Holocaust survivor Vera Schaufeld MBE dies aged 95

A young Vera poses for a picture (Picture: Holocaust Educational Trust)[Missing Credit]

“Despite being only nine years old, Vera’s strength and courage shone through as she bravely waved farewell to her parents on the platform of Prague Main Station – never to see them again,” said Michael Newman OBE, Chief Executive Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR).

He went on: “Within the AJR, Vera’s dedication was unfaltering… Through her eloquence and heartfelt storytelling, she brought the human dimension of the Kindertransport to life.”

A bio on the Holocaust Educational Trust’s website says: “Throughout the war, Vera hoped that she would be reunited with her parents in Czechoslovakia. However, after the war ended in 1945 she received a letter from the Red Cross telling her that none of her family had survived and she had no home to return to.”

After the war, Schaufeld spent time in Israel, where she met her future husband Avram Schaufeld – who had survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald – on a kibbutz. The couple were married in 1952, and moved back to the UK where they had two daughters, and Schaufeld trained as a teacher. 

Paying tribute, Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: "Vera was an extraordinary woman whose gentle and kind nature touched everyone who had the privilege of meeting her.

“Through her testimony in schools and colleges across the country, Vera shaped how generations of students understand the Holocaust and its lessons for today. We will miss her kind smile and gentle nature, and we will honour her by continuing her mission and ensuring that her story, and the lessons she shared, endure for generations to come.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman added: “Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. We will continue to honour her legacy through our work.”