Students hear moving Holocaust testimony

On Friday, 26 April, we were privileged to welcome back to King’s Holocaust survivor, Tomi Komoly BEM, to speak to Sixth Form students and members of staff. 

Tomi was born in Budapest in 1936 and, as a child, lived under anti-Jewish laws that forced his family to sell their business and to move from their home into a one-bedroom flat. In 1944, Tomi and his mother moved into the Jewish ghetto in Budapest before escaping and eventually being liberated by the advancing Soviet army in January 1945. 

Tomi came to the UK on a university scholarship in 1956 where he qualified as an engineer, got married and had two children. 

Students listened intently as Tomi spoke his testimony before taking the opportunity to ask him a series of thoughtful questions about his life and experiences.

The visit was organised by Matthew Bircham, Head of Sixth Form Enrichment.

He said: “It was an absolute privilege to welcome Tomi back to King’s today.

“It is invaluable for students to hear first hand about the horrors of the Holocaust and today’s testimony had a powerful impact on our students. Hopefully, they will learn the lessons of such an horrific time in history and make a positive difference not just in their own lives, but in those around them.”

Tomi ended his visit with a piece of advice to the students.

He said: “When you see bullying or prejudice, speak up. Raise your voice. Make the choice to stand up for the bullied. Don’t be a bystander.

“This is the one thing we can all do to prevent situations like this happening again.”

Tomi joined us as part of a visit organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET). The aims of the HET were summed up by its Chief Executive, Karen Pollock MBE. 

She said: “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.”

Tomi is pictured here with Matthew Bircham, who organised the visit, and Headmaster, George Hartley.