Holocaust survivors, former Wisconsinites, celebrated 70 years together | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Holocaust survivors, former Wisconsinites, celebrated 70 years together

 

Feiga and Felix Bandos just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, which is quite a feat.

Making it even more notable than their 70 years together is that both survived the Holocaust before moving to Milwaukee, then Israel.

Melanie Bandos of Bayside said her father-in-law, Felix, was having health issues before 2015 and it made him think of the Jewish state. “He decided at that time in his life that he wanted to be buried in Israel,” Melanie said. “My mother-in-law went along with him.”

They made aliyah on Aug. 13, 2015 when Felix was 90 and Feiga was 94. Israeli media celebrated their arrival with headlines like “Never Too Late to Make Aliyah.”

“I’m glad I’m here,” Felix told Israel’s Channel 7. “This is the right place to be, in Eretz Yisrael.”

It was widely covered by Israeli media, Melanie said. “The mayor of Efrat welcomed them and celebrated their arrival.”

The couple met immediately following World War II in Bergen-Belson at a displaced persons camp. Feiga was a resident of the camp and Felix was searching for any family members who may have survived. They courted and married within the camp, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The couple made their way to Sweden and then came to Milwaukee in October of 1953, with their 4-year-old son Marcus, Melanie’s husband.

They had three children, Marcus (Melanie), Helen (Mark) and Marilyn (Yisroel). Those children gave them 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and a 15th great-grandchild who may be born after Chronicle press time.

Feiga and Felix live in Efrat, right across the street from Marilyn and her husband Yisroel. Feiga and Felix’s wedding anniversary was Nov. 4.