NEW ORLEANS - Joseph Sher, who was the oldest Holocaust survivor in New Orleans, died Thursday at the age of 100.
Sher, a tailor by trade, was one of the first survivors to reach New Orleans in 1949. He arrived with his wife and young son by ship, having been part of the resettlement program offered by the United States for residents of Displaced Persons camps, the article said.
Sher was born into a family of six children in Krzepice, Poland in 1915. He shared stories of the horrors of the Holocaust in an online feature sharing the stories of survivors. His two brothers survived the Holocaust with him. His parents and three sisters died in the Treblinka death camp.
After coming to New Orleans in 1949, he worked as a tailor. His obituary referenced his work for customers including Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Al Hirt, Chubby Checker and Chris Owens.
Sher married his wife Rachel in Poland in 1941 and escaped to America with her. She died in 1997.
Sher is survived by two sons and three grandchildren.
A funeral will be held Friday at 11:30 a.m. at Anshe Sfard Synagogue, 2230 Carondelet Street, New Orleans.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to Anshe Sfard Synagogue, The New Americans Holocaust Memorial Fund at the Jewish Endowment Foundation, Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, and the United States Holocaust Museum.
