He survived seven concentration camps, witnessed an SS officer kill 17 prisoners with his bare hands and now he will be at Iowa State to tell his story of living through the Holocaust.

David Fishel, now nearly 70 years old and living in Des Moines, will speak on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Fishel’s speech, “The Holocaust: A Survivor’s Story,” will tell his story of being a Jewish prisoner in the concentration camps during World War II.

Adam Oris, president of Hillel, a Jewish student group that is co-sponsoring the lecture, said, “He’s a fascinating person, and he’s got a great sense of humor. He speaks all over the Midwest.”

Oris said Fishel’s story is sad because he talks about losing most of his family to the Nazis. Oris said Fishel and one of his brothers were the only family members to survive the Holocaust.

Fishel was arrested on Sept. 11, 1942 in Bedzin, a town near the Polish-German border, he was only 11 years old, according to an article which appeared in the Des Moines Register in 1978.

He was liberated by American troops in April 1945, after he spent three years in various concentration camps, according to the article.

Oris said though nearly all students have heard about the Holocaust, few have heard it from an actual survivor. “Everyone’s heard about the Holocaust, but a lot of people haven’t heard it from the horse’s mouth. This is a great opportunity for people to learn about it,” Oris said.

He said he has wanted to bring a Holocaust survivor to campus all year. While watching the television premiere of Schindler’s List a few weeks ago, Oris said he saw an interview with Fishel on one of the television news stations.

“I’ve been looking for people to come and speak. He lives in Des Moines, so I got lucky. I looked him up in the phone book and called,” Oris said.

Oris said he is looking forward to Fishel’s speech because, as a Jewish person, he has never had the opportunity to speak with a Holocaust survivor.

“I’m just looking forward to a powerful speech about the horrors of the Holocaust. It just hits home a lot harder when it’s in person,” Oris said.