Harry Engelstein

Harry Engelstein (aka Zvi, Zvika, Uncle Daddy Uncle Zvi) passed away peacefully on June 26, 2023. He accomplished amazing feats in his lifetime, but nothing brought him more pride than his children, Danny, Barbara and Sharon, and his grandchildren Rebecca, Jordan, Ian, Evan, and Joy.

Harry was born in 1935 in a small town in Romania to a beautiful Mother, Devora, and father, Feivel, a businessman. Harry had a brother Alec, who was seven years older. Around 1941, during World War II, their family and thousands of other Jews were deported to a town/camp in the Ukraine that was controlled by Romanian and German soldiers. They were not provided food or shelter, but Feivel and Alec did all they could to keep the family alive and safe. Feivel, Alec, and Harry got sick with typhus, and Devora nursed them back to health. Soon after, she and her newborn baby boy got sick and passed away. Sometime later, Feivel remarried.

Near the end of the war, they were liberated by the Soviet army. The family began moving towards their hometown but could not make it as there was still fighting going on with the Germans. They stayed in a city that was controlled by Communist Soviets. Alec and Harry went to Russian schools, and Alec had to join a paramilitary group. This turned out to be a blessing that saved Feivel from going to jail when he left his post as a store watchman. Eventually they were allowed to move on, and ended up in Transylvania, which was under Romanian control. In 1947, Feivel got in trouble for doing business in this communist controlled territory, and the family had to flee again. Harry’s father and stepmother decided to move on - starting with Hungary.

Alec went his own way and joined a Zionist group with the intent of reaching Palestine, which was under British mandate. After a difficult and dangerous journey, Alec and his group ended up in Italy where they helped get refugees to Palestine. They also helped procure armaments and get them to the Jewish underground in Palestine who were fighting to expel the British. This ultimately helped in the creation of the State of Israel.

Harry did not go to Hungary with his father and stepmother. He stayed back with his uncle in Transylvania, and joined a Zionist group headed for Palestine by way of a ship sailing from Bulgaria. However, the ship was intercepted by the British, and taken to a detention camp on the island of Cypress. Harry was 13 years old, living in a tent behind barbed wire, and did not know where his father and Alec were. He had seen his father and stepmother cross the border into Hungary, but had no idea what fate they met. He thought Alec was in Italy, but he was already in America. He was sure nobody knew where he was, since he was supposed to be with his uncle in Transylvania. Harry became a Bar Mitzvah in the internment camp in a makeshift synagogue with a minion of 10 Jewish detainees.

Sometime later, the British allowed the group to go to Palestine, and three months later the State of Israel was born. Over the course of several months of communicating through the uncle in Transylvania Harry found out his father was in Austria, and Alec was in Canada.

In the latter part of 1948, Feivel and his wife moved to Israel. She died a few years later, and with Alec’s help Feivel moved to Canada.

In 1952, at the age of 18, Harry had to join the Israeli army. He volunteered to the paratrooper brigade, and for the next four and a half years participated in multiple raids into neighboring countries including the 1956 six-day war with Egypt and at the Mitla Pass where they had multiple casualties. Harry and his group had to parachute in Sharm El Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula before the government agreed to a cease fire. Harry left the army in 1957.

In 1959 he married the brave and beautiful Leah who was also a Romanian refugee and had been serving in the same battalion packing parachutes. In 1960 she gave birth to a son. Harry had been working as a cab driver, while hoping to somehow reunite with his family. It became possible through the support and generosity of Alec and his wife Sheila. Soon Harry, Leah and their young son moved to Canada where they started a new life and had two more children together.

Alec was in the home building business, and Harry started working for him at the bottom level of the company where he began learning the building trade while also learning English and French. A man cannot get better help than what Harry got from his brother. They became partners and had built a good company together when French General Charles de Gaulle came to Montreal and on the steps of city hall declared “Vive le Quebec libre” (Long live free Quebec).

This declaration empowered the Quebec Sovereignty movement in their quest to separate from Canada, which never occurred, but when Alec heard the speech, he decided it was time to get out. He left for Florida where he built another successful company and got involved in community issues. Later he asked Harry to join him, and together they created a home building and development company that became one of the largest building companies in the country. Engle Homes became a public company in the late 90’s and was sold in 2001.

Soon after the sale Alec semi-retired, and he and Sheila were devoting much of their time and money to Jewish and other charitable endeavors. Harry decided to join the new company where he stayed until he retired in 2007.

Harry was a treasured man who was loved and adored by many.

Funeral Services and Burial for Harry will be held at 9:30am, Thursday, June 29, 2023 at IJ Morris at Star of David of the Palm Beaches, 9321 Memorial Park Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Harry's memory may be made to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, www.fidf.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.starofdavidfunerals.com for the Engelstein family.