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Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1930, Edward Kaswan was raised by his parents Moshe and Tzirel Schechter in a beautiful warm Jewish environment.
Ed witnessed the beginning of the great horror in Europe that became known as the Holocaust. Following Kristallnacht, his father, an expert Torah reader, risked death to hold services in their home.
To save his life, his parents acted bravely sending him with the Kindertransport to England in 1938 where he remained for ten years with his host families, Leah Bauer and Winnie Praiger
At the behest of Ed’s father in a postcard smuggled out of Auschwitz, his Uncle Paul made arrangements for Ed to come to the United States. In 1950, Ed immigrated to the United States where he joined the U.S. Air Force; he served for 10 years attaining the rank of staff sergeant. Ed went on to work for the FAA and eventually opened a successful contracting business.
While visiting Israel in 1981, Edward was deeply inspired; it reignited his passion for Yidishkeit and Jewish involvement. He began attending the Synagogue on a regular basis and served on the board.
Having witnessed the destruction of major Jewish centers and its Torah scrolls in Vienna, Ed was inspired to become a significant contributor to the newly built Chabad Community Center for Jewish Life and Learning. Ed has remained an ardent participant and major supporter of the Chabad Community Center since its inception in 1998, and Ed was the major sponsor donor for the first Torah Scroll ever written for the state of Oklahoma in honor of his parents.
His greatest passion is to share the gift of our heritage and vibrant Yidishkeit with his own family and that of the Jewish community. Ed takes great pride in ensuring the continuity of Jewish life in Oklahoma City through his continued support of the Chabad Community Center.
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