Yaakov Handeli was born in a middle-class Jewish family on July 23, 1927 in Salonika, Greece. He was the youngest of six children; he had two brothers andthree sisters. His father, Shlomoh, co-owned a building material business. Ladino speaker at home, Yaakov attended a private, Ladino-language primary school and aGymnasium, where he studied in Greek.

Régine Jacubert (née Skørka) was born January 24, 1920 in Zagórów, Poland. Her father, Yacob Skørka taught Hebrew and Yiddish in a Yeshiva. Her mother, SlatkaSzejman was a milliner. She had three brothers. The family left for France in 1930, settling in Nancy.

Sinti and Roma survivor Wellesina McCrary recalls when her family was arrested and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp.