two children allowed the family
During the war, Manzel’s fam-
to immigrate early. The American
ily was afforded some protection
Jewish Joint
Distribution by their Christian status, but
Committee helped the family set-
Manzel’s father was anti-govern-
tle in Jackson Heights in Queens.

ment, and the family was never
After a two-year stint in the
affiliated with the Nazi Party.

Army stationed at Fort Dix and
The dedication of a Stolperstein
Poitiers, France, Lewinson moved
was a way for Manzel to memori-
with his family to Lakewood,
alize Lewinson’s father and do his
New Jersey. He met his wife Betsy
part in continuing the Shoah’s
there, and the two married in
legacy of “never forget.” The stone
1982, moving to Blue Bell in 2000,
will be installed in January.

and to Dresher 15 years later.

Though Lewinson can no lon-
Lewinson’s lack of family
ger travel to Berlin to visit where
knowledge was not through lack
his childhood home once stood,
of trying, Betsy Lewinson said.

Manzel plans on attending its
“Wherever we have been —
dedication. we’ve been to Auschwitz, to Yad
“The stone will be right smack
Vashem in Israel, elsewhere ... no
in the middle of a completely
one could ever trace his father,”
new complex, where you would
she said.

never know [a Jewish family lived
Across the sea in Germany,
there],” Manzel said. “That street
Manzel’s grandmother had A mock-up of the Stolperstein honoring Lewinson’s father Hans, which will be installed at their has a new name, but the whole
Photo by Julia Flood point of the memorial stone is that
kept in touch with Lewinson’s family’s old address in January
mother until her death in 1987.

you wonder, ‘What is this?’. What
Manzel knew that Hans had been
will be useful is to stumble upon
arrested and that the Lewinsons were and contacted her and Lewinson in band, or they didn’t have children,” it and pause and consider and hope that
living in America. With the help of his 2020. The family exchanged letters, Manzel said through Flood’s trans- something like that will never happen
daughter Julia Flood, who’s now a ther- emails and WhatsApp messages.

lation. “So [I] was just curious to see again.” JE
apist in San Jose, California, Manzel
“For that generation, everyone had if there was anybody left and what
was able to find Renate in New Jersey died out because they lost their hus- became of them.”
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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