Shoah survivor and educator passes

Peter Reismann – a Holocaust survivor and longstanding volunteer and public speaker for the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) and Courage to Care NSW – passed away on March 21 at the age of 86.

Reismann was born in Hungary in 1939 and, during the war, was sheltered by a Christian family who was friends with his mother.

Together with his mother, another woman and her young daughter, Reismann hid in a bunker on that family’s property, near Budapest, for almost 12 months.

His mother had become pregnant before his father was suddenly taken away, and she gave birth to a baby girl within 48 hours of liberation.

A fortnight later, Reismann’s father miraculously returned.

In 1957, with communism gripping Hungary, the family immigrated to Australia to start a new life.

Reismann was a volunteer speaker for the SJM from 2014 to 2022, during which time he addressed many student groups and adults with sincerity, humour and commitment.

His nephew, Tony Hollingsworth, described Reismann in a beautiful post of tribute on Instagram, as “a father figure to me, and a mentor [who was] very generous.

“He was a great storyteller – always entertaining us – and thanks to an uncle like Peter, we had an amazing childhood.

“He was active in the community, speaking to school students for the SJM and Courage to Care.

“He had been a featured speaker in the ‘Remember Me’ program at the SJM, and shared his story with school groups, including Waverley College students – telling his story of survival to combat hatred, and warn against history repeating itself.”

Reismann is survived by his wife Carol, children Michael and Jacquie, and grandchildren.