Holocaust Lecturer Passes Away

By COLlive reporter

Leon Leyson, a Holocaust survivor who traveled around the world to tell his fascinating and touching life story, passed away on Shabbos, 1 Shvat, 5773.

Growing up in Poland, he was 13 years old when the Second World War broke out and the Nazi aggression began its ruthless process to wipe out the Jewish race.

In an attempt to survive, his father brought him to the enamelware and ammunitions factories of German industrialist Oskar Schindler who had been employing many Jews there, thus giving them refuge.

Leyson caught the eye of Schindler, who developed a fondness for the skinny Jewish kid, nicknaming him “Little Leyson” and showed him many kindness such as offering him extra food rations and excusing him from night shift when his vision began to fail.

Because of Schindler’s heroic actions, Leyson, and many other Jews, were spared the harsh fate of the Nazi extermination camps, as depicted in the 1982 novel Schindler’s Ark, and the 1993 film Schindler’s List.

After the war, Leyson spent 3 years in a displaced persons camp near Frankfurt, Germany. He came to the U.S. in 1949, served in the U.S. Army and became a high school teacher, a position he held for 39 years.

He lived in Fullerton, California not far from the North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda. After being interviewed for the Spielberg Oral History Project by Shlucha Mrs. Stella Eliezrie, he began speaking at Chabad centers all over the country.

As the youngest known survivor of Schindler’s List, crowds of all ages flocked to hear him share his experiences. Leyson has been featured in several documentaries and television programs.

“Leon was a true friend to Shluchim,” says Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie. “He refused to take any remuneration for his speeches and traveled to many Chabad centers. He was instrumental in helping many Shluchim in smaller communities who had a major boost by hosting Leon.”

He said that Leyson would joke that after visiting dozens and dozens of Shluchim he was “Halb-a-Shliach.”

Leyson is survived by his wife, Lis; son, Daniel, of Los Angeles; daughter, Stacy Wilfong of Warrenton, Va.; sister, Aviva Nissenbaum, of Israel; brother, David, also of Israel, and six grandchildren.

Baruch dayan haemes.

Condolences can be sent to Rabbi Eliezrie, at rabbi@ocjewish.com or fax 714-693-9423 to be passed on to the family.

Video: Leon Leyson speaks at Chabad Jewish Community Center of Aspen, Colorado