Holocaust Survivor Fred Schoenfeld Shares His Story With Regis Community

Holocaust survivor Fred Schoenfeld shared his story with Regis students, faculty, and parents today. Speaking to a capacity audience in the lecture hall, Schoenfeld discussed how he survived the Nazi regime as a young boy in Slovakia and how the citizens in his hometown of Presov turned against their Jewish neighbors. In April of 1942, his grandfather was put on a train and sent to Auschwitz. It was the last time Schoenfeld saw him.

Schoenfeld spoke about how he and family members survived by hiding in the attic of a warehouse, where a trusted employee of his father would bring them food and water.

"I was seven years old," said Schoenfeld. "To this day, I don’t know how my mother was able to keep me quiet. During the day, people were working in the warehouse. Any noise from upstairs would have meant discovery."

Schoenfeld and his family eventually escaped into the Tatra Mountains, ultimately making their way to the United States in 1948 and settling in Pittsburgh.

In recent years, Schoenfeld has been talking to middle and high school students in New York City about his experiences during and after the Holocaust.

Schoenfeld's visit to Regis is the latest event in this year's John Francis Regis Initiative focused on interreligious dialogue.