Meet the Holocaust Survivor: Joan Salter MBE

Joan Salter was born Fanny Zimetbaum in February 1940, in Belgium. Her parents were Polish Jews and had moved to Brussels from Paris in 1939 as they thought it would be a safer place to live. 

Join us to hear Joan’s remarkable testimony, from moving back to a safe house in Paris with her family, fleeing to the Spanish border before being sent to safety in the United States of America.

In 1947, after 4 years in America believing she had been adopted, she suddenly discovered who she really was. At 7 years old she was moved to the UK to be reunited with a family she did not recognise.

Joan’s beginning in life and the story of her escape from Europe is a key story of survival and continues to provide resonance today.

"My experiences in early life have taught me that individuals really can make a difference. Just think of all those people who helped my family and showed us kindness..."

Joan Salter's suitcase - Joan Salter (survivor) — Google Arts & Culture