Josef Symcha Binem Kopelman was born on January 12, 1911 in Warsaw, Poland. His father, Abram Mordka Kopelman worked in a factory and his mother, Zlata Rywka Rotenberg Kopelman (d. 1924) had nine children. Josef had eight siblings: Itzhak Arie (b. 1886), Dawid (b.1888), Szlojme (b.1890), Jonasz (b.1892), Zosia Zisl (b.1894), Pinkus (b.1900), Dorka (b.1905), and Chana Zisl (b.1917). Josef lived for four years with his grandfather in Lublin and in 1918 the family moved to Piotrków Trybunalski. In 1927 Josef went to Berlin, Germany, where he worked in an AEG factory, but in 1936 he was expelled from Germany to Poland. He settled in Łódź and in 1937 he married Zisla Różańska (b. September 8, 1912). Their son, Heniuś,(Hirsz Aron, b. November 27, 1937) was born later the same year. In September 1939 Josef was taken as POW to Stalag 8A in Georlitz. He arranged for false identification papers and, posing as a Pole, he was able to travel back to Łódź, to his wife and son. In 1940 they were forced into the Łódź ghetto, where Josef served as a Jewish policeman. In September 1942 deported Zisla and Hirsz were deported with nearly 20,000 Jews to Chełmno concentration camp where they perished. Josef transferred and worked in the electrical workshops, as a specialist in streetcars. On August 30, 1944, during the liquidation of the Łódź ghetto, Josef was deported to Auschwitz and put into Punishment Company (Strafcommando). After one month he was transferred to Altenhammer, a sub camp of Flossenburg, where he built train tracks. In January 1945 he was transferred to Dora concentration camp where V1 and V2 rockets were produced. On April 1, 1945 the Germans evacuated the camp and transferred the prisoners to Bergen-Belsen. On April 15, 1945 Josef was liberated by the British Army and later transferred to Sweden for medical care. He married Regina Renia Kniker in 1948 and they settled in Sweden. Regina Kopelman (born Regina Renia Kniker) was born on February 9, 1923 in Łódź, Poland. Her father, Emanuel Kniker worked in a textile factory and her mother, Sonia Lifszyc Kniker took care of the children. Renia had three siblings: Dorota Dasza, (1921-1945), Romuald Romek (later Kent, b. April 18, 1925), and Leon (later Kent, b. October 6, 1926). In 1940 Renia and her family were forced into the Łódź ghetto and lived on 13 Spacerowa Street. Emanuel died in the ghetto on November 13, 1942. Renia worked some of the time in Marysin and some of the time as a clerk in the Judenrat (Jewish Council). In August 1944 Sonia and her children were deported to Auschwitz. Sonia was murdered on arrival, but Renia and her siblings were chosen as able-bodied for labor. After a few weeks Regina was transferred to Guben where she was a slave laborer in a factory. In January 1945 she was transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and in April 1945 she was forced on a death march. The British Army liberated Renia on April 15, 1945. Regina and her sister, Dasza, were transferred to a hospital in Malmö, Sweden for medical care. Dasza Kniker died there on September 19, 1945. Regina married Josef Symcha Binem Kopelman on February 1, 1948 and settled in Sweden.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
folder 1
The papers consist of pre-war photographs documenting the life of Regina and Symcha Binem Kopelman mainly in Łódź, Poland and a wartime letter of recommendation written by the head of electrical workshops in the ghetto in Łódź, Poland, recommending Symcha Kopelman for work in servicing streetcars.
Regina and Symcha Binem Kopelman papers