Posted on 13 November
English students from Leeds College of Building (LCB) this week gathered to hear testimony from Budapest born Holocaust survivor Tomi Komoly, BEM.
Tomi told the story of his life in Nazi Germany allied Hungary to a full room of LCB students and staff from our English department.
He held a short question and answer session following his address where he talked about his life in the years following the end of the Second World War.
At the end of the session students lined up to shake his hand, thank him for his time and take pictures with him.
Tomi was born to a Jewish family in Budapest in 1936 and lived with his parents Alfréd and Margit as an only child.
Before he was born, his father and uncles changed their name from Kohn – a stereotypically Jewish name – to Komoly in an attempt to avoid the prejudice rife in Hungary between the two world wars.
From 1938 onwards, the Hungarian government passed a series of anti-Jewish laws and economic restrictions. Tomi’s father was forced to give up his business, and his family were left without an income.
By 1943 Tomi’s father Alfréd was sent to the Russian front as part of a forced labour battalion, where he was made to do manual labour.
When Tomi’s father bribed his battalion commander to give him a pass to return home for a few days, he was reported, arrested and never seen again.
At Christmas time 1944, Tomi and his mother moved to hide in a family friend’s cellar in Budapest before being liberated by the advancing Soviet army in January 1945.
After the end of the Second World War Tomi lived in Communist Hungary before fleeing to a refugee camp in Vienna where he won a scholarship to study in the UK, arriving on our shores in March 1957.
He has lived in the UK ever since and was joined in the country by his mother Margit in 1964.
Tomi was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2020 for services to Holocaust Education and Awareness.
Menna Bailey, LCB Head of English, said:
“We’re incredibly privileged to give our students the chance to meet Tomi Komoly, BEM. As part of their GCSE English studies, they’ve been exploring the theme of war — and hearing Tomi’s personal story will hopefully offer a rare and personal insight that will enrich their learning and inspire reflection on their own lives, ambitions, and place in the wider community.”
His visit was organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) as part of their extensive all year-round Outreach Programme.
The Holocaust Educational Trust was founded in 1988 to raise awareness and understanding in schools of the Holocaust and its relevance today.
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said:
“The Holocaust Educational Trust educates and engages students from across the UK, from all communities about the Holocaust and there can be no better way than through the first-hand testimony of a survivor. Tomi’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and by hearing his testimony, students will have the opportunity to learn where antisemitism and hatred can ultimately lead.
“At the Trust, we impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”
Read more about Tomi’s story here
Learn more about the Holocaust Educational Trust here
