On March 12, RCS High School students in Holocaust Literature and Journalism classes had the incredible opportunity to meet and hear the personal story of Ivan P. Vamos, a Holocaust survivor, who shared his harrowing journey from wartime Hungary to eventual immigration to the United States.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, in March 1938, Ivan's early life was shaped by the growing threat of Nazi-occupied Germany. He recounted his life began as troops marched into Austria, and his family hoped their long-established status in the community would protect them from the horrors to come. Sadly, they were wrong. In the years that followed, Ivan lost his father to the war, and he and his mother endured a harrowing journey of survival.
In 1944, Ivan and his mother, armed with false papers, found refuge in a "protected house" in the countryside of Hungary under the cloak they were refugees. As Hungary was occupied and put in charge was a group called “Nyilas”. These men rounded up citizens and did terrible things, including mass deportation. In an act of survival before being separated, Ivan’s mother acted quickly and managed an escape that likely saved both of their lives. Finding shelter in bombed-out buildings in Budapest, Ivan and his mother survived with what they could find until they were liberated in 1945.
After the war, Ivan and his mother faced political instability and food shortages in Hungry. Eventually, they immigrated to the United States in 1947.
Ivan's story was incredible to hear, and the students were able to ask questions, creating great discussions about his experience.
If you would like to know more about Ivan, you can find his story here.
