Doris Fogel was born May 3, 1934 in Berlin, Germany. Her father, Alfons Warschawski, passed away when she was one and a half years old. Doris’ mother, Edith, became quite ill after her husband passed. Fortunately, Edith and Doris were helped by a couple who lived in their building—the Basch family. Doris and Edith grew incredibly close to the Basches—so much so that Doris referred to them as her uncle, aunt, and cousin. The Basches secured passage to Shanghai, China for themselves along with Edith and Doris; they set sail on January 24, 1939.

Edith, Doris, and the Basches remained in Shanghai for the rest of the war. After the war, the Basches—who had family in Peoria, Illinois—were able to secure sponsorship for themselves, Edith, and Doris to go to the United States. Doris was thirteen years old when they journeyed to the U.S., first to San Francisco, and then onto Peoria.

Edith and Doris were both granted American citizenship in 1954.

Later in life, after a trip with her daughter’s high school class to Germany, Doris decided to start telling her story and speaking about the Holocaust.

You can read Doris’ full story in the article below, entitled, Paper Routes: Conveying Doris (née Warschawski) Fogel’s Messages to Future Generations, written by Professor Kevin Ostoyich.