Obituary of Fred Spiegel

Fred (Fritz) Spiegel –A Holocaust survivor age 88, of Howell, New Jersey died peacefully while in hospice care on July 26, 2020. Fred was born in Dinslaken, Germany. Fred was a year old when his father, Sigmund, died. His mother, Elise, became a widow and raised her two children, Fred and his sister, Edith. After the harrowing experience of Kristallnacht in 1938, Fred and Edith fled to live with relatives in the Netherlands. They lived there for three years until they were arrested in 1943 and eventually became prisoners in three different concentration camps: Vught, then Westerbork , and last Bergen -Belsen. Fred was liberated by the US Army in 1945. Fred recuperated in the Netherlands with his sister and they were later reunited with their mother who had been an au-pair in England during the war. Fred lived in England until 1952 when he immigrated to Israel. He served in the Israeli Defense Force and then he left for Chile to join his sister and mother. In 1963, he immigrated to the United States to work for Zim Lines. His later employment was for 32 years as a sales manager for El Al Airlines. Fred often stated, “I am a wandering Jew.” While visiting Israel in 1968, Fred met his wife, Yael. They settled in Howell and were married for 40 years. Yael died in 2010. Fred is survived by three children, Yuval Spiegel of Aberdeen, NJ, Avital Spiegel (Brian Sherwood) of Springfield, PA and Omri Spiegel (Nancy) of Howell, NJ, five grandchildren Mia & Nathan Sherwood and Natalie, Gabriel, & Jared Spiegel. Fred’s life is documented in his memoir, Once the Acacias Bloomed. The memoir was a bestseller at many bookstores and widely read by students throughout NJ and across the nation. The memoir was translated for Spanish speaking students. Fred was passionate and committed to educating students and their teachers about his story of how hate disrupted his early years. He loved book signing events and speaking to students. He had a gift of speaking directly to students who needed support and assurance as they faced obstacles in their lives. Fred had a positive approach to life. Contributions to Fred’s memory can be made to the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ or to Chhange.org (through Brookdale Community College). Fred was an honorary member of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center Executive Committee for many years and a founding member of the board at Chhange. Fred traveled on Stockton University Study Tours with students tracing his life story starting in 2000 through to 2016. He will be missed by many whose lives he touched. Graveside funeral services will be held 10:00am Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at Freehold Hebrew Benefit Society Cemetery, Freehold, NJ. Arrangements are under the care of Belkoff-Goldstein Funeral Chapel, Lakewood, NJ.