Surviving Auschwitz

Yisrael Abelesz was just 14 years old when he was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi regime’s most notorious concentration camp

Yisrael Abelesz was just 14 years old when he was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi regime’s most notorious concentration camp. Born in July 1930 in Kapuvar, Hungary, Yisrael grew up in a close-knit Orthodox Jewish family. His father’s grocery business afforded them a comfortable life until Hungary allied with Nazi Germany in 1941, bringing a wave of antisemitism that would shatter their world.

By March 1944, Hungary fell under direct Nazi occupation. Jewish families, including the Abelesz family, were forced to relocate to ghettos and wear yellow stars identifying them as Jews. Yisrael’s father was compelled to shut his shop, and shortly after Yisrael’s 14th birthday in July 1944, his family was deported to Auschwitz.

The horrific three-day journey to the camp, crammed into cattle trucks with no food or water, ended in unimaginable tragedy. Yisrael and his older brother were separated from their parents and younger brother by the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. His parents and younger brother were sent directly to the gas chambers.

“I didn’t realise when my parents and brother were separated from me that I’d never see them again,” Yisrael later recalled. “Gradually, I realised what was happening because of the smoke from the chimneys and the smell of burning bodies.”

In the camp, Yisrael narrowly escaped death on multiple occasions. Twice, he avoided selections for the gas chambers by hiding—once among Russian prisoners of war who protected him and another time in a secluded corner of the camp. In a desperate bid to survive, Yisrael volunteered for work, gaining access to extra food rations.

I didn’t realise when my parents and brother were separated from me that I’d never see them again. Gradually, I realised what was happening because of the smoke from the chimneys and the smell of burning bodies.Yisrael Abelesz

Despite falling ill with typhoid and enduring weeks in the camp hospital, Yisrael’s resilience kept him alive. He even survived the forced marches as the Nazis evacuated camps ahead of advancing Allied troops. On one march, when prisoners were allowed to rest, Yisrael feared it would mean certain death. To his relief, the group was taken to a nearby camp, where he ultimately hid from Nazi officers until Russian soldiers liberated the area.

After liberation, Yisrael reunited with three of his brothers and his sister. Together, they began rebuilding their shattered lives. In 1949, Yisrael and his wife Judith, also a survivor from Hungary, moved to the United Kingdom.

In London’s Golders Green community, Yisrael built a life of resilience and service. He pursued a career in property while dedicating himself to preserving Jewish history, including restoring neglected Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. Alongside Judith, he raised four children, ensuring the next generation carried forward the lessons of survival and remembrance.

Yisrael Abelesz’s story is one of unyielding strength in the face of unimaginable horror, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope.