| Born: | 06-17-1899 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Osias Heschel BABAD, born on June 17th, 1899 in Lemberg, Galicia (Austro-Hungarian Empire [later: Lwów/Poland, today: Lwiw|Львів/Ukraine] (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Kałusz/Poland [Kalusch|Калуш/Ukraine], citizenship 1938: Poland), son of Josef Babad (rabbi), lived in Vienna's 1st district, Franz-Josephs-Kai 17. In February 1936, he had passed the school leaving examination ("Reifepruefung/Matura") at the Bundesrealgymnasium XXI (Vienna's 21st district, Franklinstrasse 21), and began studying at the University of Vienna in the spring term of 1936. He was last enrolled in the spring term of 1938 at the Philosophical School in the 3rd year of his studies and took courses in History and Oriental Studies.
In 1938, after the takeover of power of National-Socialism he was forced to quit his studies for racist reason and to leave the University of Vienna.
Osias Babad had to flee from Vienna and was able to emigrate to the Netherlands for the time being, where he succeeded in obtaining his visa for the United States in Rotterdam on December 28th, 1939. Thus he was able to leave Rotterdam on January 24th, 1940, with the SS Veendam to travel to the United States, where he arrived in New York City, NY, on February 5th, 1940. He gave "rabbi" as his job title and planned to travel on from New York to Chicago, IL.
He stayed in New York, however, and was drafted for the U.S. Army in February 1942, when he worked for the Tifereth Israel Anshei Sfard Congregation in Brooklyn, New York City, NY.
He married Rose Ringelheim in Brooklyn on April 23rd, 1944.
On April 10th, 1945 he received U.S. citizenship and lived at 758 Miller Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings, NY for the next decades.
Osias Heschel Babad died in February 1984 in Brooklyn, New York City, NY/USA.
He is remembered at the University of Vienna in the "Memorial Book for the Victims of National Socialism at the University of Vienna in 1938" (2009) and at the "Memorial to the History Students and Teachers of the University of Vienna Expelled under National Socialism | When Names Shine" (2022).
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1937-1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 357; POSCH/FUCHS 2022, 63; passenger database Ellis Island; NARA Washington D.C./World War II Young Men Draft Cards registration cards USA, Index to Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and Social Security Death Index; New York City Municipal Archives/Index to Marriages, New York City Clerk's Office, New York/NY.
Herbert Posch
