Mrs. Meisels shared memories of growing up Jewish in the Budapest Ghetto during World War II. While quite young at the start of the war, she recalled her father being sent to a forced labour camp, along with many of the other Jewish fathers and older brothers during the Nazi invasion of Hungary. She also recounted the food shortages and cold winters they endured in close proximity “packed like sardines” in the Ghetto, and being forced to wear a yellow Star of David on her clothing.
Mrs. Meisels reminded students that her story of being Jewish during this time is just one example of what hate can do to any race, color, religion, gender, or disability. She and her late husband, Leslie, also a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, felt it important to continue talking about the pain they experienced for being born Jewish at that fateful moment in history.
She started and finished her talk by sharing these two quotes and emphasized the importance of speaking out about intolerance of any type. That is the only way to put a stop to it and the lifetime of pain it inflicts.
“First they came for the Communists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
“Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
“Then they came for me,
And by that time no one was left.” – Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a German theologian and Lutheran pastor
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, modern philosopher (1863-1952)
Thank you for Eden Davis ’25 and the Diversity Club for inviting Mrs. Meisels as our special guest today. Eden initially reached out to the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre back in January and was persistent in securing Mrs. Meisels this week in honour of Holocaust Remembrance Day.