The lessons of the Holocaust figure prominently in FSWC’s education programs that promote the principles of inclusion, social justice and democratic values. In addition to the important historical facts behind Nazi Germany’s murder of six million Jews, we bring this dark chapter to life through the Holocaust survivor testimonies of those who, against all odds, survived the genocide.
Since the inception of FSWC, Holocaust survivors have discussed the horrors of concentration camps at our educational workshops and events. We are deeply grateful for their participation and for their strength in sharing their difficult personal journeys with young people, with the hope it will help prevent such a horrific tragedy in the future.
We are honoured to introduce you to some of the incredible men and women who have given so much of their time to contribute greatly to Holocaust education in Canada. The short summaries below and accompanying videos offer only a brief glimpse into the lived experience of antisemitism and trauma each of these people endured in their younger years duirng Holocaust.
Sadly, with the number of survivors constantly diminishing, the day is fast approaching when there won’t be anyone left who can give first-hand testimony of the excruciating reality Jews faced under the Nazis. All the more reason it is imperative to forever preserve and revisit these stories as part of the legacy of survivors.
Andy
Reti's
Story
The Holocaust in Hungary
While historically a legally emancipated and largely assimilated population, particularly in urban areas, Hungary’s 450,000 Jews faced increasing legal discrimination in the 1930s due to the policies of Miklós Horthy, a right-wing authoritarian ruler who had led the country since 1920. Horthy’s government maintained friendly diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany and implemented antisemitic policies, including 1938 racial laws based on the Nuremberg laws. Backed by the Nazis, Hungary annexed nearby territories from Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia in 1939 and 1940. The invasion of these areas, combined with the arrival of Jewish refugees from other, bought the country’s Jewish population to over 800,000 by 1944. From 1939 to 1944, Jews in Hungary, though the target of state-sponsored antisemitism, were not ghettoized or deported to concentration camps or killing centres.
This relative safety ended abruptly in March 1944 when, after the breakdown of the alliance between Horthy’s government and the Nazis, Hungary was invaded by Germany and a puppet government installed. Within just a few months, between May and July 1944, over 440,000 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most were murdered upon arrival. This operation was orchestrated by SS Officer Adolf Eichmann with the active cooperation of Hungarian authorities, including police and civil servants. While most Hungarian Jews were murdered at Auschwitz, tens of thousands were killed in Budapest by members of the fascist Arrow Cross party, which ruled Hungary from October 1944. This included around 10,000 who were shot on the banks of the Danube. By the end of the war, approximately 550,000 Hungarian Jews had been murdered in the Holocaust, leaving around 250,000 survivors.
Pre-War Jewish Life
Andy’s parents were from “ordinary, poor families” in Hungary. His parents, whom he
describes as a deeply loving couple, married in 1939; Andy was born in 1942, two
years before the country was invaded by Nazi Germany. Andy’s father and
grandfather were both swimming instructors, a talent Andy would inherit himself.
As a child, Andy lived with his parents and paternal grandparents in a small
courtyard apartment in Budapest. His family life was warm and close knit, with his
mother and grandmother providing strong female role models.
Timeline of Key Events in Andy’s Life
July 16, 1942: Andy is born Andras Rachnitzer in Budapest
March 19, 1944: Nazi Germany invades Hungary
Mid-late 1944: Andy’s father and grandfather are taken to a forced labour camp
October 16, 1944: The fascist Arrow Cross Party takes over control of Hungary. Andy
and his family are forced to leave their building, robbed, and taken to an open-air
racetrack.
October 18, 1944: Andy’s family and other Hungarian Jews forced from their homes
are told they can leave the racetrack and return home; when they do so, the Nazis
open fire on the crowd. Andy’s family escapes and returns to their home.
October 20, 1944: Andy and his family are rounded up again and taken first to a brick
factory, and then to the Budapest Ghetto.
December 25, 1944: Andy’s grandfather escapes the forced labour and rejoins the
family in Budapest
January 18, 1945: Andy’s family are liberated from the Ghetto by the Red Army. They
subsequently change their last name from Rachnitzer to Reti
February 1945: Andy’s father is shot and killed in the forced labour camp as the Nazis
retreat from the Red Army
1956: Andy immigrates to Canada with his family
Discussion & Reflection Questions
1. Many Jews fled Germany in the 1930s because of the prolific antisemitic attitudes thatexisted within the country. Did other countries accept the refugees? How were Jewishrefugees received in Canada and the rest of the world?
2. Did the Holocaust influence Canadians’ views of Canada’s treatment of First Nationspeople?
3. After World War 2, many Jews immigrated out of Europe because of the tragedy thatwas the Holocaust. Where did many Jewish people go? How did they reestablish theirlives after the war?
4. Andy says that “Every Holocaust survivor’s story is a love story; the love of life, familyand freedom.” What does this mean to you?5. Andy said that the way to fight modern day hatred is through education. How wouldeducation fight hatred?
Activity Suggestions
1. Ring of Love
a. Ask students to explore the role of the ring in Andy’s testimony. What does Andy sayabout the ring? Why is it so important to his testimony? What does the ring mean tohim and his family?
b. Ask students to research other items that Holocaust survivors were able to smuggle orhide from the Nazis and what those items meant to them.
2. Book study
a. Both Andy and his mother published their own books discussing their experiencesduring the Holocaust. Choose one or both as a class to read; you may prefer to useexcerpts from each book.
b. As a class, explore the themes of each book and how they compare to each other
c. Why do you think Andy and his mother chose the titles “An Ordinary Woman inExtraordinary Times” and “The Son of an Extraordinary Woman” for their books?
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