Photograph of Jack Meister
Object numberM2025/095
TitlePhotograph of Jack Meister
DescriptionPhotograph of survivor, Jack Meister post-liberation sent to his friend Kuba Enoch in 1945. The pair were both liberated in Buchenwald. They would both travel to Australia and maintained a friendship up until Kuba's death in 2021.
Icek Kapelmeister (now Jack Meister) was born 5 June 1928 in Kielce, Poland. He was 11 years old when war started in Poland and when the Nazis came to his town, that was the end of his childhood and education. The family were placed in the Kielce Ghetto in around March 1941. Icek was put to work helping on building sites, cementing buildings, cleaning out sewers, cleaning the streets and taking headstones off Jewish graves to pave footpaths and roads. In August 1942 his family were deported. They perished in Belzec death camp. After the liquidation of the ghetto Icek with others from the work detail were transported to Radom labour camp. He worked in the factory which produced plastics and ammunition. After a year, he was transported to Auschwitz in an open wagon. He was tattooed with the number B488 on his forearm. He was later transferred to Buna prison camp where he worked in the paddocks spreading ashes over the fields. At the end of 1944 he began a long ‘death march’ to Buchenwald, arriving in January 1945 and was finally liberated on 11 April 1945 by the American army.
After recuperating in Switzerland from TB, he was taught a trade of leather work, eventually migrating to Australia on the Cyrenia, sailing into Melbourne in April 1949. From there he took a train to Sydney where Jewish Welfare had placed him with the Zamel family.
Icek Kapelmeister (now Jack Meister) was born 5 June 1928 in Kielce, Poland. He was 11 years old when war started in Poland and when the Nazis came to his town, that was the end of his childhood and education. The family were placed in the Kielce Ghetto in around March 1941. Icek was put to work helping on building sites, cementing buildings, cleaning out sewers, cleaning the streets and taking headstones off Jewish graves to pave footpaths and roads. In August 1942 his family were deported. They perished in Belzec death camp. After the liquidation of the ghetto Icek with others from the work detail were transported to Radom labour camp. He worked in the factory which produced plastics and ammunition. After a year, he was transported to Auschwitz in an open wagon. He was tattooed with the number B488 on his forearm. He was later transferred to Buna prison camp where he worked in the paddocks spreading ashes over the fields. At the end of 1944 he began a long ‘death march’ to Buchenwald, arriving in January 1945 and was finally liberated on 11 April 1945 by the American army.
After recuperating in Switzerland from TB, he was taught a trade of leather work, eventually migrating to Australia on the Cyrenia, sailing into Melbourne in April 1949. From there he took a train to Sydney where Jewish Welfare had placed him with the Zamel family.
Subjectsurvivors
Object namephotographs
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum collection, donated by Pearl Blasina.
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.