2022 First Person with Holocaust Survivor Emanuel “Manny” Mandel

In 1944, Jewish people in Hungary over the age of six were forced to wear the Star of David on their clothes. Emanuel “Manny” Mandel was seven, too young to recognize the antisemitic law, and his star felt like a mark of distinction that made him one of the adults. His parents knew better: it only made him a target of violence.

Manny’s father followed him as he walked on the street, afraid his son might be pushed into traffic for no reason other than being marked as Jewish. By June, it was clear that raising their child in Budapest was untenable. Manny and his mother escaped and eventually found refuge in neutral Switzerland.

Hear Holocaust survivor Manny Mandel’s experiences in his own words recorded on December 14, 2022. First Person is a monthly hour-long discussion featuring a live interview between journalist Bill Benson and a survivor and including questions from the audience, available on the Museum’s YouTube channel.

Learn about Hungary before the German occupation: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/conten...

Learn about Hungary after the German occupation: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/conten...

Read about Rudolf Kasztner: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/conten...

Learn about the Bergen-Belsen camp complex: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/conten...