It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Holocaust survivor Eugene Black, a long standing supporter and friend of the Centre. Eugene passed away on September 26th 2016.

Eugene was arrested with his family in 1944 and along with thousands of other Hungarian Jews was transferred to Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. On arrival he was separated from his family and never saw them again.  Selected for slave labour, Eugene worked on various sites until in February/March 1945 when he was put in a cattle truck and travelled for 7 days, without food and water, to Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany. Of the 3000 people that started that final journey approximately 300 survived.

Eugene was liberated by the British Army in April 1945 – 17 years old and weighing barely 6 stone.

Eugene married, raised a family and enjoyed a successful career at Marks and Spencer.  In later life he shared his story both at Beth Shalom – The National Holocaust Centre and Museum - and across the country. He was a regarded, inspirational speaker.

Eugene had previously expressed his legacy of hope which is shown below.

‘I hope that we can all learn to live together in peace, and that all forms of discrimination and persecution are challenged and that the past does not repeat itself. I believe that this is the hope for the future and that together we can make this happen if all good people unite and speak out.’