Azrieli Holocaust Survivor Memoirs

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Azrieli Holocaust Survivor Memoirs

Established in 2005, we publish memoirs of Holocaust survivors who came to Canada.

We give life to stories by providing free memoirs to educators and students, as well as classroom resources, interactive digital exhibits and teacher training.

08/21/2026

Things we think are kinda chic... ✨

08/20/2026

The best books don’t end on the last page.

They stay with us. They spark questions. They invite discussion.

That’s why, for the inaugural GIVING LIFE TO STORIES BOOK CLUB, we’re partnering with Stefanie Goldschmied, .reading.

For years, Stefanie has been bringing readers together through thoughtful, engaging book discussions. Her approach is grounded in curiosity, conversation and the belief that every reader brings something valuable to the table.

Together, we’ll explore Holocaust survivor memoirs in conversation — with Stefanie guiding the discussion and members of the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program team sharing what goes into publishing these memoirs and more about the authors.

Every reader brings a different perspective. We hope you’ll bring yours.

We’ll share the date and our inaugural book selection soon.

08/19/2026

During the war, Marguerite and her sister Henriette lived in hiding on the Chatenay family farm in Vatilieu in France. Marguerite missed her parents, but she enjoyed the presence of the cows and Black, the family dog.

☀️ The photos above show some of her from when she was in hiding in 1943.

🔗 Learn more about Marguerite and her memoir, In Hiding, at the link below.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/in-hiding/

. . . . .

Durant la guerre, Marguerite et sa soeur, Henriette, ont vécu cachées dans la ferme familiale des Chatenay à Vatilieu en France. Bien que Marguerite souffre de l’absence de ses parents, elle apprécie la présence des vaches et de Black, le chien de la famille.

☀️ Les photos ci-dessus montrent quelques-uns de ses de 1943 en clandestinité.

🔗 Pour en découvrir davantage sur Marguerite et ses mémoires, Cachée, visitez ce lien.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/cachee/

08/18/2026

Every memoir begins with one voice. Its life continues with every reader.

📢 This fall, we’re launching the inaugural GIVING LIFE TO STORIES BOOK CLUB, an evening in Toronto to explore Holocaust survivor memoirs through thoughtful conversation.

Whether Holocaust survivor memoirs are already part of your reading life or you’re discovering them for the first time, we hope you’ll join us.

📕 This conversation begins with one extraordinary memoir.

We’ll share more details, our inaugural selection soon and the date soon.

08/17/2026

During the war, Anita Ekstein lived under a false identity in the small parish of Liczkowce, Poland.

☀️ She spent summer days doing chores for her rescuers, such as feeding the chickens and looking after the milking cow. However, her best from this time are not about the animals, but rather about something red and sweet — the cherries that grew in the area.

“During my time at the parish, my biggest pleasure came in the summer, when I would climb a cherry tree in the orchard. High above the ground, I would eat cherries until I thought my stomach would burst! This was a nice memory of my time at the parsonage. I still love cherries today.”

⬆️ The photo above shows Anita doing her daily chore of feeding the chickens. Liczkowce, 1943–1944.

🔗 Read more about Anita at the link below.
https://bit.ly/4eW27li

. . . . .

Durant la guerre, Anita Ekstein vit sous une fausse identité dans une petite paroisse de Liczkowce en Pologne.

☀️ Durant l’été, elle réalise des corvées pour les personnes qui risquent leur vie pour la sauver, telles que nourrir les poules et veiller à la traite des vaches laitières. Cependant, ses meilleurs à la paroisse ne concernent pas les animaux, mais plutôt quelque chose de rouge et de sucrée – les cerises qui poussaient dans les environs.

« L'été, pendant mon séjour à la paroisse, j’adorais grimper dans les cerisiers du verger. Au-dessus du sol, je mangeais des cerises jusqu’à en avoir des maux d’estomac! C’est l’un des bons souvenirs que je conserve de cette période. Encore aujourd’hui, je raffole des cerises. »

⬆️ La photo ci-dessus montre Anita qui réalise l'une de ses corvées quotidiennes, nourrir les poules. Liczkowce, 1943–1944.

🔗 Visitez ce lien pour découvrire l’histoire d’Anita.
https://bit.ly/4eW27li

08/14/2026

Born in 1928 in Jasło, Poland, Stanley Weinstein spent his childhood summers swimming at the beach along rivers near his home. He remembers playing in the shallow water, catching fish and tadpoles before throwing them back in the water.

“We had a happy home, the best home. I don’t remember ever being unhappy with my life when I was a child. I was happy. I had everything I needed.”

🔗 Click the link below to learn more about Stanley’s story in his memoir, The Path That Luck Took.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/the-path-that-luck-took/

☀️

08/12/2026

Growing up, Claire Baum loved spending time with her parents and her younger sister, Ollie. In 1940, when she was only four years old, her family went for a weekend vacation to the village of Volendam in the Netherlands, where the locals wore traditional Dutch costumes with lace bonnets and wooden shoes.

☀️ The photo above shows Claire with her mother and sister in Volendam, an image that became a great memento for Claire of one of her last with her parents before going into hiding.

🔗 Learn more about Claire at the link below.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/the-hidden-package/

. . . . .

Dans son enfance, Claire Baum aimait passer du temps avec ses parents et sa sœur cadette, Ollie. En 1940, alors qu'elle n'avait que quatre ans, sa famille est allée en vacances dans le village de Volendam, aux Pays-Bas. Les habitants portaient des costumes hollandais traditionnels avec des bonnets en dentelle et des sabots en bois.

☀️ La photo ci-dessus illustre ce merveilleux séjour, l'un des derniers que Claire partage avec ses parents avant d'entrer dans la clandestinité.

🔗 Visitez ce lien pour découvrir l’histoire de Claire.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/le-colis-cache/

08/10/2026

In the summer of 1937, Anka Voticky and her family took what was to be their final summer vacation before the outbreak of war, in Makarska, Yugoslavia (now Croatia).

🎥 This rare colour holiday family video ominously captured a luxurious German yacht flying the red and black N**i flag.

🔗 Learn more about Anka and read her memoir, Knocking on Every Door, at the link below.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/knocking-on-every-door/

☀️
. . . . .

C'est à l'été 1937 qu'Anka Voticky et sa famille ont pris leurs dernières vacances avant le déclenchement de la guerre, à Makarska en Yougoslavie (aujourd'hui en Croatie).

🎥 Cette rare vidéo familiale en couleur capture de façon troublante un luxueux yacht allemand battant pavillon n**i rouge et noir.

🔗 Pour en apprendre davantage sur Anka et lire ses mémoires, Frapper à toutes les portes, visitez ce lien.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/frapper-a-toutes-les-portes/

☀️

08/06/2026

Susan Simon was born in 1935 in Budapest, Hungary. She grew up in a close-knit family with her parents and her younger sister.

☀️ This photo illustrates one of the last she had with her family before the German occupation of Hungary, in Siófok, Hungary, early 1940s.

This early childhood memory acquired, as she says in her memoir, the glow of an almost unearthly paradise to sustain her through the trials of the war.

🔗 Visit the link below to read Susan Simon’s memoir and those of other Hungarian Holocaust survivors in the anthology Confronting Devastation.
https://bit.ly/44SI8Oo

. . . . .

Susan Simon est née en 1935 à Budapest, en Hongrie. Elle a grandi au sein d’une famille unie, entourée de ses parents et de sa sœur cadette.

☀️ Cette photo illustre l’un des derniers de la famille Simon avant l’occupation allemande de la Hongrie, à Siófok, en Hongrie, début des années 1940.

Un souvenir qui, comme l’explique Susan dans ses mémoires, a acquis « la lueur d’un paradis presque surnaturel » auquel elle s'est accrochée durant la guerre.

🔗 Visitez ce lien pour découvrire les mémoires de Susan Simon et d’autres survivants hongrois de l’Holocauste dans notre anthologie Confronting Devastation (en anglais seulement).
https://bit.ly/44SI8Oo

08/04/2026

Sonia Caplan was born in 1922 and raised in the city of Tarnów, Poland. Growing up, escaping to her grandparents’ homes during the summer was a beloved tradition. She would sometimes spend the entire summer there, deep in the pine woods, where she would bask in the tranquil landscapes surrounded by her extended family.

☀️ The summer of 1939 proved to be the last of these beautiful in Poland.

📷 Sonia standing with her father, uncle and grandfather at her grandparents’ home in the summer.

🔗 Learn more about Sonia and her story by clicking below.
https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/passport-to-reprieve/

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Toronto, ON

Telephone

+14163225928

Website

http://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/

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