Holocaust survivor Ziggy Schiffer, passed away at the age of 93.
Schiffer was born in the winter of 1930 (January 18, 1930) in Lodz, and attended a Jewish school in the area as a child. With the outbreak of World War II, Schiffer was left at his grandfather’s house without his parents: his mother’s whereabouts were unknown and Ziggy was told that she had passed away. With the outbreak of the war, his father rushed to the Soviet Union and left his son in Łódź, because he did not understand the danger involved in doing so. Later, Schiffer’s father tried to return to see his son, but was unsuccessful.
In 1942, the boys of the Lodz ghetto were deported from the ghetto in trucks, and with them was even a gunman, who managed to jump out of the trucks during the journey and return to the ghetto. Schiffer stayed in the ghetto until its liquidation in 1944, when he was deported to Auschwitz and from there to the Stotthof camp near Danzig. On May 3, 1945, Schiffer was released along with his friends, after walking the infamous death march and some of them survived it.
After the war, Schiffer came to Britain, where he continued to live until his death. For decades Shifer shared his story in various schools throughout the kingdom and in 2016 he received the British Empire Medal for this.
About a year later he accompanied the Prince and Princess of Wales on their visit to the Stotthoff camp, where he talked with them at length and told them his story. Last year, a portrait of Schiffer was hung in the palace of the then Prince Charles, along with other portraits of Holocaust survivors. At the same time, a documentary film was filmed on the BBC about Schieffer’s life and he is considered one of the best-known Holocaust survivors in Britain. Now as mentioned, Shifer has passed away and he is 93 years old.
The Prince and Princess of Wales paid tribute to Schiffer: “In 2017, we had the honor of meeting the Holocaust survivor, Ziggy Schiffer during our visit to Stutthof. We were sorry to hear earlier today about his death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis also eulogized and wrote: “I knew few people who were blessed with the innate warmth and charm of Ziggy Schiffer. He was known as a survivor and an educator, but above all, he was a true ‘manesh’ who, despite the darkness that passed, brought an amazing light to the world. May his memory be blessed.” .