Holocaust - True Life Accounts

HMD graphic
Here are some true-life accounts from people who have experienced the Holocaust or genocide 

 

Ivor

Ivor Perl Bem was just 12 years old when he was taken to Auschwitz. Here Ivor talks to filmmaker and animator Gemma Green-Hope about his experience

Click here to read more about Ivor's Story

Food was restricted in camps and ghettos and as a result hundreds of thousands of Jews starved to death during the Holocaust. Starving prisoners at the Płaszów concentration camp were so determined to fulfil the religious requirements for the Passover festival that they saved their already limited food rations. Here you will find the recipe for Challah, a braided Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath), special occasions and festivals.

 

Debay

When Debay was a child, governmnet militia attacked his village in Darfur. He spent years living in a refugee camp and moving around Sudan. In 2015, he was forced to flee when he was arrested and condemned to death. Read his story here

The ongoing genocide and policies of the Sudanese Government has had a devastating effect on agriculture and food in Darfur. A deliberate policy of agricultural destruction, leading to burned crops, destroyed irrigation systems and stolen livestock has left millions of people facing hunger and starvation. Despite this, some communities have refused food aid, as they fear receiving help will make them targets of further violence.

A staple, high-energy food eaten at most meals in Darfur is aseeda and is often combined with a stew or curry containing okra. It is an excellent source of energy for the strenuous agricultural work which is the backbone of the Darfuri economy. It is also said that aseeda is essential to sustain Darfuri men, known for their strong physique! Check out the recipe here.

Read more about the ongoing genocide in Darfur

 

 

 

Var

The life of Var Ashe Houston was changed forever in 1975, when Cambodia’s genocidal Khmer Rouge regime forced her family from their homes and into slave labour. Find out more here

Murder by starvation was deliberate state policy under the Khmer Rouge, as rice was taken from hungry people to meet export quotas. The Khmer Rouge also punished dissenters by withholding food.

Follow this link for a recipe from Var who currently lives in the UK. Var has a website, Amok Cuisine, which showcases her story, dozens of delicious recipes and information on Cambodia: amokcuisine.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nisad

Nisad Jakupovic is from Prijedor in Bosnia. He was imprisoned in the notorious Omarska Concentration Camp with four of his brothers in 1992. Food was scarce and many inmates died of starvation. Read Nisad's experience here

Nisad and his brother Sabit Jakupović, survived the Genocide in Bosnia and now live in the UK. Here they share the recipe for Bosanski Lonac, a traditional dish of Bosnia.

A film about the Genocide in Bosnia, which happened in 1995, during the ongoing war in Bosnia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie

 

In this transcript of her speech to the UK HMD 2013 Commemorative Event, Sophie Masereka describes how she survived the Genocide in Rwanda. Read Sophie's story here

Content taken from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website.

Want to learn more about Holocaust Memorial Day? Visit our own webpage or Visit the HMD website