Robin Schwartz

metro » o n the cover

The Winklers hold a certificate from the Holocaust Memorial Center establishing the Shoshana and Sol Winkler Educating the Next Generation Fund.

Magnificent T
Milestone

Holocaust survivors mark
70th anniversary with a gift
to future generations.

Robin Schwartz | Contributing Writer

The Winklers and their young son, Alex, circa 1949

hey stood at the center of
the room with loved ones all
around. A candle shot sparks
into the air from an elaborate cake as
the crowd sang, “Happy anniversary
to you.” It was a moment Shoshana
and Sol Winkler never could have
imagined in their wildest dreams.
The couple married 70 years
ago, on July 17, 1946, in a displaced
persons (DP) camp in Italy after sur-
viving the horrors of the Holocaust.
At the time of their wedding, she
was 18 and he was just a day shy of
21. They were scared, confused and
alone, with no family members or
friends to witness the occasion.
Seven decades later, the couple
have two children, seven grandchil-
dren, four great-grandchildren, a
vast network of friends and a life-
time of stories to tell.
“It means Hitler didn’t win,”
Shoshana says. “We did.”
The Winklers’ remarkable story
is one of perseverance, strength and
determination against all odds. The
Nazis murdered their parents and
seven of their siblings combined.
Twice, they moved to new countries,
learned to speak new languages and
found ways to support their family.
“My parents struggled and
endured more hardships than
anyone I have ever known,” says
their son, Alex Winkler of West
Bloomfield. “Even as they struggled,

they managed to raise my sister and
me while providing us with a home
filled with love, affection and disci-
pline.”
The couple sat together, watching
and listening, as family members
stepped up to a microphone and
shared thoughts and good wishes
during a recent 70th anniversary
party at Lelli’s Inn on the Green in
Farmington Hills. Their great-grand-
daughter, Hayley, 5, wore a pink,
frilly dress and coyly said, “Happy
anniversary; I love you!”
Grandson Steven Schostak of
Northville spoke on behalf of all the
grandchildren.
“Papa and Bubbie, I can’t even
begin to comprehend the obstacles
you encountered, stumbled and
triumphed over. Your love was born
out of one of the darkest periods of
humanity. That love is still strong
70 years later, and through your
children, grandchildren and great-
grandchildren, it will last forever.”

FAMILY HISTORIES
“If it wasn’t for the Holocaust, we
never would have met,” Shoshana
points out when asked how their
relationship began.
They were born in different coun-
tries — Sol in Czechoslovakia, one
of eight children, and Shoshana, one
of six children, in central Hungary.
Their youngest grandson, Alex (AJ)

continued on page 14

12 August 11 • 2016