Henry & Susie Orenstein

Hrubieszow, a God forsaken little town, on the South-East border of Poland, comes into the limelight thanks to a special person, whose name is Henry Orenstein. 

He was only nineteen years old, when his life turned into an unforgettable hell, by being forced and led, consecutively, through five concentration camps, where the only outlet, were the gas chambers. He survives the Nazi craze, thanks to his extraordinary wit, intelligence and sheer luck. 

Unfortunately he looses his Parents, Golda and Leib Orenstein, his older brother Felek and younger, beautiful sister Hanka. Together with Henry, survive the war, his two older brothers: Fred a medical doctor and Shlomo an attorney. 

Henry places the cornerstone for elderly and needy house in Kiryat-Ono

After World War II he, the survivor goes to America, to start a new life. His exceptionally strong personality makes him unbeatable. Thanks to his unique talents and inventiveness he soon becomes a millionaire. He never forgets his inhuman past. Together with his charming wife Susie that he met in the States they form a perfect team. The outstanding and most unique couple devotes their life to welfare work. 

With an enormous amount of money, they equip a federally funded building, on Bislyslokes street, right in the heart of New York. This is a protected house for elderly and needy people. This project bears a sign with the names of Henry's family, murdered by the Nazis. 

This project, permanently upkept, becomes a very important landmark in New York. 

Henry & Susie build another beautiful house for elderly, needy people in Israel, in the town of Kiryat Ono. This house too, bears the names of Henry's murdered Parents. 
To the lucky occupants of this beautiful creation Henry is a Saint. Visiting the place and mentioning the proximity to Henry, becomes an unforgettable event. 


The construction plan


The elderly and needy people
house in K-Ono

When the "Organization of Jews of Hrubieszow in Israel" came up with the project of building a memorial wall on the area of the destroyed Jewish cemetery in Hrubieszow, Henry immediately offered the necessary funds. 

Without his massive help, this project of great importance could never come through. 

Since the completion of the "wall" made up of destroyed tombstones in 1997, every year, the place is being visited by very substantial groups of Jewish pupils from Israel. 

Henry and Susie, the unique couple, are constantly helping, innumerable people, in tight situations; they do it in a most discrete way. Henry is the author of two exceptional books, which cover the darkest epoch of World War II. 

The first: 'I SHALL LIVE' is no doubt, a real masterpiece and the best book ever written about the holocaust, of his personal experience in the concentration camps throughout the war. A book, that leaves the reader totally numb. 

  

The second book is: "ABRAM, THE LIFE OF AN ISRAELI PATRIOT". This book was prize accorded by the: "Organization of War Veterans and Invalids of W.W.II in Israel". In this book Henry describes, the whereabouts and activity of his friend on the various battle fields with a perfect historical matching ss a background, no doubt an unforgettable book. 

We, the Jews in Israel, that have left our entire families in the thousands of mass graves, that today fertilize the fields of Poland, look up with admiration to this unique couple Henry & Susie, who tirelessly work to make this world humane. No doubt, that we, with our roots in Hrubieszow consider ourselves honored and very proud to be Henry's townsmen.

 
  The Ornstein family with friends, on one of their visit to Israel