“Because It Was the Right Thing to Do”: Henry Kressel’s Story of Courage and Faith
On Monday, Oct. 27, Professor Joseph Schwarz’s “The Holocaust” class had the opportunity to hear from Henry Kressel, YU alumnus, former chairman of Yeshiva University's Board of Trustees, author, Harvard businessman and Holocaust survivor. Schwarz, an adjunct professor at Stern College, teaches a course focusing on the lead-up to the Holocaust and reflects on similarities to the modern day. In this vein, Schwarz brought in Kressel to share his story, saying, “The best way to learn about the Holocaust is by focusing on the lives of individuals who lived through it.”
Kressel told his story of narrow escapes and miracles, sharing his journey of fleeing Germany and hiding in France with a non-Jewish family, until eventually immigrating to America and reuniting with his remaining family. Throughout his story, Kressel emphasized that the only reason he is alive today is because of the kindness of non-Jews who saved him. In a powerful moment, he said, “Yad Vashem honors 28,000 righteous among the gentiles; I owe my life to 5 of them.” As his story unfolded, he explained who each of them was, and between a German soldier, a priest and a French farmer, the only commonality was their willingness to risk their lives to save a Jewish child.
Kressel’s childhood came to an abrupt end at the age of eight, when Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, causing his family to escape first to Belgium and then to France. After a short time in France, his family was eventually herded, with the rest of the Jews in the area, onto a line to be placed in cattle cars headed for Auschwitz. While waiting on the line, a French woman, sent by a priest to save as many Jewish children as possible, hurried him and his younger sister off the line. They were rescued, but their older sister and parents were sent to Auschwitz, where they were murdered.
As a part of the priest’s rescue efforts, he arranged for Kressel to be taken in by a French family in the countryside, where he spent the war hiding his Jewish identity. He attended school and lived with strangers, never knowing the fate of his family. Later in life, he returned to the French village where he was recognized by an older woman and struck up a conversation with her. She told him that the whole village had known his secret, but not one had turned him in to the German police. In response to his question of why they would take such a risk to help a stranger, she said, “Because it was the right thing to do.”
Eventually, after the war, Kressel moved to America, where he learned English and eventually attended Yeshiva University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics. Many years later, he once again entered the halls of YU, this time with an honorary doctorate and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. From a child who was taken from his parents, to a survivor who came off the boat with nothing, to a leader in the Jewish community, Kressel’s story is one of resilience and courage.
“It gave me a new understanding of how survivors are able to move past the horrors and appreciate all of the miracles that let them survive,” Chantal Newman (SSSB ‘26) told The Commentator. Indeed, Kressel’s story was one of optimism and gratitude, a unique perspective that spoke more to the good of humankind than the evil, despite the horrors he, his family and his community endured.
Reflecting on the modern day, Kressel said he recognized echoes of the European antisemitism he experienced as a child, but just as he did then, he sees helpers and the need for non-Jewish allies. A major difference he cited between the two time periods was the State of Israel. He emphasized Israel’s importance and centrality to Jewish life and expressed his dismay at some Jews today who condemn it and vote for politicians who oppose it. Continuing his reflection on today’s society, Dr. Kressel underscored the crucial nature of actively empowering the “helpers” of the Jewish people, saying, “We need friends.” This timely message was relayed just a week before the New York mayoral election, a race Kressel mentioned explicitly and in conjunction with his call to be intentional about promoting the Jewish people’s allies and fighting their adversaries on the political battlefield.
Kressel was clear that he had two key messages he wanted every student to take away. Invoking “Vehi Sheamda,” a prayer that states “in every generation there are those who rise against the Jewish people,” he expressed that despite the great evil in the world, there are also good people in every generation who, given the opportunity, will help the Jewish people, even at the risk of their lives. The second message he left the room with was to remember that you are a Jew, center your life around that identity and live every aspect of it, maintaining its values.
Photo Caption: Henry Kressel presenting at Stern College
Photo Credit: Shoshana Fisher
