2023 First Person with Holocaust Survivor George Pick

The current surge in antisemitic violence and the unfolding of world events underscore the importance of the Museum’s work to share testimonies from Holocaust survivors. They are our most powerful teachers about the consequences of unchecked antisemitism.

Holocaust survivor George Pick remembers coming upon a group of uniformed Hungarian men chanting “death to the Jews” while on vacation with his family in 1943 in the scenic Mátra Mountains. By March 1944, life back home in Budapest had changed forever—as Germany occupied Hungary, and then local officials began requiring Jews to live in crowded buildings, under horrible conditions. George’s family managed to stay alive, even as authorities started deporting Jews or killing them outright.

Watch to learn how young George used his wits and narrowly escaped dying in a massacre of Jewish children along the Danube River.

Hear Holocaust survivor George Pick’s experiences in his own words, which aired on November 15, 2023. First Person is a monthly, hour-long discussion with a Holocaust survivor that is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.