Survivor’s ‘entire life was a victory’

For 30 years right up until two weeks before he passed away, Jack Meister was a dedicated, weekly speaker at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Standing in his same spot every Thursday, Meister’s inspiring testimony had a profound effect on the thousands who were privileged enough to hear his story.

In 2019 he was part of Australia’s March of the Living delegation, with former MOTL director Cedric Geffen paying tribute to Meister.

“It was a profound privilege for me to lead the 2019 March of the Living Australia delegation – and to be able to have Jack Meister as our accompanying Survivor share his story, as well as his enlightening and inspirational life lessons,” said Geffen.

“Jack endeared himself to all those privileged to share this journey with him and in the years following the trip he automatically became the adopted father and grandfather of every single participant. His memory will be a blessing to all of of us.”

Meister was born in Kielce, Poland in 1928 and enjoyed a simple traditional Jewish life until the Nazis came when he was just 11. In March 1941, his family was sent to the Kielce ghetto where he was made to do all manner of dirty and degrading, menial jobs. One day in 1943 he returned from forced labour to find the ghetto liquidated and his family gone. He never saw them or heard of them again. Transported to Radom work camp then Auschwitz, he was tattooed with the number B488 and transferred to the Buna concentration camp – part of the Auschwitz complex.