Hidden Lives: Stories from Child Survivors of the Holocaust

One and a half million Jewish children were murdered in the Holocaust. The Nazis' goal to eradicate the entire Jewish population in Europe included children--from infants to teenagers--who were targeted as part of the coordinated genocide that led to the murder of six million Jews. Those children who survived were often hidden: in convents, orphanages, haylofts, forests--even sewers.

Hidden Lives is a collection of true stories written by the youngest survivors of the Holocaust. Desperation compelled parents to make the agonizing decision to leave their children with strangers or to let them fend on their own. Many were too young to understand why they were being left behind, often under assumed identities. While the vast majority of these children were orphaned by the end of the war, some were reunited with family who, in many cases, now seemed like strangers. Their accounts are marked with fear, confusion, and abandonment, as well as a loss of their Jewish identity. These true stories are profiles of bravery: of the children who survived in often terrible circumstances, of the parents and families who were forced to leave them behind, and of the many people--including Christian families, many times complete strangers--who risked their lives to save them.

Rachelle L. Goldstein was born to Jewish parents in Brussels, Belgium just before the onset of WWII. She was hidden from the Nazis as a young child in order to save her life. Rachelle is the Co-Director of the Hidden Child Foundation/ADL, based in New York.

ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) was founded in 1913. Its timeless mission is "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all." Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact.

Abraham Foxman is National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Upon retirement, he served as Vice Chairman of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. He is the author of several books, and co-authored Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the internet.