After 79 years, two men who were friends in a labor camp during the Holocaust were unexpectedly reunited.

Jack Waksal and Sam Ron worked as slaves together in Poland’s Pionki Labor Camp until being separated when the former ran into the forest. Sam was sent to a different camp and eventually released.

Neither knew if the other had survived until Jack attended a luncheon sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in South Florida. Sam was the honorary speaker at the Boca Raton event, which was attended by other Holocaust survivors.

When Jack came and spotted Sam, he stated he believed he recognized him from somewhere but couldn’t identify him.

“He was standing over to the side,” he remembered. “And I told someone, ‘I know this person.'”

A documentary depicting Sam’s life and the several camps he endured was presented before the event began. It said he was at Camp Pionki and that his real name was Shmuel Rakowski. That’s when Jack discovered why he seemed so familiar—they were former Pionki camp friends.

“Sam!” Jack said as he dashed over to Sam’s table. “You’re still alive!”

“This one guy came running out of the home and rushed over to kiss me.” ‘You’re my younger brother!’ ‘You’re my younger brother!'” Sam described the emotional experience.

“Oh, I was so delighted,” he remembered. “This was strange. It’s been 79 years. We’ve been alive for 97 years!”

Finding someone else who had gone through what they had was significant.

“What we went through in our lives is so difficult to describe,” Jack said. “There aren’t too many survivors left.” We are a small group of survivors.”

When Jack and Sam started working together in Pionki, they were both teenagers.

“We were shoving coal into the oven to generate heat to generate power, and Jack mentioned that he worked in the same area!” Sam recounted their stay in the camp. “Hundreds of people perished as a result of hard labor, poor working conditions, cold, and hunger.” It wasn’t uncommon to wake up in the morning and discover that the person next to you was cold.”

He also recalls being terrified of being arbitrarily selected to be taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp and going for more than two weeks without sustenance. To survive, people were compelled to consume tree bark.

Jack stated that he was forced to stay on his feet for 24 hours or risk being shot. He eventually took refuge in the jungle.

Sam described malnutrition as the “worst thing” in the detention camps. He survived five different camps during the war, including one in Poland.

Both made it to America, mostly to Ohio, where they lived for many years before settling in South Florida. They had no notion they were related until that fateful dinner.

Sam occasionally visits schools to share his experiences with the next generation.

“I try to teach them not to hate, and to have a lot of hope and believe in yourself, this is what I did, this is how I survived because I believe in myself,” he said.

According to NBC reporter Ari Odzer, the pair have avenged themselves against Adolf Hitler by living long, prosperous lives, operating enterprises, and enjoying the affection of their families.

“It’s an incredible story.” “I was completely captivated by this,” Sam remarked of their reunion. “It has given me a lot of hope.” “I was ecstatic about it.”

“You believe it’ll never happen,” Jack said. “However, it did occur.”

Sam lives in Boca Raton, whereas Jack lives in Bal Harbour. The long-lost buddies are separated by 40 miles but are determined to stay in touch. After all, they must have a lot of stories to tell each other, spanning 79 years.