Jan Emil Karpiński photograph collection

Jan Emil Karpinski (born Emanuel Alberg) is the son of Izaak Alberg and Frida Zalcman Alberg. He was born on June 2, 1912 in Siedlce, Poland where his father worked as an accountant and secretary for the Yiddishe Kunst (Jewish Writers and Artists Association). Emil's older brother, Baruch Boniek Alberg, was an engineer. In February 1940 the Germans forced them into the Siedlce ghetto. Emil, who had studied law at Vilnius University until 1939 tutored Jewish youth in the ghetto as well as some Polish youth outside the ghetto. Emil's father died in the ghetto in April 1942. During the winter of 1942, Emil joined the Polish Socialist resistance organization and hoped that they would be able to obtain a false identification card for him. His sister-in-law Sala Radzynska Alberg and his nephew Michal found safe refuge with Jozef and Cyla Moskowiak in Warsaw. On August 21 and 22 the Germans started to liquidate the ghetto and deported the residents to the Treblinka concentration camp. Emil's mother was shot and killed during the liquidation action. Emil hid in the local hospital, and at the end of the aktion he, his brother Boniek, and 600 other able-bodied Jews were chosen for slave labor. After a few weeks, Emil escaped and hid for a few weeks in nearby villages, but when he was unable to obtain a false identification card, he returned to the ghetto. During the next few weeks he was able to purchase a false Kennkarte under the name of Jan Emil Karpinski, and on November 11, 1942, he again escaped from the ghetto.

Emil found refuge in Lupiny, Poland along with his relative, Jozef Szlichter. Adela Moskowiak, a good friend of the Alberg family, rescued Boniek Alberg by bribing a Polish policeman. Unfortunately Boniek contracted typhus and died in Adela Moskowiak's house. In March 1943 Emil traveled to Warsaw and found his sister-in-law and nephew hidden in the Moskowiak apartment. After a few weeks Emil found a job as a general laborer with an electrical company working for the SS. In June 1944 Emil received monetary aid for himself, his sister-in-law, and nephew from the American Joint Distribution Committee. It was sent via the Polish government-in-exile in London, England and was distributed by the Committee for Aiding Jews in Poland (Komitet Pomocy Zydom). This money enabled Emil to avoid hunger for the first time since the outbreak of the war. Emil spent some time working for his boss in a village called Pustelnik, near Warsaw, and in August 1944, during the Warsaw uprising, he arranged for Sala and Michal Alberg to join him there. On September 15, 1944, the Soviet Army liberated Pustelnik. After the liberation Emil kept his wartime name. He married Helena Umer in June 1945 and had three children: Andrzej, Ela and Anka. In 1968 Emil and Hela left Poland for Israel.