Irving Bienstock moved to Charlotte in 1975.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Irving Bienstock, a Holocaust survivor, World War II veteran and prominent member of Charlotte’s Jewish community, died on Monday. He was 98.
Bienstock was born in Dortmund, Germany, and survived the Holocaust before reuniting with his family in the United States. After fleeing Nazi Germany, he served in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division during World War II.
In 1975, Bienstock and his wife Lillian settled in Charlotte, where he worked for Vanguard Supreme Knitting Machines during a 50-year career.
A devoted member of Temple Israel, Bienstock received the Shofar Award for his service to the Jewish community. Since 2008, he had participated in the Levine Jewish Community Center’s Butterfly Project, educating thousands of students about the Holocaust.
Bienstock survived Kristallnacht in 1938, when Nazi mobs destroyed Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues throughout Germany. His family was saved when a Christian neighbor told attackers the Jewish residents had been deported. He spoke with WCNC Charlotte in November 2023 about his experience.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Lillian; his sister, Sylvia; and his parents, Ida and William Bienstock.
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A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Temple Israel in Charlotte, followed by interment with military honors at Hebrew Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Israel of Charlotte or the Levine JCC Butterfly Project.
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