November 2021 Portrait of the Month — Benjamin Cukierman

Benjamin Cukierman

November's featured portrait of Benjamin (Binim) Cukierman was created by Julia P. in Bytom, Poland. We've held many workshops around the world, and it's especially meaningful when the subjects and the students are from the same area geographically. In this case, Binim's hometown of Będzin is only 10 miles from Bytom. Over 250 students participated in the workshops we held in Bytom, all of them learning a piece of history both local and globally significant. 

Binim's family were bakers and were known many towns over for their cakes. When Binim was married, he and his wife opened a chocolate shop whose chocolates were famous in Poland. Sadly, their reputation could not save them from the fate of Jews all around Poland and Europe. Binim's family were rounded up and split between Markstadt concentration camp and Auschwitz, with only his nephew Cvi and his wife Edzina surviving.