Congratulations Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein and his Wife Irene Celebrating 73 Years Today!

Shortly after WW2, Holocaust survivor Joe Rubinstein, was standing on a street corner in Duisburg-Hamborn, Germany when a man tapped him on the shoulder, and said, “Excuse me, but is that a Polish accent I hear you speaking?” Joe said yes and explained that he was from Radom, Poland. “I’m from Poland too,” the man exclaimed. My name is also Joe! Joe Gusenda. Mr. Gusenda went on to share that he and his wife, along with their two young children, had moved to Germany in 1930 to open a tailor shop. (Joe Rubinstein later learned that during thing the war someone overheard  Mr. Gusenda’s only son Walter of saying to a friend in a restaurant, “I don’t like what the Nazis are doing.'“ That was all it took, teenage Walter was accused of being a spy, arrested, and executed.

Joe Rubinstein explained that he too had been imprisoned for no crime, other than being Jewish. He was held in several concentration camps, including Auschwitz/Birkenau. He had been taken from the Radom Ghetto and never saw any of his family again. His beloved widowed mother, his older brother Dawid, Joe’s identical twin Chaim, and Joe’s younger brother Abram, and his younger sister Laja, were all believed to have been murdered in the Treblinka Death camp, along with over 33,000 people from the Radom ghettos.

Mr. Gusenda invited Joe to come over for dinner, and added, “By the way, I have a beautiful daughter.” Joe and that beautiful daughter were married 73 years ago today! Just after they met, Joe and Irene could often be found dancing the night away at a local nightclub…dancing the Foxtrot, jitterbug, and Joe’s favorite, the Viennese waltz. They wanted to dance the horrors of the war away. All these years later, Joe and Irene will take a slow spin around the dance floor.

Late in 1949, Joe and Irene, along with their infant son, emigrated to New York City, where Joe would go on to become one of the leading shoe designers in the world. Joe says often, that he would not be alive today without Irene by his side.

Earlier this month, on September 16, 2020, Joe celebrated his 100th birthday with Irene by his side. Here is a photo from that glorious celebration…a day where the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A. (where Joe and Irene now reside) proclaimed the day: The Joe Rubinstein Day.

I’m unofficially declaring this day: September 27, 2020, as the Joe and Irene Rubinstein Day!

Their marriage is an example to us all—for if a Jewish man, who spent the war as a slave laborer in concentration camps, and his Polish/German/Catholic wife found a way to live all these years in love and joy, we can all learn to get along.

To learn more about Joe and Irene’s remarkable love story: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story.

Joe and Irene on Joe’s 100th birthday, September 16, 2020

Joe and Irene celebrate both their faiths in love: The Jewish Star and the Christian Cross

Irene and Joe (center) at the Rinehoff, Duisburg, Hamburg, Germany

Irene’s teenage brother Walter, executed by the Nazis.

Irene and Joe 2019 (Photo by Crystal Merrill)

A Chocolate Masterpiece for a Master Shoe Designer/Holocaust Survivor

Wow! Thank you Hazel Hill Chocolate (Topeka, Kansas) and their extremely talented chocolate designer, Gepshy Del Real, for creating the most spectacular of gifts for Holocaust survivor Joe Rubinstein’s 100th birthday! After WWII, Joe (originally from Radom, Poland), became one of the leading shoe designers in New York City, working for such iconic companies as Herbert Levine, Inc., and Nina Shoes. Bows and ornaments were Joe’s specialty. The picture on the right is a photo of the shoes Joe said he designed for the Herbert Levine, Inc. company…on the left are shoes made of Haze Hill chocolate!

Joe celebrated his 100th birthday on September 16, 2020. The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, where Joe now lives, proclaimed the day: Joe Rubinstein Day.

As Joe’s friend and biographer, I was at a loss of what I could get for this special man on his most special of days. I recalled seeing chocolate shoes at the chocolate shop in the town where I live, Topeka, Kansas. When I showed the staff there a photo of shoes (right), they said they would try and recreate them in chocolate. I was blown away when I went to pick them up, as was everyone who saw them. The chocolate shoes were a hit! Joe loved them. One person at Joe’s party exclaimed, “I can’t tell which ones are chocolate and which aren’t.”

We encouraged Joe that on his actual birthday to further enjoy this “sweetest” of gifts and take a bite of one of them. He did and exclaimed the white chocolate to be delicious!

I’m so grateful for Hazel Hill Chocolate and Gepshy for making this birthday even more memorable!

To learn more about Joe’s remarkable life, read the award-winning/best selling book: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story.

Happy 100th Birthday to Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein

What a tremendous privilege it was to be able to celebrate Joe’s 100th birthday earlier this week. It was a spectacular Colorado day in Fort Collins, full of blue skies and bright sunshine…just the kind of day Joe loves. As his family and a few friends gathered outside (due to COVID), the Mayor of Fort Collins was there on behalf of the City of Fort Collins to proclaim: September 16, 2020, Joe Rubinstein Day.

Joe, and his beautiful wife Irene, married now nearly 73 years, had a great time. Joe said over and over, “I’m so grateful to God to be here. I love life and I love people! I can’t believe I’m still here!” For those of us who know Joe’s story, and all he endured, we can’t believe it either.

The beautiful outdoor setting was the perfect setting to celebrate Joe’s beautiful life. I was grateful to the many people, most I have never met, who answered a call to “shower” Joe with birthday cards. I had the cards mailed to my home in Kansas, and they started arriving from around the world. To present the cards, we covered a box with the hand-drawn sketches Joe had done of shoes he designed years ago when he was a leading shoe designer in New York City.

Joe’s son and daughter-in-law read the cards to Joe after the guests left. His son thanked everyone for their loving and kind words. He said, “They made an old man feel great.” Joe also loved the white chocolate shoes designed by Hazel Hill in Topeka, Kansas to look like a pair of shoes Joe designed for the Herbert Levine, Inc. shoe company decades ago. The chocolate shoes were so beautiful, they were hard to distinguish from the originals. We encouraged Joe to eat one after we were gone, and he did! He took a bite out of the heel and exclaimed, “It’s delicious!”

Joe’s family did a wonderful job in their planning of this birthday party for this special man.

I was grateful to my niece, Madeline, and her husband Matt Shugert who were able to share their musical talents in signing to Joe. One of the songs they sang was Keep on the Sunny Side (of life) which describes Joe best. Keeping on the sunny side is something he has always done best, which is even more remarkable, given that he is someone who has seen the worst of humanity, yet believes the best.

I thank God for the beautiful life of Joe Rubinstein, born 100 years ago in Radom, Poland. Joe is an example to us all of how to live in grace and courage, no matter what. For more information about Joe’s remarkable and inspirational life read: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story or visit: www.nancygeise.com

Click through for more photos of the wonderful celebration

Mayor Wade Troxell (Fort Collins, Colorado) Proclaims Holocaust Survivor's 100th Birthday, September 16, 2020, Joe Rubinstein Day!

Joe turns100

Ft. Collins Mayor Proclaims: Joe Rubinstein Day!

A Book Talk on Zoom With Author Nancy Sprowell Geise Sponsored by Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy

Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 7:00 P.M.

 Auschwitz #34207 - 

The Joe Rubinstein Story: 

A Book Talk on Zoom With Author Nancy Sprowell Geise

Wednesday, September 9, 2020  

7:00PM - 8:30 PM

Shortly before dawn on a frigid morning in Radom, Poland in 1942, twenty-one-year-old Joe answered a knock at the door of the cottage he shared with his widowed mother and siblings. German soldiers forced him onto a crowded open-air truck. Wearing only an undershirt and shorts, Joe was left on the truck with no protection from the cold. Soon, several around him were dead from exposure. From there, things got worse for young Joe, much worse. He arrived at Auschwitz on April 30, 1942, and walked out of a different Nazi concentration camp in May 1945. It would be 70 years before he told anyone how he survived.

Joe's story is a remarkable account of his having to endure several of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps. His is a tale of the triumph of the human spirit. While the Nazis took everything else, they were unable to take Joe's love of life, his affection for others, and his unassailable joy.

From the ashes of his past, this survivor finds a way to rebuild his life. Barefooted when he was taken by the Nazis, he would become one of New York's leading shoe designers-shoes sought after by First Ladies and movie stars alike. 

Auschwitz #34207 -The Joe Rubinstein Story is for all of us - a testament to the power of faith, perseverance and hope.

In 2007, a chance meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado brought the author, Nancy Sprowell Geise and Joe Rubinstein together. Neither had any idea then where their friendship would lead. Nancy has since dedicated her life to sharing Joe's remarkable story of hope as he approaches celebrating his 100th birthday this September.

 Shortly after its release, the book became a bestseller ranked #1 in Holocaust Biographies.

Registration and more information:

Send a Physical Card to Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein for his 100th Birthday!

Contact me here for my mailing address. Cards need to be received by September 10th.

So honored to be presenting Joe’s story on-line for the Houston Holocaust Museum August 5th

I am so honored to share Holocaust survivor Joe Rubinstein’s remarkable story of hope on-line as a guest of the Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas. Due to the coronavirus, the event will now be an on-line: August 5th, 2020 6:30 p.m. Joe faced the darkest of times, yet he found a way to live in joy! So can we. Joe will be celebrating his 100th birthday fall. What an inspiration his he to us all! Please encourage your family and friends to pre-register for this free event: https://hmh.org/events/nancy-sprowell-giese-on-auschwitz-34207-the-joe-rubinstein-story-2020-08-05-18:30:00

My Adorable Editor at Fontis Verlag for the German Version of Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story

Words cannot express how much I appreciate my editor, Anne Helke, of the publisher Fontis Verlag (Bern Switzerland), for the German edition of Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story! In the fall of 2019, Fontis published Joe’s story in German. Anne and her team worked tirelessly to make this happen. I am so grateful! We are now hearing from German readers around the world about the impact Joe’s story of hope is having on them. Their powerful letters often bring me to tears. I share them with Joe who is 99 years old. He loves hearing how his life is helping others. Joe and I thank you, Anne, from the bottom of our hearts! (And you really are adorable…inside and out!)

Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein Chose Joy. So can we!

Joe’s advice for the world, “Love life, Love God, Love Each other …that’s all there is!”

Despite having lost nearly everything a person can lose, Joe never gave in to despair. Instead, he chose joy. At age 99, Joe still does! So can we. Joe called today. He is recovering from recent surgery and is doing well. He was as upbeat and positive as ever, talking about how grateful he was to still be alive. His wife Irene added, “I’m aking great care of Joe.” I know she is! Joe says often that if it weren’t for Irene he would have been six feet under long ago. To read more about Joe’s remarkable and hope-filled life: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story.

Special On-Line, No Charge Event Happening Now in Radom, Poland: The Trace

In Radom, Poland where my dear friend and Holocaust Survivor, Joe Rubinstein, was born and raised, a dedicated group of very special people host an event each year called The Trace. Because of the coronavirus, this year’s event will be held online. (See schedule below.) It is a wonderful opportunity to experience the event, without having to travel. https://www.facebook.com/ResursaObywatelska/

The Trace Festival celebrates and remembers the beautiful and rich Jewish culture that once thrived in Radom.

Prior to WW2, over 30% of Radom’s residents were Jewish, including Joe and his family. After Germany invaded Poland, the Jewish residents were rounded up and imprisoned in two areas of town called ghettos. In 1942, Joe’s beloved family—his widowed mother, his sister, and three brothers, including Joe’s identical twin, perished, along with nearly everyone else, over 30,000 people, when the Radom ghettos were “liquidated” and the people sent to the Treblinka Death camp. Joe had been taken from the ghetto earlier and sent to Auschwitz for slave labor.

In 2017, for the 75th commemoration of the liquidation of the Radom ghettos, I had the tremendous (and emotional) honor of being asked to share Joe’s remarkable story in Radom as part of The Trace event. While there I was able to meet family members of Holocaust survivors from around the world. I also had the pleasure of meeting Holocaust survivor, Sal Birenbaum, (pictured) here holding the book I wrote about Joe Rubinstein. Joe and Sal do not recall ever meeting in their youth.

The residents and community leaders welcomed me and my husband with open arms. We were able to tour the ghettos, find the apartment where Joe was born, walk the streets where his family had lived for generations, and visit the Jewish graveyard where Joe’s father and a brother, who died before the war, were buried. All the headstones from the graves were destroyed by the Nazis during the war. Recently, fragments of those headstones have been located.

Author Nancy Sprowell Geise with Jakub Mitek in Radom, Poland 2017

Holocaust Survivor, Sal Birenbaum, holding the book about Joe Rubinstein Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story. Both men grew up in Radom, Poland but were not acquainted.

12th The Trace Encounters with Jewish Culture

Radom, May 14th  - 17th 2020

Chasidim – Piety

Resursa Obywatelska Culture and Arts Center invites You to join us on our website, 

at our Facebook profile and on Dami TV channel

May 14th (Thursday)

18.30 - "Chasidim means Piety" - virtual meeting with rabbi Symcha Keller at the tomb of legendary Zaddik – the Seer of Lublin

19.15 – "Broad St. 28 – in the house of the Seer" – Hassidic music and tales by violinist Marcin David Krol

19.25 - "Balconies" – theatre play performed by the Resursa Theatre, directed by Robert Stępniewski and Dorota Lewandowska, based on the novel by Marcina Kępy

19.55 – "For ages from here..." - Piotr Puchta – director of The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland invites to the Jews of Southern Mazovia Memory Trail

21.00 – only on TV Dami regional channel:

- „Michel Schwalbe. Concertmaster from Radom” - documentary movie (16 min.)

- „Lamentations….” - concert of the Ha Shir band from Toruń

May 15th (Friday)

18.30 – "Piety from Przysucha" - virtual meeting with rabbi Symcha Keller, exploration of Przysucha synagogue

19.00 – "From Przysucha: Holy Jew and Symcha Bunam" - Hassidic music and tales by violinist Marcin David Krol

19.15 - „Jewish Radom on the poster” - virtual exhibition by Renata Metzger

21.00 – only on TV Dami regional channel:

- „Salomon Birenbaum's Radom” (28 min.) - documentary movie

- „Beit Radom” (33 min.) - documentary movie

May 16th (Saturday)

18.30 - "Maggid from Kozienice" - virtual meeting with rabbi Symcha Keller

18.45 - "From Kozienice" - Hassidic music and tales by violinist Marcin David Krol

18.55 - "Chojze – the Seer of Lublin" -  Hassidic music concert

The video is going to be available at Resursa Obywatelska Facebook profile only during the livestream

21.00 – only on TV Dami regional channel:

Documentary movies about the Righteous Among the Nations from Radom:

- „Silent hero. Doctor Jerzy Borysowicz 1903 – 1980” (15 min.),

- „Righteous Among the Nations from Radom” (14 min.),

- „To the memory of Wanda Pawłowska-Ajdels” (13 min.)

May 17th (Sunday)

18.30 - "Radom before the storm" – music memoirs of rabbi Ben-Zion Gold

The video is going to be available at Resursa Obywatelska Facebook profile only during the livestream

19.10 - "In Góra Kalwaria" - virtual meeting with rabbi Symcha Keller

19.25 – "A woman in Judaism” - Iza Rachel Rifka Foremniak invites to the Synagogue in Warsaw

21.00 – only on TV Dami regional channel:

- "Crown Jewel" (29 min.) - documentary movie

- „Cziribom, cziribom” - Magda Brudzińska Klezmer Trio concert

Under the following link: http://www.resursa.radom.pl/?pl_wirtualna-galeria-sztuk-plastycznych,48 – Virtual Art Gallery of Resursa Obywatelska, on May 14th  we are going to open an exhibition ”Jewish Radom on the posters”. It presents the Jewish posters from the period of the 2nd  Republic of Poland (interwar period). They inform about the cultural, political and other kind of events.

All of the video materials are going to be presented permanently on Resursa Obywatelska Facebook profile and ResursaRadom YouTube channel. The exceptions are the livestreams of "Chojze – the Seer of Lublin" -  Hassidic music concert on Saturday, May 16th at 19.30 and "Radom before the storm" – music memoirs of rabbi Ben-Zion Gold on Sunday, May 17th at 18.30.

All of the video materials are produced by the Resursa Obywatelska Culture and Arts Center

The hours of the events in the program are planned in the Central European Time (CET).

75 YEARS OF FREEDOM FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TURNING 100 THIS YEAR

75 years ago, on May 5, 1945, Holocaust survivor, Joe Rubinstein, walked out of the Terezín (Theresienstadt) Ghetto camp in Czechoslovakia to freedom. Four years earlier, and shortly before dawn on a frigid morning in Radom, Poland, German soldiers forced twenty-one-year-old Icek “Joe” Rubinsztejn onto a crowded, open-air truck. The next day, several around him were dead. From there, things got worse for young Joe—much worse. 

 Joe arrived at Auschwitz on April 30, 1942, and was imprisoned there for over two years before being taken to several other notorious camps, including Buchenwald, Ohrdruf, and Theresienstadt. Throughout his ordeal, surprising and remarkable events occurred to save his life.

 Barefooted when he was seized, Joe would become one of New York's leading shoe designers for legendary companies Herbert Levine, Inc., Nina Shoe, and others. Beth Levine called Joe, “The Man with the Golden Hands.” Joe designed some of the most expensive and sought-after shoes in the world; shoes that lined the display cases of Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lord & Taylor. Shoes designed by Herbert Levine, Inc. were worn by first ladies and movie stars alike. While the Nazis took everything else, they were unable to take Joe’s love of life and his love of people.

 On September 16, 2020, Joe will celebrate his 100th birthday at his home in Colorado. Just after the war, Joe met Irene in Duisburg-Hamborn, Germany. This fall, that Jewish man and his Catholic wife, will celebrate 73 years of marriage. 

Photo by Crystal Merrill: Joe and Irene Rubinstein in Fort Collins, CO, 2019

When Joe was taken from his family, he had no idea he would never again see anyone he knew or loved. His widowed mother and four siblings, including Joe’s identical twin, were killed at the Treblinka death camp. Despite losing nearly everything a person could lose, Joe continues to live a joy-filled life. 

 Joe told his biographer, Nancy Sprowell Geise, during the two years she interviewed him for the book about his life, Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story, that he would give his life for one photo of his family. After the award-winning book was released in 2015, three photos of Joe’s family were found. Nancy said she had never seen human emotion as the day Joe saw the faces of his beloved family, faces he had not seen since 1942. Joe said through his tears that it was the greatest gift of his life.

Author Nancy Sprowell Geise has been asked to share Joe’s story around the world, including the U.S. Library of Congress and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., at the 75th Commemoration of the Liquidation of the Ghettos in Joe’s hometown of Radom, Poland, and with the staff and guides at the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum in Oświęcim, Poland.

Photo by Crystal Merrill: 99-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Rubinstein with a long-lost photo of his mother.

Photo by Crystal Merrill: Joe Rubinstein with his biographer Nancy Sprowell Geise in Fort Collins, CO, 2019, holding long-lost photos of his mother Reska, an older brother David, and Joe’s identical twin Chaim. Joe is still searching for photos of his sister Laja and younger brother Abram. All of Joe’s immediate family perished at the Treblinka extermination camp in 1942.

For over 70 years, Joe never told anyone his story because he did not believe anything good could come from doing so. Now, Joe receives letters from readers around the world, writing to say that after hearing his remarkable story, they realize they, too, can overcome their hardships. Joe’s story of hope has never been more important to the world than now. It’s a story of discovering light in the darkest of places – inspiration for us all.

To learn more about Joe’s remarkable story of hope, look for Auschwitz #34207 The Joe Rubinstein Story at your local bookstore and libraries or on-line at all the major outlets. If they don’t have it in stock, ask them to order it for you.

Be sure to listen to the award-winning audiobook, and hear Joe reciting his own opening chapter quotes! Narrated and produced by the talented Richard Rieman: https://audiobookrevolution.com

Cover photo of Joe by Nicholas Desciose: http://desciose.com

English version design by Nick Zellinger: http://nzgraphics.com

Publisher Merry Dissonance Press: https://merrydissonancepress.com

The beautiful photos of Joe holding the photos of his family and with his wife Irene on this post, were taken by the very talented photographer Crystal Merrill: http://www.crystalmphoto.com/about

The book is also available for our German readers, published by Fontis Verlag: https://www.fontis-shop.de/Auschwitz-34207?sourceRef=int%3Asuggest&userInput=Auschw

Wise Words of Wisdom from a Wise Woman - my husband's grandmother.

Years ago, I asked my husband’s grandmother, Helen Heckman, what she does when she’s nervous. Her answer was something I will never forget. “When I’m nervous, I clean my kitchen floor. Later, I may still be nervous, but at least my floors are clean.” Her words have inspired me ever since to put my nervous energy to work.

Helen was born and raised in the small town of Oakland, Iowa. She was one of the most hardworking and productive person I’ve ever known. I will forever cherish the times when we would visit Helen and her husband Earl. They lived in the old house that Earl grew up in. From the moment we stepped through their doors, we were greeted by the sweet aroma of homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven. At dinner, we were treated to a feast of Helen’s legendary beef and noodles along with heaping bowls of vegetable, salads, homemade rolls. Dinner was always followed by apple pie or some other mouthwatering dessert.

In her younger years, Helen drove a buggy to teach in a one-room school in Oakland while Earl owned and operated the local Standard filling station.

Once married, Helen and Earl raised two beautiful daughters, Carolyn (my mother-in-law), and her sister Phyllis. Helen spent her days making gorgeous quilts and clothing at a speed that I swear she had to have had elves assisting her. Helen shared her gifts by sewing and baking for many others in her town, and she was a tireless volunteer at the local nursing home. From the day I met Helen, I was amazed at how tirelessly she worked. She rose every morning, long before sunrise, to start cooking and sewing. Her freezer wa packed full of baked goods of every kind. Visiting them was like visiting Heaven. Although she’s been gone for many years now, Helen’s legacy will long live in the hearts and minds of everyone who was lucky enough to know her. I was blessed beyond words to have Helen and Earl as my grandparents-in-laws.

Helen’s life was an inspiration to me in so many way…including making the best of challenging and stressful times. We could all, now more than ever, benefit from Helen’s example of working hard during hard times. And hey…at least our houses will be clean! Thank you Helen!

Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein Never Gave in to Despair! Nor should we!

Although he endured one of the world’s darkest hours and lost nearly everything a person can lose, Joe never gave in to despair. Instead, he endured through his prayers to God, the love he carried in his heart for others, and his courage and determination to survive. His story of hope is one for us to emulate now. Joe is 99 now, and he still tell everyone, “Love life. Love God. Love each other. That’s all there is.” Joe is right. God bless us all in this dark hour of the coronavirus. To learn more about Joe’s remarkable story of hope: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story (available on-line, or you can order through your local bookstores and libraries, in book form or the award winning audio book available through Audible).

Postponed: Founder's Day Event in Holton, Kansas - March 19, 2020

Due to concerns over the coronavirus, the Founder’s Day event is postponed until a later date to be determined. In the meantime, and during these crazy times, never forget that in the world’s darkest of hours, Holocaust survivor, Joe Rubinstein, never gave in to despair. His life is an important reminder to us all of the power of faith, love, courage and hope!

Happy 99th Birthday Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein!

Holocaust survivor, Joe Rubinstein (September 2019). Photo © 2019 Crystal Merrill. Crystalmphoto.com

Learn more about Joe’s remarkable life: Auschwitz #34207 The Joe Rubinstein Story. This award-winning book is available in print, e-book, audio book, and now, thanks to Fontis-Verlag, a publisher from Switzerland, in the German language as well!

Yesterday was a very big day for Joe Rubinstein as he celebrated his 99th birthday! As you can see from this beautiful photo taken of him last week, Joe is doing great (and so is his sweet wife Irene). Joe’s birth certificate, and several WWII era documents, show that Joe was born in 1920, in Radom, Poland. (Earlier in his life, Joe believed his birthday was in October 1922.) Whether Joe is 99 (or 97), he is an amazing man. His life is an inspiration to people around the world in never giving up, no matter the challenges. I’m so grateful for Joe’s life, and that he lived to share his story when so many others, including his entire family from Poland, did not. Joe tells everyone, “Love life. Love God. Love each other. That’s all there is.” God bless Joe!

Joe Rubinstein Signing Books About his life at Sam's Club

I came across this fun photo that I took in October 2017, of Holocaust survivor, Joe Rubinstein, signing copies of the book about his life at Sam’s Club. (Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story.) His wife, Irene, had some shopping to do…I had copies of the book in my car that I wanted Joe to sign for special future releases…so it’s seemed like as good a time as any! Beef hot dogs and Joe signing books at Sam’s Club! Who knew??

Joyful News...Joe's Story Being Published in German!

Thanks to Fontis-Verlag, a wonderful Christian publisher from Basel, Switzerland, Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story has been translated and will soon be available to German readers around the world! I am thrilled and honored Joe’s story will be part of the Fontis collection. Joe’s life is a lesson for us all in the power of bringing people together. In publishing this story about a Jewish man from Radom, Poland, Fontis shows how people of all faiths are uplifted and impacted by Joe’s remarkable life. This German publication is a testament to Joe’s words, “Love life. Love God. Love each other. That’s all there is.”

Joe, now 98 and still doing great, said recently, “I’m so happy German readers will be able to read about my life in their language.”

My deepest and heartfelt thanks to my gifted editor at Fontis, Anne Helke. I will forever be grateful to Anne for her insights, skills and her incredible patience in helping make this German version a reality. Between Anne and my English version editor, Donna Mazzitelli, I could not have been blessed with two finer editors and people! Truly!

In addition to Anne Helke and everyone at Fontis-Verlag, especially Christian Meyers for his support of this book, there are so many people I want to thank who have made this German version possible. I’m grateful to Anja MacKenzie for her beautiful translation of Joe’s story. Thanks to Ulla Ewald for taking the initiative to contact me from Germany after reading Joe’s story and letting me know of her desire to see the book translated into German and introducing me to Fontis. Thanks to Anna Termine for her kind help in walking me through the maze of foreign rights, and to Amy Collins for introducing me to Anna.

I’m thrilled Fontis will also be using the powerful photo of Joe by photographer Nicholas DeSciose for the German edition cover. Thank you, Nicholas!

The German book version would not have been possible without the incredible team of people who have helped me in so many ways, before and since, the book was first released in English, including John Forssman, Nick Zelinger, Susie Scott, Brenda King, James Mcandrew, Lightstreet Media, Polly Letofsky, Gail Nelson, Judith Briles, Joan Stewart, Daniel Hall, Mark Cocker, John Kremer, Crystal Merrill, Hallie Whitsell, Natalie Reiter, Doran Geise, Lucretia Sprowell, Carolyn and Dale Geise, Sally Robinson, Joe and Irene Rubinstein and their family, Donna Mazzitelli of Merry Dissonance Press and so many others!

I’m so grateful to Susan Weinberg for finding photos of Joe’s mother and brothers for us to be able to share in the German version. I still cannot think of the moment when Joe saw the faces of his beloved family for the first time since the early 1940s without crying myself. By finding these photos, Susan gave Joe one of the greatest gifts of his life.

Endless thank to Jakub Mitek (Radom, Poland) for his on-going research help and tremendous hospitality during my visit to Radom in 2017 to share Joe’s story at the 75th Commemoration of the Liquidation of the Radom Ghettos. Jakub’s work with the Resursa Obywatelska Culture and Arts Center helps those in Radom, Poland remember the precious lives of the Jewish people that once resided there. Thank you Hilda Chazanovitz and Sharon Grosfeld for helping to make my visit to Radom possible. 

I’m so grateful to the staff and volunteers of the Auschwitz/Birkenau Holocaust Museum and Memorial in Oswiecim, Poland for their gracious invitation to share Joe’s story with them. My deepest thanks especially to Tomasz Michaldo (Director of the Guides) for all his help in making my presentation and visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau one of the most memorable (and emotional) honors of my life.

Thanks to the staff and volunteers of the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum, Washington, D.C. for inviting me to share Joe’s story and for all they do in helping the world to never forget.  Thanks to journalist Marsha Dubrow for her coverage of the museum event. Thanks to Paul Messersmith for hosting me for a book signing in the beautiful museum bookstore.

I can not begin to thank Michlean Amir enough for her continued help in researching and finding new documents regarding Joe’s life. 

Thanks to Gail Shirazi, United States Library of Congress, Washington D.C. for her warm and kind welcome during my visit to D.C. in sharing Joe’s story as part of their wonderful speaker series. Her zest and enthusiasm for life are infectious and remind me of Joe’s joy.

I am so grateful to Richard Rieman, Audiobook narrator/producer for his help in producing and narrating Joe’s story (English version) into an award-winning audiobook. He so beautifully, and powerfully, depicted Joe, and made the experience fun and rewarding.

A special thanks to the many reporters, radio and TV hosts who have interviewed me about Joe’s life. I want to thank especially Ralph Hipp, WIBW TV in Topeka, Kansas for having me repeatedly be a guest on his Red Couch Show to share updates regarding Joe’s life and book.

Thank you, Dave Hodgson, Talk Radio Europe for my first international interview: www.talkradioeurope.com/clients/ngeise.mp3 (recorded April 29, 2015).

I especially want to thank all the people who have invited me to present Joe’s story around the world! They have welcomed me into their homes, businesses, churches, synagogues, schools, universities, museums, bookstores, civic organizations, and their communities. Through it all, I have been uplifted by their love and support. 

And thanks finally to the multitude of readers who have taken time to read (and listen) to Joe’s story and to those who have written kind notes to me, Joe and Irene from all over the globe to let us know the impact this story is having on their lives. It means more than words can express.

And now, Joe’s remarkable journey continues in the German language. I’m so looking forward to where this latest chapter in his life will lead…

Meeting sweet and brave Holocaust survivor and Resistance Fighter: Gitla Doppelt

Last week at the State of Kansas Holocaust Commemoration, I had the tremendous privilege of hearing Holocaust survivor and resistance fighter Gitla Doppler speak. Her life is an inspiration to us all. What an honor to meet this incredible woman! The entire commemoration was incredibly moving and powerful. Thanks to everyone who made it possible and who work tirelessly helping the world to remember. At the conclusion of the event, I told Gitla about my dear friend Joe Rubinstein, also a survivor, and offered her a copy of the book about his life. She could not thank me enough. They both have the same spirit of loving life, while having overcome unimaginable challenges.

77 years ago today- Joe Rubinstein arrived at Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp

April 30, 1942, my dear friend, Joe Rubinstein (21), arrived at the Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp where he would be imprisoned for over two years. His only crime? Being Jewish. Sweet Joe had been taken from the Radom, Poland ghetto, leaving behind a beloved family he would never see again. His widowed mother and four siblings, including Joe’s identical twin, would all later be murdered at the Treblinka death camp along with nearly everyone else Joe knew and loved. Though he was barefooted when he was taken, he would become one of the world’s leading shoe designers. Joe is 98 now and is still the most joy-filled man I’ve ever known…this from a man who lost nearly everything a person can lose. What a lesson of hope for us all! Joe tells everyone, “Love life, love God and love each other…that’s all there is.” To learn more of Joe’s remarkable and surprising story, ask your favorite bookstore/library for the bestselling book: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story.