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Leon Leyson (born Leib Lejzon; September 15, 1929 – January 12, 2013) was a
Polish-American Polish Americans () are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 8.81 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.67% of the U.S. population, ...
Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, its collaborators before and during World War II ...
and one of the youngest , Jews saved by
Oskar Schindler Oskar Schindler (; 28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974) was a German industrialist, humanitarian, and member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and amm ...
. His posthumously published memoir, ''The Boy on the Wooden Box- How the impossible became the possible, on Schindler's List'' details his extraordinary survival during the dark times of the dreaded
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
.


Leyson's Life


Early life

Leyson was born Leib Lejzon in
Narewka Narewka () is a village in eastern Poland, with its population estimated at 935 residents (as of 2011). It is located in Gmina Narewka, Hajnówka County, within Podlaskie Voivodeship. The village is located near Poland's border with Belarus, and ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
to Moshe Lejzon and Chanah Lejzon (née Golner) on September 15, 1929. He had four siblings: Hershel, Betzalel (called Tsalig), Pesza, and David. He also had a large extended family. He and his family members were all observant
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. The Lejzons were also farmers, and came from an ancestry of farming. Narewka was a small town, with only one car and little to no access to electricity. Leyson later recalled there being some division between Jews and gentiles in Narewka, including antisemitic jokes, or being chased away from a place for being a Jew on Christian holidays. In 1938, the Lejzons moved to
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
for better job opportunities. Leib began to experience overt
antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
for the first time attending public school in Kraków. A year later, Germany invaded Poland and soon after began placing restrictions on Jews. Moshe Lejzon was arrested by the Germans and held without charges for three months before being released.


The Holocaust

After the invasion, Hershel fled back to the family's home village of Narewka, then occupied by the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. In 1941, he and the rest of the town's Jews, including most of the Leysons' extended family members, were massacred by the Nazis when they invaded. The Lejzons only found out about their deaths after the war ended. Six months after the German army entered Kraków, the area's Jews were ordered to leave their homes and move into the
Kraków Ghetto The Kraków Ghetto was one of five major metropolitan Nazi ghettos created by Germany in the new General Government territory during the Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), German occupation of Poland in World War II. It was established for the p ...
. Lejzon's father, Moshe, and his brother David began working for Oskar Schindler at his enamelware factory soon after. Channah, Leib and Pesza were covered under Moshe's pass until they found work, sparing them from deportation to an
extermination camp Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe, primarily in occupied Poland, during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocau ...
. Tsalig Lejzon was unable to get an employment pass, and was put on a train for deportation, most likely to the
Bełżec extermination camp Belzec (English: or , Polish: , approximately ) was a Nazi German extermination camp in occupied Poland. It was built by the SS for the purpose of implementing the secretive Operation Reinhard, the plan to murder all Polish Jews, a major ...
. Schindler, who was already at the station having some of his workers taken off the train, recognized him and offered to have him taken off as well. Tsalig refused, as he did not want to leave his girlfriend. It is assumed that neither of them survived, likely being murdered shortly after arrival in Bełżec or a similar camp. In 1943, the Kraków Ghetto was liquidated by Nazi authorities. Those who survived and were not sent to
extermination camp Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe, primarily in occupied Poland, during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocau ...
s were sent to the newly built
Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp Płaszów () or Kraków-Płaszów was a Nazi concentration camp operated by the SS in Płaszów, a southern suburb of Kraków, in the General Governorate of German-occupied Poland. Most of the prisoners were Polish Jews who were targeted f ...
under the notorious commandant
Amon Göth Amon Leopold Göth (; 11 December 1908 – 13 September 1946) was an Austrian SS functionary and war criminal. He served as the commandant of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp in Płaszów in German-occupied Poland for most of th ...
, who Leib encountered on more than one occasion. Moshe managed to get Leib and Channah transferred out of Płaszów to Schindler's factory, where they remained in relative safety for almost a year. In 1944, Leib and his surviving family members were placed on the famous Schindler's list. Leib's number on the list was 69128. The male , including Leib, David and Moshe, were transferred from Płaszów to the
Gross-Rosen concentration camp Gross-Rosen was a network of Nazi concentration camps built and operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. The main camp was located in the German village of Gross-Rosen, now the modern-day Rogoźnica in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, di ...
for a few days before being sent on to Schindler's new camp, Brünnlitz in the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...
, part of occupied
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
. Leib was so traumatized by the experience that later he could not recall if they had spent days, weeks, or months there. The female , including Channah and Pesza, were sent to Auschwitz–Birkenau where they spent a harrowing few weeks before Schindler bribed Nazi officials into releasing them to Brünnlitz. Despite Schindler and his wife, Emilie's, efforts to care for the workers, food was in short supply at Brünnlitz. Oskar Schindler was fond of Leib, calling him "Little Lejzon". He arranged for him to have extra rations, which Leib shared with his family. Schindler also had Leib transferred to easier work and had him taken off the night shift. On May 9, 1945, a few days after the guards, and then Schindler had fled, a lone Russian soldier arrived to announce that they were liberated.


Later life

After the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
liberated Brünnlitz, the Lejzons briefly returned to Kraków, before Leib and his parents left for a
displaced persons camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displace ...
in
Wetzlar Wetzlar () is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. It is the twelfth largest city in Hesse with currently 55,371 inhabitants at the beginning of 2019 (including second homes). As an important cultural, industrial and commercial center, the un ...
, American-occupied Germany. In 1949, Lejzon and his parents immigrated to the United States, where they changed their family name to Leyson and Leib adopted the name Leon. His surviving siblings, David and Pesza (who changed her name to Aviva), immigrated first to
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
and then settled in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. In 1951, Leyson was drafted and served as an engineer in the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
in Okinawa, Japan for sixteen months during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. He began teaching at Huntington Park High School in 1958. He met his wife, Elisabeth Burns, in January 1965. They married that year in July. Leyson studied industrial arts at
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campus of the U ...
and received a bachelor's degree from
Los Angeles State College California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 m ...
in 1958. He then earned a
Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum an ...
from
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
in 1970. He taught tech ed and was a guidance counselor at Huntington Park High School for 39 years, before his retirement in 1997. In 2011 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Chapman University. In 1972, he met his savior Oskar Schindler one last time at a reunion of survivors in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, before Schindler's death in 1974. Leyson was not sure Schindler would remember him, but he recognized him immediately, saying "I know who you are, you're Little Leyson!" Leyson kept quiet about his experiences during the Holocaust until the release of the film ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the historical novel '' Schindler's Ark'' (1982) by Thomas Keneally. The film follows ...
'', and the public interest that followed. He began speaking publicly about his experiences to audiences around the United States and Canada. He was a member of Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education Advisory Board at
Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California, United States. Encompassing eleven colleges, the university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The school maintains its foundi ...
.


Death and legacy

Leyson died on January 12, 2013, of
cutaneous t-cell lymphoma Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a class of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a type of cancer of the immune system. Unlike most non-Hodgkin lymphomas (which are generally B cell, B-cell-related), CTCL is caused by a mutation of T cells. The ma ...
in Fullerton, California. He was survived by his two children, six grandchildren and his wife, Elisabeth B. Leyson. His book about his Holocaust experiences, ''The Boy on the Wooden Box'', was published after his death with the help of his wife. The book was coauthored by Elisabeth B. Leyson and Holocaust scholar Dr. Marilyn J. Harran. The title came from Leyson, at age 13, needing to stand on a wooden box to reach the machinery in the factory at Brünnlitz. The book was successful, becoming a
New York Times Best Seller ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
. It also won a
Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organizatio ...
.


Writing

*''The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible . . . on Schindler's List.'' Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015


References

;Bibliography * * * * ;Citations


External links


A Child On Schindler's ListAn Evening with Thomas KeneallyFullerton's Leon Leyson - Youngest Schindler Jew InterviewHuge Schindler donation kept secret for monthsLeon Leyson Oral History Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leyson, Leon 1929 births 2013 deaths American memoirists Schoolteachers from California Deaths from lymphoma in California Gross-Rosen concentration camp survivors Kraków Ghetto inmates Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp survivors Los Angeles City College alumni Los Angeles State College alumni People from Fullerton, California People from Huntington Park, California People from Hajnówka County People from Whittier, California Naturalized citizens of the United States Pepperdine University alumni Polish emigrants to the United States Polish memoirists Schindlerjuden United States Army soldiers