Jack Garfein papers
boxes book enclosures oversize folders 3 2 4
The collection is arranged as 4 series. Series 1. Biographical material, 1945-2013, undated Series 2. Correspondence, 1945-2011 Series 3. Holocaust subject files, 1921-1992, undated Series 4. Photographs, circa 1942-1991, undated
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Copyright Holder: Mr. Jack Garfein
The Jack Garfein papers document the Holocaust-era and post-war experiences of Jack Garfein (born Jakob Garfein), originally of Bardejov, Czechoslovakia (Bardejov, Slovakia), including his survival of several concentration camps including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, his life as a displaced person in Sweden, his career as a successful theater and film director, and his involvement in education and causes related to the Holocaust. The collection primarily consists of biographical material, correspondence, Holocaust subject files, and photographs. Biographical material includes documents and records regarding Jack’s recovery in Malmö, Sweden, his career in theater and film, and family history. Swedish DP camp materials include a handwritten personal narrative in German in a notebook describing his Holocaust experience, identification papers, tobacco ration card, list of DP refugees, and a pamphlet about Folke Bernadotte. Other material includes an autograph book, personal narratives, writings, and speeches regarding his holocaust experience and post-war life in the United States; clippings; school papers; Spiegel family genealogy; and restitution paperwork. Correspondence includes letters received while in the DP camp in Sweden, Spiegel family correspondence, letters from Leo and Hedy Weinheber, a Jewish family in Stockholm whom Jack spent Jewish holidays with, and letters from Sister Hedwig Ekberg, the nurse who helped care for him in Malmö in 1945, and whom he visited in 1962. Other correspondence includes copies of letters to the editor by Jack for various publications, and letters received after the airing in 1985 of the documentary on Jack’s life “The Journey Back.” Holocaust subject files primarily consist of clippings, publications, and copies of documents related to Bardejov, Auschwitz, and related topics. Included are materials related to The First Tribute to the One Million Children of the Holocaust and Salute to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, two events organized by Jack. Also included are copies of registers of Jews in Bardejov, 1941 and some papers belonging to Jozef Gross that Jack retrieved during a visit to Bratislava. Photographs include depictions of the Garfein family prior to the Holocaust, Sweden in 1945 and 1962, Bardejov, and Jack during the filming of “The Journey Back.” Pre-war depictions of the Garfein family include Jack’s parents, Herman and Blanka Garfein, a wedding, and Herman’s lumberyard business. Loose photographs and an album depict Jack in Malmö and likely Almhult, and include photographs of other refugees and his reunion with Sister Hedwig Ekberg in 1962. Photographs of Bardejov include a Jewish school class, deportation committee run by Catholic priests, and a synagogue.
Jack Garfein (1930-2019) was born Jakob Garfein on 2 July 1930 in Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia (Mukachevo, Ukraine) to Herman and Blanka Garfein. His father, Herman Garfein, was the son of Solomon and Frieda Garfein. His mother, Blanka Garfein (née Spiegel, 1910-1944?), was the daughter of Moses and Maria Spiegel. Jack had one sister, Hadasah (nicknamed Hady, b. 1935). He grew up in Bardejov, Czechoslovakia (Bardejov, Slovakia) where his father worked at a family-owned lumberyard called Korn & Garfein. The family lost the lumberyard when Jewish businesses were taken over by the Hlinka Guard. In March 1942 Jewish men in Bardejov were deported, but Jack’s father fled to Hungary. Jack, along with his mother and sister, fled to Mukachevo where they hid with relatives. His father was deported to Auschwitz in 1943 where he perished. In 1944 Jack, his mother, and sister were deported from Mukachevo to Auschwitz. Jack survived eleven concentration camps, including Auschwitz, camps in Riese (Silesia), Flossenburg, Buchenwald, and Bergen-Belsen. He was liberated from Bergen-Belsen on 15 April 1945 by the British Army. Jack’s father, mother, and sister, along with other relatives all perished in the Holocaust. After liberation, Jack was sent by the Red Cross to a hospital in Malmö, Sweden. After his recovery, he remained in the Fliktings Lagert displaced persons camp in Almhult, Sweden for the rest of the year. He immigrated to the United States in January 1946 with the help of his uncle Joseph E. Scheinkopf. Jack briefly lived with his uncle and aunt and then was placed in a foster home in Ozone Park, Queens. He attended the Dramatic Workshop of the New School where he studied with Erwin Piscator and subsequently studied with Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s studio. Jack went on to have a successful career as a theater and film director, producer, and writer. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen on February 25, 1952. He married the actress Carroll Baker in 1957, and they divorced in 1969. He married two more times and had four children. Jack was involved with Holocaust education and remembrance throughout his career, discussing his experiences in speeches, newspaper articles, and public events. He died of leukemia in 2019.