poland
Two weeks after Jack, his mother, and two siblings, the Nazis invaded Poland. -
Jack turns 13 years old
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A month after Jack's arrival at his uncle's
During this time, the German army had crushed but all the Polish armies. With just nine hundred jews, the Nazis demanded services of three hundred adults working everyday to assist on their work projects. -
Jack turns 14 Years old
By the time jack turned 14, he has been supporting his mother and brother with daily labor for 2 years. He was always ready to work and day by day, his body became stronger and stronger. -
Late 1942
The Nazis conducted a second roundup. When Jack went on a trip to his uncle's village, it revealed the fate of his family. According to neighbors, Jack was told about the fate of his sister. His sister was told if she would leave the child , she could go to a labor camp and possibly survive. Jadzia couldn't abandon the baby and had decided to go int the gas chambers with the baby in her arms. Jadzia had passed away at age 17. -
Jack is transferred into a concentration camp
In 1942, Jack and many other prisoners' were transferred into Blechhammer concentration camp. -
Early 1942
The Nazis rounded up up all the Jewish adults in the village and deported them to the death camps. Jack's aunt and uncle were taken which had left Jack's sister, Jadzia to care for their baby. -
The Jews are threatened
On this day, the jews are being threatened and many of the jews were being rounded up and were executed. -
Jack is transferred to another concentration camp
In 1943, many prisoners of Blechhammer, including Jack, were transferred into an unknown concentration camp -
Fall 1943
In 1943, Jack was transferred to another concentration camp. In this concentration camp, he meets a new friends named Moniek and together they attempt many mischievous things together. Moniek is a bright child and had been in the same concentration camp for over 3 years. After Jack meets Moniek, he realizes that he hasn't laughed for awhile and enjoys Moniek's company. -
May 1944
In may 1944, Hitler ordered that all Jews in Hungary were to be deported into camps even when many diseases were spreading. It was very overcrowded and and conditions were intolerable. -
Early 1944
During the early 1944, conditions at the camps worsen and food has become very scarce. -
Winter 1945
Many prisoners', including Jack and Moniek were taken to various places to help clear rubble from Allied bombing raids over Germany.
Jack started thinking that the bombings were the combined forces of France, England, Russia, and the United States. Many rumors spread that Hitler's government was starting to collapse and Russian troops were moving toward Germany. -
Auschwitz was liberated
On January 27, 1945 was the day that Auschwitz concentration camp ended. 416 children aged 13 or younger and 234 boys and girls aged 14 to 17, survived the torture of the concentration camp. -
Hitler dies
During the war as the German Army started collapsing, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. -
The day Germany surrenders (Liberation Day)
On this day, Germany signs an unconditional contract at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, ending the European conflict of World War 2. -
World War 2 Ends
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Immigration
Many prisoners of the concentration camps were immigrated to the United States. They boarded a military troop ship across the Atlantic. Jack and his second cousins, Arek and Robert Mandelbaum were with him on the ship. They all spoke very little english. -
Prisoners arrive in the U.S.
The Joint Distribution Committee had met with the prisoners in New York City on June 24, 1946. They suggested Kansas city as a destination and each gave an immigrated person five dollars and a train ticket. -
Jack becomes an American citizen
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Mid- 1990s
In mid 1990, Jack and his wife, Claudia, take a photo with their seven children, spouses of several, and two grandchildren -
Jack and Uncle Sigmund revisit Poland
In 1999, Jack took his Uncle Sigmund, aged eighty-nine, to visit Poland for the first time since the war. Jack was with Uncle Sigmund as he lay a wreath before the monument commemorating the holocaust in which his father, Jack's grandfather, was murdered. During their visit to Auschwitz(concentration camp), which is now a museum, Uncle Sigmund shared his memories of being assigned to repaint the gas chambers after each mass execution.
