Basia and Morris Rubinstein papers

Basia “Betty” Zajaczkowska Rubinstein (née Zajaczkowska, Zajaczkowski, or Zakowski, 1926-2012) was born on 15 February 1926 in Kielce, Poland to Josef (1889-1942) and Ides or Ida (née Buchbinder, d. 1942) Zajaczkowska. She had five siblings: Mania, Leon (b. 1918), Tosia, Regina, and Rose.

Basia and Morris were both deported to the Kielce ghetto in October 1939. They married there in November 1942. They were both deported to the Pionki work camp in May 1943. In August 1944 they fled the camp and hid in the woods, but were discovered by Ukrainian soldiers. Morris was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. He was likely sent to two subcamps referred to as Glöven and Rathenow before he was liberated in April 1945. Basia was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp where she was a forced-laborer for Siemens. Basia was among the prisoners the Germans released to the Swedish and Danish Red Cross on 26 April 1945. She was taken to a refugee camp in Solberga, Sweden where she was reunited with Morris. They moved to the New Palestine DP camp in Salzburg, Austria in 1946. Their daughter Ida was born in 1947. The family immigrated to the United States aboard the USAT General S. D. Sturgis in 1951. The family settled in Illinois where their daughters Charlotte and Joyce were born.

Basia’s brother Leon fled the Kielce ghetto and later fought the Germans alongside members of the Polish Army. He later joined Basia in the New Palestine DP camp. The rest of her family was murdered in the Holocaust.

Morris Rubinstein (born Moses Rubinsztajn, 1914-2005) was born on 3 September 1914 in Kielce to Lejbus (1886-1942) and Cyrl (née Dembska, d. 1942) Rubinsztajn. He had four siblings: Meyer (1917-2009), David, Rose, and Irving.

Basia and Morris were both deported to the Kielce ghetto in October 1939. They married there in November 1942. They were both deported to the Pionki work camp in May 1943. In August 1944 they fled the camp and hid in the woods, but were discovered by Ukrainian soldiers. Morris was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. He was likely sent to two subcamps referred to as Glöven and Rathenow before he was liberated in April 1945. Basia was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp where she was a forced-laborer for Siemens. Basia was among the prisoners the Germans released to the Swedish and Danish Red Cross on 26 April 1945. She was taken to a refugee camp in Solberga, Sweden where she was reunited with Morris. They moved to the New Palestine DP camp in Salzburg, Austria in 1946. Their daughter Ida was born in 1947. The family immigrated to the United States aboard the USAT General S. D. Sturgis in 1951. The family settled in Illinois where their daughters Charlotte and Joyce were born.