Holocaust survivor Vera Schaufeld has died at the age of 95. The Association of Jewish Refugees praised her as an "extraordinary ambassador" whose "strength and courage" inspired countless people through decades of educational work.
Schaufeld was made an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2019 for her services to Holocaust remembrance and education. Later that year, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Roehampton.
Born in Prague in 1930, Schaufeld was just nine years old when she was forced to flee to England following the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. She escaped on Sir Nicholas Winton's Kindertransport in 1939, a movement that evacuated Jewish children from Germany after Kristallnacht - a night of coordinated Nazi violence in November 1938 that destroyed hundreds of synagogues and Jewish properties across the German Reich.
She saw her parents for the last time before fleeing. They remained in what is now the Czech Republic and were later murdered in a concentration camp.
A life dedicated to remembrance
Michael Newman, chief executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees, said: "Despite being only nine years old, Vera's strength and courage shone through, as she bravely waved farewell to her parents, never to see them again."
Schaufeld was raised in England and trained as a teacher after the war. She spent time in Israel, where she met her husband Avram. After returning to England, she continued teaching while sharing her testimony in schools and colleges.
Newman said: "Within the association, Vera's dedication was unfaltering; she generously shared her testimony in our Refugee Voices archive, giving voice to her experiences as a Winton child and participated in many engagements, lectures, and educational events."
He added: "Through her eloquence and heartfelt storytelling, she brought the human dimension of the Kindertransport to life." Newman thanked her for her "unwavering commitment" and said her voice and spirit "will continue to inspire all of us in the AJR – and beyond – for generations to come."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
