Saved thanks to the "Japanese Schindler" and designed the air conditioning in the Knesset: Berl Schor has passed away
The Holocaust survivor, who passed away at the age of 98, went through an extraordinary survival journey. Alongside his engineering work, he dedicated his efforts to testimony and memory.
Entrepreneur Berl Schor, one of the well-known Holocaust survivors who dedicated their lives to the history of the Israeli revival, passed away at the age of 98. Schor, whose roots were in Krakow, Poland, worked for decades to instill the memory of the Holocaust, alongside an extensive contribution to building the country as a leader in the field of engineering and design.
He was born in Krakow in 1927. The World War broke out when he was 12 years old and he was preparing for his bar mitzvah celebration. He parted from his parents, Meir and Mila Schor (of blessed memory) — who were later murdered in the Plaszow camp — and set out on a daring journey full of dangers.
Schor's life was saved thanks to exceptional resourcefulness and a chain of rescue acts: from a Dutch transit stamp obtained by his relative, to the famous transit visa granted by the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara — a Righteous Among the Nations who saved thousands of Jews in Vilnius and was nicknamed the "Japanese Schindler." The harrowing journey crossed continents, passed through the shores of Japan, and reached New Zealand.
With the end of the war, Schor immigrated to Israel, served as a tank soldier, and established a home and family. Professionally, he became one of the pioneers of the air conditioning and refrigeration industry in the country. The company he founded was responsible for designing climate systems in more than 2,000 major national and public buildings, including the Knesset building, the Supreme Court, the Israel Museum, and the "Yad Vashem" site.
Alongside his engineering work, Schor dedicated decades to the enterprise of testimony and memory. He met with students, soldiers, and delegations, and told his survival story as a moral and value-based imperative.
About a decade ago, his family even managed to recover a rare 16th-century "Great Book of Commandments" that had been looted from his family during the Holocaust. Schor left behind children, grandchildren, and a rich legacy of memory, construction, and revival.
