Survivor lauded in Parliament
She and her mother were smuggled out by a lay priest, Jonas Ochiny. Reunited with her father who had escaped a labour camp, the family went into hiding.
A MEMOIR by Queenslander Suzi Smeed, a child Holocaust survivor, has been described in federal Parliament as “a testament to Suzi’s strength and commitment to condemn antisemitism”.
The Noosa resident has written The Courage to Care, her account of the Hungarian Holocaust. The book, co-written with journalist and Holocaust researcher Terry Quinn, features an introduction by Israel’s ambassador Amir Maimon.
When The AJN contacted her, Smeed, 80, was returning from one of her numerous school visits for the Courage to Care (C2C) organisation. “It’s very rewarding to see how receptive the pupils are, and they pass on what they have learned to their families.”
Born Zsuzsanna Kalmar in 1942, Smeed was arrested with her parents and grandparents in the city of Papa and transferred to a ghetto.
She and her mother were smuggled out by a lay priest, Jonas Ochiny. Reunited with her father who had escaped a labour camp, the family went into hiding.
In November 1944, she was sent to an orphanage at which six families were hidden. In January 1945, her parents found her hidden on a farm.
Smeed’s grandparents perished in Auschwitz. “At the end of 1947, we had news that a friend had witnessed them being taken to the gas chambers.”
Her father declined a US immigration visa because he would have had to leave his family in Hungary. Fearing oppression, the family was smuggled to Vienna in a postal van. A relative arranged migration to Australia.
On a visit to Hungary 20 years ago, Smeed was shown a register of 3500 names of Jews listed to be sent to Auschwitz.
Paying tribute to Smeed in Parliament, Nationals MP Llew O’Brien, her local member, reflected, “The telling of her story is a testament to Suzi’s strength and commitment to condemn antisemitism and reminds us of events that must never be repeated.”
Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg told The AJN, “We’re so grateful to her for sharing her personal story and also for her passion for educating people. Stories like these are a legacy that will be used in our new Holocaust museum in Queensland and in other education sources.”
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