obituaries
A René Slotkin, a Rare Surviving
‘Mengele Twin,’ Dies at 84
JACKIE HAJDENBERG | JTA.ORG
s a physical education teacher
at an Orthodox boys school in
New York City, René Slotkin
frequently wore short-sleeved shirts —
leaving the numbers tattooed into his
arm visible to anyone who saw him.

His story of Holocaust survival was
remarkable: Slotkin and his sister were
among just 200 sets of twins to survive
gruesome experimentation by the infa-
mous Nazi physician Josef Mengele at
Auschwitz, then were reunited six years
aft er being separated.

Slotkin’s story, which he told and
retold, including in a fi lm about his fam-
ily, was never far from the minds of
his fellow congregants at Congregation
Ohab Zedek, the Upper West Side syn-
agogue down the block from his home
where he studied Talmud every morning
A RESOLUTION OF ABRAMSON SENIOR CARE
The Board of Trustees of Abramson Senior Care record with sorrow the
passing of their esteemed colleague and friend
Dorothy Wasserman, z”l
whose commitment to Jewish causes and philanthropy benefited
the seniors served by Abramson Senior Care, and who served as an
example to the entire community.

Dottie joined the Board of Trustees in 2012, but was a devoted
champion of Abramson Senior Care since 1980, supporting our mission
alongside her beloved husband and former Abramson Board Chair,
Leonard z”l. She was a Life Member of the Auxiliary and served as an
Honorary Auxiliary Board Member.

A cherished volunteer, Dottie sat on and chaired various committees.

She served as our Gala Committee Chair in 1999 and was active on
our Building for Life Campaign Committee, Resident Quality of Life
Committee, Resident Program Fund and Family Fun Day. Dottie was a
longtime patron of our Rainbow Ball and most recently was a sponsor
of our Together in Harmony fundraiser.

Abramson Senior Care and our entire Jewish community were truly
fortunate to have been the beneficiary of her time, leadership, and
enduring tzedakah.

To her family, children Bobbi Wasserman (Harry Koplin), Ted Wasserman
(Marcia Lyons), James Wasserman, son-in-law Howard Wenitsky;
grandchildren Alex (Danielle), Ian, Zachary (Anna), Natalie, Jennifer (Jon),
Samantha, and Erica; and great-grandchildren Jordan, Josie, and Lena;
and all who mourn her passing, the Board of Trustees of Abramson
Senior Care offer this expression of profound sympathy. May they find
solace in the knowledge that her dedication, generosity and good works
will serve as a living tribute to her and will benefit future generations.

Lorraine Drobny
Board Chair
22 JULY 21, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Sean Gregson
President and CEO
well into his 80s.

“I still fi nd it staggering that a man
who saw so much horror and devastation
not only clung to his faith and belief,
but did so with happiness and hakarat
hatov,” or gratitude, Jonathan Field wrote
in the Jewish Link about his fellow con-
gregant, who died on July 17 at 84.

Born René Guttmann in 1937 in
Teplice-Sanov, Czechoslovakia, Slotkin
was only 4 years old when he and his
twin sister Irene were deported to
Th eresienstadt with their mother, Ita, in
1942. (Th eir father Herbert was taken
to Auschwitz in 1941 and died there.)
Two years later, they were moved to
Auschwitz, where their mother was
killed and the twins were separated and
subjected to medical abuse by Mengele.

Aft er the camps were liberated, Slotkin
was repatriated to Czechoslovakia and
lived with two families. Irene, who had
René Slotkin
Image courtesy of B.A. Van Sise / Design by
Mollie Suss via JTA.org
initially been placed with a Christian
family in Oświęcim, Poland (the town
where Auschwitz is located) was even-
tually found by the Joint Distribution



Committee, who wanted to return her to a Jewish family.

Irene and another survivor became the “poster children”
for the Rescue Children Inc. initiative and were taken to
New York City, where they were photographed for LIFE
Magazine. Shortly thereafter, Irene was adopted by the
Slotkin family in Long Island.

After Irene told her adoptive parents that she had a twin
brother, the Slotkins hired a private investigator to look
for him in Europe. In a rare story of reunification, René
was adopted by the Slotkins in 1950.

He was 12 and had not seen his sister in six years.

In “René and I,” the 2005 documentary about Irene’s
life, Slotkin recalled that moment of reunification.

“As a matter of fact, the night that I arrived in America
and we first saw each other, we said nothing. We just
looked at each other,” he said. “There was no running to
each other, hugging or kissing. Nothing like that. That
was it. That’s all I remember from that night.”
After college, Slotkin joined the National Guard, where
he reached the rank of sergeant and served in the reserves
for seven years. He was one of the few survivors of
Auschwitz who served in the U.S. military, and he was
also unusual for wearing a kippah and observing Shabbat
during his service.

He remembered being shocked that his fellow mili-
tary members did not know much, if anything, about
Judaism, and that they didn’t recognize the numbers
on his arm as that of a concentration camp tattoo —
they had assumed it was a Social Security number or
a phone number.

Slotkin’s first son was born while he was in the military,
and he and his first wife had two more children before
they divorced. Some years later, he married a teacher, June
Slotkin, with whom he had a daughter.

It took Slotkin and his sister nearly four decades before
they started speaking openly about their experiences
during the Holocaust. In 1985, they went to Yad Vashem,
Israel’s Holocaust memorial, in Jerusalem to take part in a
mock trial of Josef Mengele focused on his abuse of twins,
where Nazi war crimes investigator Simon Wiesenthal
served on the panel. Mengele’s body was discovered in
Brazil a year later. He had drowned in 1979.

In his later years, Slotkin volunteered at Camp Sharon
in Tannersville, New York, where he taught woodworking
and sports, and taught children about the Holocaust and
what it means to be a survivor.

“I want kids to know how I appreciate life today,” he
said in “René and I.” “I tell them the things that I’ve
learned and the things that I consider of value are things
that should be passed on.”
In the 1990s, Irene developed multiple sclerosis, which
she and her brother attributed to the abuse she suffered
as a Mengele twin — they suspected that she was the one
subjected to “experiments” while René was the “control
variable.” Irene died in 2019.

“I feel very, very lucky that I escaped,” Slotkin said
in the 1997 interview. “I have what I think are the true
riches. I have a wife that loves me, that I love. I have a
family. I belong to a synagogue, I’m a member of a com-
munity. I have good friends, I seem to be healthy.”
He added: “But then there’s a little bit of emptiness.”
René is survived by his wife June, whom he called “the
best woman in the world”; his four children, Zebbe, David,
Corrie and Mia; 11 grandchildren, and a great-grand-
child. JE
DUBOFF HUBERT - On Friday, July 8, 2022, Hu-
bert Duboff, loving husband of Ileen (nee
Levin), father of Gary and Bruce, and
proud Gramps of Jacob, Lindsey, Drew,
and Max, passed away at the age of 89.

Hubert was born on June 1, 1933, near
40th & Girard in Philadelphia, PA, to Jo-
seph and Minnie Duboff. “Hubie,” as he
was known to his friends, joined the Navy
after high school. He proudly served in
the Korean Conflict, unfortunately los-
ing much of his hearing due to a bomb
explosion, but never letting that issue
dampen his spirit. On May 27, 1955, he
married Ileen Levin, of Feltonville. They
raised two sons, Gary (wife Bonnie nee
Lubowitz), and Bruce (wife Sherry nee
Goodman), and then Gary and Bruce
raised two grandchildren each, Jacob
(wife Hanna Good), Lindsey (fiancé Max
Bernstein), Drew, and Max.

Hubert worked many jobs in his life, from
driving a cab, opening a novelty store,
selling shoes, and managing a Bingo
parlor, but he found his true calling in
the early 1980s when he began selling
men’s clothing. He loved being his own
boss, and he especially loved when
Gary and Bruce came to the flea market
at 5 am on Thanksgiving Day to help sell
sweaters. His spirit was richer than a king’s. He
never failed to provide for his family, who
meant the world to him. At one time, he
even delivered pizza so his family could
have what he couldn’t. Hubert was hap-
piest when his family was happy, and he
would sacrifice anything to make that
happen. His wife Ileen was his entire
Universe, and he had an almost pup-
py-like devotion to her.

Hubert Duboff lived a full and rich life,
and he loved and was loved by many,
many people. No one can boast more
wealth than that.

PLATT MEMORIAL CHAPELS
www.plattmemorial.com ELKINS
WAYNE, July 6, 2022, of Radnor, PA.

Beloved son of Adele and the late
Armin Elkins; loving brother of Beth
Cutler and Alexis Elkins; cherished
uncle of Aaron (Mariana) Cutler, Sa-
mantha Cutler, Jacob Elkins and
Emma Elkins. Wayne was a graduate
of the University of Miami and worked
in the real estate business as a mort-
gage broker. He had a close group of
friends whom he loved dearly. He will
be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers,
contributions in Wayne’s memory may
be made to the Friends of the Israeli
Defense Forces (www.fidf.org).

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com LESHNOFF
STEPHEN D., died peacefully July 5,
2022; beloved husband of Susan (nee
Kriegel); loving father of Jonathan and
Jessica (Holly Beatty); adoring grand-
father of Noa, Shmuel (Tali) and Temi-
ma (Alon); proud great-grandfather of
Yosef. Brother of Vilma Barr; uncle of
Lesley and Glenn Barr. Contributions
in his memory may be made to a char-
ity of the donor’s choice.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
PLOTKIN MARLENE (nee Clearfield) passed
away on June 3, 2022 at the age of
80. She was the youngest of 3 sisters.

Marlene’s excellence as a nurse was
paid forward when she taught nursing
students at Methodist and Einstein
hospitals. Marlene desired to become
a doctor, but opportunities for wom-
en were scarce back then. Marlene
was kind and generous and her wit
and laugh will be sorely missed. She
is survived by her husband David and
many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A graveside service was held at Mt.

Sharon Cemetery. Contributions in
Marlene’s memory may be made to the
Alzheimer’s Association of America.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
SARACHEK DEBORAH MARY (nee Wexler) of Al-
lentown, Pennsylvania, passed away on
March 4, 2021. She was 77 years old.

Debbie, as she was known to loved ones
and friends, was the daughter of the late
Solomon Wexler and Sylvia Wexler
Rosenthal, who remarried the late Ed
Rosenthal. She is survived by her be-
loved daughters, Elizabeth Blacker and
Becky Sarachek, dear son-in-law An-
drew Blacker, and cherished grandson
Braden. Debbie is also survived by her
dear brother Robert Wexler and neph-
ews David and Alex Wexler. Debbie was
a brilliant student, graduating as valedic-
torian from Abington High School, and
from the University of Pennsylvania,
magna cum laude. She also received a
Master of Economics from the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh. Debbie lived most of
her adult life in Allentown, Pennsylvania
and spent summers in Barnegat Light,
New Jersey. Contributions in Debbie’s
name may be made to the University of
Pennsylvania. HARRIS
STEPHEN BRIAN - Passed away on
July 8, 2022. Husband of Debra “Deb-
bi” Harris (nee Benjamin). Father of
Michael (Jamie) Harris and Eric Har-
ris. Brother of Wayne Harris. Contri-
butions in his memory may be made
to Fox Chase Cancer Center, www.

foxchase.org, or to KidneyCAN, www.

kidneycan.org. GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
STEIN STANLEY L., 82 - July 12th 2022 of
Highland Beach Florida, formerly of
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. Beloved
husband of Myrna (nee Levin), and
best friend of 60 years. Wonderful
and devoted father of Gary (Anne)
Stein and Jodi Stein. Proud and loving
Batman and Poppop to Eric Stein, Mi-
chelle Stein and Lauren Gadol. Broth-
er of the late Bobbie Lewis and loving
dog dad to Reeg. And a special thank
you to his wonderful caregiver, Zulma.

The family requests that contributions
in his memory be made to Trustbridge
hospice care 5300 E. Avenue, West
Palm Beach, Florida 33407.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com WASSERMAN
DOROTHY (nee Rubin) on July 9,
2022. Beloved wife of the late Leonard;
Loving mother of Bobbi Wasserman
(Harry Koplin), Ted Wasserman (Mar-
cia Lyons), James Wasserman, and
the late Phyllis Wenitsky; Dear moth-
er-in-law of Howard Wenitsky; Devot-
ed grandmother of Alex (Danielle),
Ian, Zachary (Anna), Natalie, Jennifer
(Jon), Samantha, and Erica; Adoring
great-grandmother of Jordan, Josie,
and Lena. Contributions in her mem-
ory may be made to Reform Cong.

Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Rd.,
Elkins Park, PA 19027 or Abramson
Senior Care, 5 Sentry Pkwy. East, Ste
100, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
WUNDOHL HARRIET (nee Balis), July 10, 2022.

Devoted daughter of the late Sophia
and Morris Balis. Beloved wife of the
late Frank Wundohl. Loving moth-
er of Barbara W. Pearson and David
J. Wundohl. She was an observant
Jewess, a lifelong learner of Judaics,
Social Action, Gerontology, and Ge-
nealogy. Additionally, she was a family
historian, lover of travel, caring friend,
and eternal optimist. Contributions in
her memory may be made to Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275
York Ave., New York, NY 10065, www.

mskcc.org. GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 23