People

Building New Lives introduces 20 individuals who survived Nazi persecution during the Second World War and arrived in Canada between 1933 and 1955. Click on a Holocaust survivor's photograph and discover their life story. Through personal photographs and clips from their video testimonies, you will learn about their experience during the war and how they came to Canada. Find them also on the map in the Places section according to the period of their arrival and the city where they settled.

Black-and-white portrait photograph of a man in a suit and tie, looking towards the left of the camera. He wears a kippah on his head.

Black-and-white studio photograph of a man sitting and smiling at the camera. The man wears a suit and has dark brown hair.”

Black-and-white photograph of a woman smiling and leaning against a street light in front of a large field with buildings and cars in the background. She holds a purse and book in her hand.

Sarah Engelhard

Black-and-white photograph of a man wearing a suit and tie, standing outdoors on a field. A building tower is visible in the background.

Black-and-white photograph of a young man posing on the back of a motorcycle, looking forwards towards the right of the camera. There is a hedge behind him and a building in the distant background.

Black-and-white passport photograph of a young teenage woman smiling at the camera. She has wavy, dark brown, shoulder-length hair.

Helene Goldflus

Black-and-white oval-shaped studio photograph of a young man. The man wears a suit with a bowtie. The photograph has a large white border.

Joseph Klinghoffer

Black-and-white photograph of a young man riding a bicycle in a field. He wears dark trousers and a light collared shirt. There are trees in the background.

Moishe Kantorowitz

Black-and-white photograph of a young man standing in a tuxedo, in front of a dark curtain.

Black-and-white photograph depicting two men in suits standing around a table indoors. The man on the right is holding a document and a small urn.

Sepia-toned portrait photograph of a man, pictured from the chest up, looking towards the left of the camera. He wears a suit and tie, and his hair is combed back. He has a moustache.

Black-and-white photograph of a young woman sitting with a young child behind her.

Black-and-white photograph of a woman in a white wedding dress holding a bouquet of flowers.

Black-and-white photograph of a man standing outside on a sidewalk, wearing a suit and smiling at the camera. The street behind him has a vintage car parked on the right, as well as trees, balconies, and stairwells leading up to apartments.

Black-and-white portrait photograph of a man dressed in military uniform, pictured from the chest up.

Black-and-white photograph of a man standing behind the cash register of a large grocery store. He stands in front of a shelf full of food products, and there is a large display food counter in front of him.

Black-and-white photograph of woman with dark brown hair, standing outdoors beside two white horses tied up to a carriage or wagon. She rests one of her hands on the horse’s reins.

Black-and-white square-shaped identity photograph of a young man, wearing a suit, and smiling at the camera.

Elliott Zuckier

Black and white photo of a woman standing in a garden. She wears shorts and summer clothes.

Black-and-white photograph of a man, standing with a hand on his left hip, in front of a large white truck that reads “X-RAY UNIT” on its side. A man stands behind him inside the entrance of the truck with his face covered by shadow.