Holocaust survivors have volunteered at the Museum on a regular basis across the institution—engaging with visitors, sharing their personal histories, serving as tour guides, translating historic materials, and more, since the Museum opened. Their presence has been an invaluable asset, and their contributions vital to the Museum’s mission.
Learn about volunteering at the Museum.
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Albert Garih
Born: June 24, 1938, Paris, FranceAlbert Garih and his twin brother were born June 24, 1938, in Paris, France, to Benjamin and Claire (née Alfandari) Garih. Albert’s twin died in infancy. Natives of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), Benjamin and Claire had each moved to Paris in 1923, where they met and married in 1928. Benjamin worked in a garment factory and the family lived in the janitor’s house at the factory, where Claire stayed home taking care of Albert and his two sisters, Jacqueline, born in 1930, and Gilberte, born in 1933.
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Goldie Gendelman
Born: November 17, 1933, Lachowicze, Poland Died: April 28, 2017, Silver Spring, MDGoldie was born to an Orthodox Jewish family in Lachowicze, Poland. Her family ran a successful two-room shoe factory from the home. In September 1937, she and her family sailed to Cuba, where they remained safe during the war.
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Agi Laszlo Geva
Born: June 2, 1930, Budapest, HungaryAgi Laszlo Geva was born on June 2, 1930, in Budapest, Hungary. When the Germans occupied Hungary on March 19, 1944, Agi, her younger sister, Zsuzsanna, and her parents, Rozsa and Zoltan Laszlo, were living in Miskolc, Hungary. Zoltan, who had been ill for a long time, died that day.
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Fritz Gluckstein
Born: January 24, 1927, Berlin, Germany Died: February 14, 2021, Kensington, MDFritz’s father, a conservative Jewish judge in Berlin, was extremely patriotic and a decorated veteran of World War I. He lost his job when Hitler came to power in 1933. Fritz’s mother was not Jewish and Fritz was considered a “Geltungsjude,” a counted Jew.
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Nesse Galperin Godin
Born: March 28, 1928, Šiauliai, LithuaniaNesse Godin was born Nesa Galperin on March 28, 1928, into an observant Jewish family in Šiauliai, Lithuania. Her mother, Sara, owned a dairy store and her father, Pinchas, worked at a shoe factory and ran the diary store with Sara. They spoke often to Nesse and her brothers, Jecheskel and Menashe, about the importance of community and caring for others. Šiauliai was home to a Jewish community of up to 8,000 members, who supported cultural and social organizations and multiple synagogues.
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Rachel (Rae) Mutterperl Goldfarb
Born: December 2, 1930, Dokszyce, PolandRachel (Rae) Mutterperl was born to Beryl and Dina on December 2, 1930, in Dokszyce, Poland (present day: Doksycy, Belarus). Dokszyce was three miles from the Soviet Union border with a population of around 5,000; half of the inhabitants were Jewish. Beryl was a businessman who bought cattle and farm products to export to Germany or sell to the nearby Polish border garrison. Dina owned a thriving fabric store. Rachel’s brother, Shlomo, was three years younger. The Mutterperls lived in the center of town and their businesses were attached to the house and fronted the street, with a large warehouse in the back.
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Helen (Lebowitz) Goldkind
Born: July 9, 1928, Volosyanka, CzechoslovakiaHelen Goldkind was born Chaya Lebowitz on July 9, 1928, in Volosyanka, Czechoslovakia, a small town with a bustling Jewish community, nestled in the Carpathian Mountains. One of seven children in a close-knit, observant Jewish family, Helen grew up with many relatives, including her grandparents, nearby. Her father, Martin, owned a shoe store, and her mother, Rose, took care of the home and children.
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Peter Gorog
Born: March 10, 1941, Budapest, HungaryPeter Gorog was born Péter Grünwald in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, on March 10, 1941. Peter’s father, Árpád Grünwald, worked as an office manager at the Franklin Publishing House, and his mother, Olga Schönfeld, was a hat-maker.
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Henry Greenbaum
Born: April 1, 1928, Starachowice, Poland Died: October 24, 2018, Rockville, MDHenry Greenbaum was born Chuna Grynbaum in Starachowice, Poland, on April 1, 1928. His father, Nuchem, ran a tailor shop out of their home while his mother, Gittel, raised the family’s nine children.
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Ruth Elisabeth Greifer
Born: May 30, 1922, Geilenkirchen, Germany Died: February 23, 2013Ruth was born into an orthodox Jewish family in Geilenkirchen, a rural German town near the Dutch border. Her father, Isidor, was a respected cattle dealer in the area and her mother, Sophia, took care of the home.
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