Holocaust survivor reaches century mark

Holocaust survivor Vladimir Sats celebrated his 100th birthday Sept. 27 during the Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst’s Rosh Hashanah party.

Sats, a World War II veteran, was joined by family, friends, elected officials and community leaders.

“This is such an important milestone, made even more significant because of the unimaginable difficulties he endured as a young man,” said Assemblyman William Colton. “Mr. Sats truly embodies the strength of the human spirit, and I am honored to have been a part of this important occasion.”

According to the Blavatnik Archive, Sats was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1943 he trained as a paramedic at the Northern Fleet submarine base. Two years later, he graduated from the academy and was sent to the Far East to serve as a medic for the emergency rescue unit of the Amur River Flotilla. When victory over Japan was declared, he was in Harbin. He was discharged from the army in 1948.

“It is very meaningful to mark any person’s 100th birthday,” said Councilwoman Susan Zhuang. “It is always a landmark occasion, even more so when that person has come through so much, as Mr. Sats has. He is truly a community treasure.”