COLUMBUS, Ohio — Each year, June 20 is set aside as a day to honor people worldwide who lived through unthinkable situations, forced to flee their homes to survive and escape violence or persecution. 

The United Nations calls it World Refugee Day, and in central Ohio, Jewish Family Services held a luncheon to celebrate some survivors of Nazi Germany’s Holocaust during World War II who now call Columbus home.

That includes survivors like Edgar Karpovich. 

“My father was killed by Stalin,” he said.

He and his family fled Russia to Ukraine during the war.

Edgar and Sofiya's first photo together, taken 63 years ago in Kiev, Ukraine. (Courtesy Karpovich Family)

His wife Sofiya was born in Ukraine.

“We just met and fell in love and got married… and that’s it,” she said with a laugh.

But that’s far from the end of their story.

“This October it will be 60 years of marriage and 63 years of an engagement,” Sofiya said.

“My friend said, ‘With the same woman?’” Edgar said with a laugh.

In addition to strong senses of humor, Edgar said the secret to their long lives together is that they’re the age-old example of opposites attracting.

“She likes warm, I like cold,” he said. “She loves men, I love women. She is not jealous at all, I am. That’s the secret, like two spoons.”

The couple moved to Columbus about 30 years ago when their oldest daughter accepted a job teaching math at The Ohio State University.

“We are going to the U.S. for freedom,” Edgar said.

A photo Edgar and Sofiya on their wedding day, 60 years ago this October. (Courtesy Karpovich Family)

But he said the U.S. embassy in Moscow tried to talk them out of leaving.

“You will be living under the bridge and trains will be going here, here,” he said, moving his arms fast across his body to show what it would be like with trains whizzing by. “And you will tremble in terror.”

Instead, they said they were welcomed by the community. Both engineers, they quickly instead found jobs working with people.

“It’s interesting that working with people, older or young, is much more rich than working with metal as engineering,” Edgar said.

Like many of their new friends here and fellow refugees, they said they try not to dwell on the past as they enjoy what they said is a better life, together.

“Think good, will be good,” he said. “So trying to be positive. Understand not everything is positive in our life, but try. Your effort will help others.”

Jewish Family Services works with about 170 Holocaust survivors in the Columbus area. The organization has helped immigrants and refugees integrate into the community for more than a century.