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Sala and Szymon Cygileman were never far apart from the time they met in Auschwitz. Even in death they died only 12 days apart in May 2006.

Sala was born in Auschwitz when it was Oswecim, Poland. She was well educated and spoke Polish, German and Yiddish. When the Nazis took over Oswiecim and formed the death camp called Auschwitz she was put in the camp with her family.

The Nazis put her language skills to use translating German documents into Polish and Polish into German. In that way she survived the Shoah.

Szymon was born in Lodz, Poland. His father was a tailor and Szymon followed in his footsteps. When the Nazis took over Lodz and herded the Jews into a ghetto, Szymon, who was very thin, used to crawl under the fence and forage for food which he brought back to the ghetto.

Szymon was transported to Auschwitz and with his tailoring skills was put to work instead of to the gas chambers. He and Sala both had tattooed numbers on their arms and Szymon said they were lucky to have them as the ones who went to the gas chambers didn’t get them.

They met at the camp and after the war married. The rest of their family members, except for Ruza Raich, a cousin of Sala’s who now lives in Israel, perished.

They came here with the assistance of the Jewish Federated Appeal of Waterbury which sponsored them, helped them and found them jobs, Szymon as a tailor and Sala as a seamstress.

To fit in with America they adopted new names; Sala to Sarah and Szymon to Simon.

They did well and became an integral part of the community, especially at B’nai Shalom. They provided funds for Passover baskets for the less fortunate of the community and when the bidding for the aleyhas at the High Holidays took place, Szymon was always the highest bidder.

Szymon helped in the kitchen at the Max Traurig Leisure Group hot kosher lunches at B’nai Shalom. He was observed from time to time putting food in his pocket, a throwback to his days in the Lodz Ghetto.

When their health started to fail, Debbie Horowitz, director of the Brownstein Jewish Family Service, noted their absences and made sure that they had health and homemaker services at their home. She asked Gene Kaplan to help them with their financial affairs and estate planning.

At first Szymon was reluctant to give out much information. After a few visits Gene said, “To help you I have to know how much money you have. Is it $10,000?” A shake of the head. “$100,000?” Another shake of the head. “A million dollars?” “Yes,” agreed Szymon.

In their wills Sala and Szymon Cygileman provided for B’nai Shalom and Cousin Ruza, and with the balance of approximately $1 million created a Fund at the Foundation, the income from which will go to the Jewish Agency in Israel.

As a result, thousands of children, Jewish and Arab, in the Afula-Gilboa region of Israel will have a dental clinic from which they can improve and maintain their dental health.

The Jewish Federated Appeal of Waterbury has come full circle with Sarah and Simon helping the needy in Israel.