Abram Kashtan collection

Abram Kashtan was living in Poland when his family was killed by Nazis. As a twenty six year old with no family, Abram traveled to the village of Perspa, near Sarny, Poland, where the Chorążyczewski family lived. Ignacy Chorążyczewski had conducted business with Abram’s father in the past, and Abram could think of no one else to turn to. The family agreed to let Abram hide in their barn, despite certain death if he was discovered. Cezary, the eldest of six children in the Chorążyczewski household, would visit Abram daily to talk with him and keep him informed of events. The family also provided Abram with food and clothing. In 1942, after living in the Chorążyczewski barn for a year, rumors were spreading that Nazi collaborators were burning nearby villages. Abram asked Cezary to go with him to the nearby forest, where anti-Nazi partisans were operating. After wandering several kilometers in the forest, Cezary located some of the partisans, and Abram joined with them. Sometime later, the partisans were absorbed into the Soviet Army, where Abram served until the war’s end. He later joined relatives in the United States and lived in Washington D.C.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Funding Note: The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.

The Abram Kashtan collection was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1992 by his son, Jerry Kashtan.