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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Alfred “Al” Münzer
Born: November 23, 1941, The Hague, The NetherlandsAlfred “Al” Münzer was born on November 23, 1941 in The Hague, Netherlands. He was the youngest of three children born to Simcha (Siegfried) and Gisele (Gitla) Münzer (sometimes Minzer). Simcha owned a men’s tailoring business and Gisele remained at home to look after Alfred and his two older sisters, Eva and Leah (Liane).
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Isaac Nehama
Born: April 29, 1927, Athens, Greece Died: November 10, 2014, Bethesda, MarylandIsaac and his two younger brothers were born and raised in Athens, Greece. The Nehamas were traditional, Sephardic Jews who observed all Jewish holidays. Isaac’s father was an accountant at a Jewish-owned textile firm. Both of Isaac’s parents belong to local Jewish organizations.
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David Neumann
Born: February 6, 1926, Noerdlingen, Germany Died: August 10, 2019, Silver Spring, MDDavid Neumann was born Helmut David Neumann on February 6, 1926 in Noerdlingen, Germany, where his family had lived for centuries. David’s father, Samuel, was a merchant dealing in animal hides. His mother, Betty, stayed home to take care of David and his older sister, Charlotte.
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Johanna Gerechter Neumann
Born: 1930, Hamburg, Germany Died: April 26, 2017, Silver Spring, MDJohanna was born into a family of merchants in Hamburg, Germany. Her family tried to get visas to enter the United States, but because Johanna’s father was, officially, a Polish citizen, he was given a higher quota number than his wife and child. Therefore, they decided to stay in Germany as a family. In 1939, they escaped to Albania along with a few other Jewish-German families. They remained in Albania, fleeing from one town to another throughout the war until they were freed by the Allies in 1945.
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Joël Nommick
Born: December 30, 1942, Macon, FranceJoël Nommick was born on December 30, 1942 in Mâcon, France to Jean Nommick and Agnes née Serman. Jean and Agnes were both born in the Russian Empire and spent their early years in what is today Estonia. Joël’s parents had known each other growing up and married in Paris after immigrating there in the 1920s. By 1931, Jean and Agnes had two sons, Bernard (b. 1929) and Serge (b. 1931). They moved to the village of Thoissey (Ain) near Mâcon. In Thoissey, the family owned and operated two successful businesses, a tannery and a factory which manufactured fur coats.
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Jill Pauly
Born: May 1, 1933, Cologne, GermanyGisella lived with her parents, grandparents, uncle, and older sister, Inge, in Lechenich, a small village outside Cologne. The Bergs were an observant Jewish family. Gisella’s grandfather was the president of the local synagogue association and her uncle was the cantor.
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Kurt Pauly
Born: March 26, 1930, Aachen, GermanyKurt was born to Jewish parents in the city of Aachen, where his mother’s family had resided since the 18th century. His father, though trained as a chef, worked as a butcher and also managed several stores for his father-in-law. Kurt enjoyed large family gatherings, where he would play with his cousins, Anne and Margot Frank.
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Halina Litman Yasharoff Peabody
Born: December 12, 1932, Krakow, PolandHalina was nine years old when the Germans carried out their first aktion. After two more aktion, Halina’s mother bought identities from a Catholic priest for herself and her two daughters.
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Pete Philipps
Born: December 5, 1931, Essen, GermanyPete grew up in Essen, a major industrial city on Germany’s Ruhr River. His father worked as a cattle hide dealer for an international trading company in nearby Mühlheim. His mother was a designer for a fashionable women’s dress shop.
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György “George” Pick
Born: March 28, 1934, Budapest, HungaryGyörgy was born March 28, 1934 in Budapest, Hungary. He was the only child of middle class Jewish parents. György’s father, Istvan, was an engineer responsible for producing hydraulic grape presses for wineries. His mother, Margit, worked as a legal secretary. The Pick family could trace its history in the Austro-Hungarian Empire back to the early 1700s, and György had many close relatives in the city.
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