Holocaust Survivor Talks At Warwick

In order to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Holocaust, Warwick held a talk inviting a Holocaust survivor to share her story.

The evening was organised by first-year history student Amelia Ireland, who is also a regional ambassador for the Holocaust Educational trust, with the aid of History Society.

The speaker, Holocaust survivor Susi Bechofer, was one of the 10,000 children who came to the UK through Kindertransport.

Kindertransport was an organised rescue effort preceding the Second World War which sought to bring predominantly Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied countries and bring them into Britain to be cared for on farms, in schools or by foster parents.

“identity is so basic to human nature… you can’t truly appreciate it until you haven’t got it.” – Susi Bechofer

After having her identity changed by her foster parents, she described how she assimilated her “horrific past” fifty years later.

Bechofer made the point that the talk was not only to share her story but to understand the theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, which is ‘Don’t Stand By’.

Commenting on the theme, Amelia Ireland said that “it is important we learn from the past” ensuring that “we are not bystanders” when witnessing crimes, prejudice or discrimination.

During the talk, Bechofer commented on how “identity is so basic to human nature… you can’t truly appreciate it until you haven’t got it.”

Amelia completed a series of posts about those who did not stand by during the Holocaust and the impacts it had which can be found at Lessons from Auschwitz.