Saved by the 'Japanese Schindler' and designed the Knesset's air conditioning: Berl Shor passes away

Holocaust survivor Berl Shor, who passed away at age 98, was saved by a transit visa from Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara. After immigrating to Israel, he served as an armored corps fighter and founded an air conditioning company that designed systems in over 2,000 buildings, including the Knesset, the Supreme Court, and Yad Vashem. He dedicated decades to Holocaust commemoration.

Holocaust survivor Berl Shor passed away at age 98. Shor, born in Krakow in 1927, was saved by a chain of rescues: a Dutch transit stamp obtained by a relative, and a transit visa from Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, a Righteous Among the Nations known as the 'Japanese Schindler.' His journey crossed continents via Japan to New Zealand. After the war, he immigrated to Israel, served as an armored corps fighter, and started a family. Professionally, he was a pioneer in air conditioning; his company designed climate systems in over 2,000 national buildings, including the Knesset, the Supreme Court, the Israel Museum, and Yad Vashem. Simultaneously, he dedicated decades to testimony and remembrance, meeting with students and soldiers. About a decade ago, his family returned to the authorities a 'Great Book of Commandments' from the 16th century that was looted during the Holocaust. He is survived by children, grandchildren, and a legacy of memory and building.