‘Thank you, Vera’ – voice that inspired generations falls silent

Holocaust survivor and Kindertransport refugee Vera Schaufeld has died at the age of 95.

Born Vera Löwyová in Klatovy, Czechoslovakia, she came to Britain in 1939 on the Kindertransport organised by Sir Nicholas Winton. Aged nine, she waved farewell to her parents, on the platform of Prague Main Station. They were unable to secure a visa and she never saw them again.

She was met in London by a Christian family who cared for her and later moved to the Cotswolds.

Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

She recalled: “I don’t remember arriving at Harwich, going on the train. My first memory is sitting in Liverpool Street Station. I remember sitting there, lots of children all being collected, hearing notices in a language that I couldn’t understand. Feeling so scared. Thinking nobody’s going to come and get me.

“Just sitting and waiting, other children being collected. Then a lady coming called Miss Lee, who I’ve never met since but never forgotten, and taking me and two other children into her car & driving us. Apparently I was this busy little girl saying to everybody, ‘Here’s my luggage’, which must have been sent. I was told years and years later that I was this busy little girl, organising myself. But I don’t remember that. I remember getting into Miss Lee’s car, & being very happy that I was sitting in the front.  Two Czech children sat behind, brother and sister. I talked to them in Czech.

More in Vera Schaufeld

Jan. 26, 2026

This Holocaust Memorial Day, we also remember the survivors we have lost

By Karen Pollock CBE

Jan. 27, 2023

Antisemitism rising because of a lack of Holocaust education, survivor warns

By Jewish News Reporter

Dec. 20, 2021

Shoah mastermind’s 1961 trial was turning point in history, survivors recall

After the war, Vera spent a year in Israel, where she met her husband Avram, a fellow Holocaust survivor. They returned to the UK, where she worked as a teacher and became deeply involved in Holocaust education.

She was made an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2019 for her services to Holocaust remembrance and education and, later that year, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Roehampton.

It was 50 years after her escape to the UK that Vera found out about Nicholas Winton and the role he’d played in saving her life. In 1988 she, together with other children, now adults saved by Winton, was invited to participate in Esther Rantzen’s television programme That’s Life!, Following this, Vera developed a lifelong friendship with Nicholas and his wife Grete.

Michael Newman, chief executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees, said: “We honour the memory of Vera Schaufeld MBE, a true AJR stalwart and dedicated Holocaust educator.

“Within the AJR, Vera’s dedication was unfaltering; she generously shared her testimony in our Refugee Voices archive, giving voice to her experiences as a Winton child and participated in many engagements, lectures, and educational events. Through her eloquence and heartfelt storytelling, she brought the human dimension of the Kindertransport to life.

“Vera’s work helped shine a spotlight on the extraordinary bravery of the Winton children, and her own story has become part of our shared legacy. Her MBE, awarded for services to Holocaust education, and her honorary doctorate from the University of Roehampton, reflect just how much her work mattered.

“Thank you, Vera, for your unwavering commitment, your strength, and your generosity. Your voice, your memory, and your spirit will continue to inspire all of us in the AJR — and beyond — for generations to come.”

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Vera was an extraordinary woman whose gentle and kind nature touched everyone who had the privilege of meeting her. Vera turned her experience of profound loss into a lifelong commitment to education, understanding and hope. She spoke with honesty and warmth to countless young people, encouraging them to confront intolerance, racism and antisemitism.

“Through her testimony in schools and colleges across the country, Vera shaped how generations of students understand the Holocaust and its lessons for today. We will miss her kind smile and gentle nature, and we will honour her by continuing her mission and ensuring that her story, and the lessons she shared, endure for generations to come. May her memory be a blessing.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman’s, chief executive of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Vera Schaufeld MBE, a wonderfully kind and gentle woman who contributed so much to Holocaust education after her active working life as a teacher.

“Vera has left an indelible mark on me, as she has done on all those she met. I have wonderful memories of having tea in the garden of her care home, discussing the books we’d read in our respective book clubs, and dissecting the news of the day. Her intelligence, warmth and generosity will inspire all of us at the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for years to come.

“It has been an honour to know Vera, and she has always been a strong voice in support of our promotion of Holocaust commemoration and education. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. We will continue to honour her legacy through our work.”

• To read more about Vera Schaufeld, interviewed as part of AJR’s Refugee Voices initiative, click here.