Holocaust Survivors Reunited at Same House They Sought Refuge 70 Years Ago
- Jan Goldberger, Harry Spiro and Sir Ben Helfgott were among 23 teenagers who got refuge at Holmhurst House
- The three started life as British citizens at the hostel and became family as all their relatives were lost or displaced
- Last week, the three, together with their current families, met and shared photos in the same home
Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Three men, Jan Goldberger, Harry Spiro, and Sir Ben Helfgott, reunited again after 70 years apart.
Source: UGC
The three were among a group of Jewish teenage boys who were given refuge in Loughton, Essex, back in 1946 after they were brought to Britain the previous year, According to Mirror.
They had survived the Holocaust, which was the genocide of European Jews during World War II.
The three stayed at concentration camps and were all orphaned, finding rescue at Holmhurst House with other 23 teenagers.
Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!
Here, they started their lives as British citizens, and the three, known as the Loughton Boys, were reunited last week at the mansion they lived in, which is now privately owned.
The three men, who are now in their mid-90s, were joined by their children and grandchildren in photos at the mansion as they recalled their times at the home.
Jan shared his experience at the hostel, saying he could roam freely but was still finding it hard to believe that he had lost all his family.
He said they did not mix with people from the outside, but they were like brothers.
Jan went on to train as a tailor and had three children with his wife, Sara.
Sir Ben used sports to overcome his trauma and represented Great Britain in the Olympics as a weightlifter. He was later knighted in 2018.
High school sweethearts reunited, marry
In another reunion story, two high school sweethearts were reunited and got married after 68 years apart.
The love lives of Fred Paul and Florence Harvey were separated 68 years ago when Paul left the little town of Wandsworth in Canada and moved to Toronto in search of employment.
The separation saw the lovebirds lose touch with each other, and when Paul came back to Wandsworth in search of his girlfriend, he was heartbroken to learn that she too had relocated not long after he left.
With years going by and both opening their arms to a new world, they married different people and settled into family life.
In 2017, after a 57-year marriage and five children later, Harvey was widowed after cancer claimed her husband, Len.
Two years later, Paul's 60-year-old marriage was rocked when his wife Helen succumbed to multiple health issues. The couple had been blessed with two children.
That grief would be the stroke that brought them back together.
Source: YEN.com.gh
