Holocaust survivor honored with Germany’s Federal Order of Merit for contribution to Holocaust education

The Federal Order of Merit was awarded on Friday to Holocaust survivor George Shefi (89) for his contributions to Holocaust education. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier bestowed the honor during a ceremony held at the Herzilya residence of Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, who presented the award to Shefi.

“It is a great honor for me to receive the Federal Order of Merit from Germany for my long-standing work for Holocaust education in Germany," Shefi said after receiving the award. “Holocaust survivors must tell their story because we are the last generation that can testify to things firsthand.”

Born in Berlin in 1931, Shefi narrowly escaped the horrors of the Holocaust when his mother sent him on the Kindertransport to Great Britain at the age of seven, following the brutal persecution of Jews in the wake of the Kristallnacht pogrom.

The Kindertransport (“children’s transport” in German) was a rescue mission that took place between 1938 and 1940, during which approximately 10,000 Jewish children, mostly from Nazi-occupied countries, were brought to the United Kingdom to escape the Holocaust.

Tragically, Shefi's mother remained in Germany after ensuring her son’s safety and was deported to Auschwitz in 1943, where she was among the 1.1 million victims murdered in the concentration camp.

Stefi immigrated to Israel in 1949, where he established his life and home, and would later welcome the next generation of his family.

As of 2023, fewer than 200,000 Holocaust survivors are estimated to be alive worldwide. This has made Shefi even more passionate about sharing the truths of the Holocaust, ensuring that future generations are equipped to combat lies and misconceptions about the tragic events of the Shoah (the Hebrew word for Holocaust).

“During my life, I have done this with thousands of German students to whom I said that they are not to blame for what happened to us, but they are responsible for it never happening again. This award demonstrates the Germans’ understanding of what happened and their commitment that such a thing will not happen again.”

Shefi received his award ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. The ceremony was attended by four generations of Shefi’s family, as well as Revital Yakin Krakovsky, deputy CEO of the International March of the Living.