Planned Giving
Fred Zeilberger was born on December 16, 1929 in Wurzburg, Germany, where his father, Justin, owned a tailor shop. On Kristallnacht, the store was destroyed. Justin was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp for nine weeks, then released, after which the entire family was forcibly resettled in the Jewish Ghetto. In November 1941, Fred and his family were deported to Latvia and endured three and a half years in three different concentration camps. Fred survived five different concentration camps before being liberated in the spring of 1945 by the Russian army. Upon liberation, Fred returned to Wurzburg only to learn his entire immediate family was murdered by the Nazis; he was the sole survivor.
He arrived in the US in 1947 courtesy of President Harry Truman’s War Orphan program and lived in an orphanage.
Fred then moved in with an aunt and uncle and attended night classes. After graduation he worked as a butcher and learned the meat trade. When the Korean War broke out, Fred was drafted into the army. After, he returned to New York, established a wholesale meat business, married his wife Elaine, and settled on Long Island where they raised three children: Linda, Jay, and Robin and now have three grandchildren: Jenna, Rachel, and Zane.
Fred has spoken to high school students all over the tri-state area about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor; that helps him keep the memory of his family alive.
Fred was introduced to Jewish National Fund several years ago when he went to Israel on a Sunshine Tour for active adults 55+. Fred remembers it as one of his favorite trips.
Having been through so much in his life, Fred understands why the Jewish people need Israel more than ever. That’s why every year Fred earmarks his annual IRA required minimum distribution for a tax-free rollover contribution to Jewish National Fund. “They do a lot for Israel and are very noteworthy,” Fred said. He is grateful for the impact that Jewish National Fund enables him to have on Israel and is thrilled to be building his legacy this way.
To learn more about the many ways you can leave your legacy with Jewish National Fund, visit jnflegacy.org or call 800-562-7526.
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