Rudy Horst was a prisoner at Auschwitz and was part of the Death March from Warso to Kutno, then transported to Dachau. He was liberated from the camp at Muldorf in 1944. He came to the United States in 1948.
Samuel Newman describes his experience during the Holocaust and being separated from his siblings at different orphanages. He was in Kyrgyzstan from 1943 to 1946, and at an orphanage in Poland until 1951. Newman trained in graphic arts and spent some time in the military in Israel. He came to the United States in 1968.
Claude Black describes his family's escape from Germany to Santiago, Chile, and eventually settling in Chicago, Illinois. The essay is illustrated with images of his family and documents from their journey.
Peters' essay describes her family's journey to escape the Nazis and Communism, remaining in Hungary until 1956. She and her husband were part of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters group, and escaped to Vienna, and then to the U.S.
Miriam Ziadman Borowsky's family moved from Palenstine to France in 1938, where her father surrendered to the Nazis and was sent to the Drancy internment camp. She recounts the rift in her family after she realized her father was not returning. Her essay includes photographs of her family and documents related to her father's military career.
It was 1964 when Jack Simon met Marcy Stiel at a mutual friend’s wedding. Smitten from the beginning, the couple married shortly thereafter. Thus began their loving partnership that has flourished in business, community involvement, and most importantly in raising their two sons, Ron and Steven. The Simon’s can be a modest power couple. However, they are clearly capable of making things happen. When they first married, Jack was a California electrical contractor and homebuilder and Marcy became his business administrator. The Simons through their Electrical Company, Expo-Tech Electrical & Plumbing Services, Inc. won the contract to provide all of the electrical services for the entire 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, encompassing (26) twenty six venues located in California spanning from San Diego to Stanford University. The trajectory of the business was extraordinary, establishing twelve offices nationwide to provide temporary electrical and plumbing services for conventions and special events. Expo-Tech was eventually bought by industry giant GES. Their success was due in large part to Jack’s technical knowledge and Marcy’s administrative and marketing skills. With entrepreneurial zest, and over the period of eleven years, the couple found their way into the ownership of four local casinos in Elko and Wendover Nevada. Marcy was one of the first women in Nevada to hold multiple gaming licenses. In total, she held four Unrestricted Gaming Licenses. The Simons hosted Passover Seders for the Elko Jewish Community during their ownership of the casinos. In 2004, Marcy and Jack sold the four casino operations. Since moving to Nevada in 1994, the couple has made a warm and lasting impression, being generous in their focus for the well-being of the Jewish community. They are among those that actively paved the way for SB26, which outlaws government bodies from conducting business with companies that boycott Israel. They continue to be tireless advocates and philanthropists in Jewish organizations of Las Vegas and Nevada.