Israel Gruzin collection

Israel Gruzin was born in Slobodka, Russia, on December 28, 1928. He had one brother. Israel attended Jewish day school as a child. In 1941, Israel's family began a horse and wagon journey towards Latvia because they feared the Germans' arrival in Lithuania. The bridge that the family wanted to cross was destroyed. They returned to Slobodka where they were forced to enter the ghetto in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. Israel's family was taken to a castle where the Hitler Youth were taught. The entire family performed slave labor at this school. In 1943, Israel and his father and brother were sent to Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany; Israel's mother went to Stutthof, a concentration camp in Poland. Israel was then taken to Landsberg, a subcamp of Dachau, where he had to build barracks. In April 1944, Israel and his father and brother began a death march but were abandoned by the Germans because American troops were approaching. Israel was liberated on May 2, 1945. He married his wife in a displaced persons camp, and they immigrated to the United States shortly after.