Holocaust Survivors From Same Labour Camp Reunite Nearly 80 Years Later

Two Holocaust survivors who went 79 years without knowing each other had survived have now been reunited.

Jack Waksal and Sam Ron spent more than a year in the Pinoki labour camp in Poland together, where they had to endure backbreaking work, side by side.

Both had survived through precarious means. Waksal had escaped the camp and had survived in the winter forest for six months, while Ron was moved to another camp before he was saved by American liberators.

Neither knew what had happened to the other.

Then, earlier this week, in the most joyous of ways they recognised each other at a benefit event for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

NBC Miami

Speaking to NBC Miami, Waksal said: "It is a miracle how we survived, no question about it."

Ron agreed, saying: "That's correct, it's the biggest miracle because that does not happen every day, you know."

When asked about the moment they realised they were in the same room, their response is enough to fill anyone's heart.

Waksal explained: "Like I found my brother, over some 70 years."

Ron added: "He jumped off the seat and came running over to my seat and says you're my brother, I was very emotional, I'm normally not a very emotional guy."

NBC Miami

Their paths unsurprisingly didn't cross when they were both living in Ohio, but as if destiny was pulling them together they both moved to South Florida.

They talked of the misery of working in the camp, however, explained that they lived out very fulfilling and successful lives once they had escaped.

Ron said: "This is a great country, I made a lot of money here you know."

Meanwhile Sam told young people that despite the circumstances they might be in they should always believe and have hope.

He said: "I try to teach them not to hate, and to have a lot of hope and believe in yourself, this is what I did, this is how I survived because I believe in myself."

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