December 2023 Portrait of the Month — Henry Maslowicz

Rudolf Sárközi

January's Portrait of the Month features Henry Maslowicz who was born on Christmas day 1940 in a ghetto in Wierzbnik-Starachowice, Poland. Henry was only two years old when his father was forced to send him into hiding for the child’s safety. Henry's survival story highlights the choices people were forced to make during the Holocaust. A father had to part with is two year old child in order to save the boy’s life. Henry was first brought to a convent, but for some reason (perhaps because the convent was bombed) the nuns left the three year old on the street. Luckily for Henry, a woman found the young boy and hid him in her attic. For years he was alone in the attic seeing only this woman who came to feed him. He didn’t even know his own name. Somewhat miraculously, Henry survived and was reunited with his father in Israel eight years after the Holocaust. They settled in Ecuador. Eventually, Henry moved to the US where he lived with his wife of 51 years and two children. A photo of Henry later in life shows how similar his face looked to when he was a little boy:

“It felt very powerful and emotional. I felt like I was really talking with the boy.”

“I will remember the connection I had with the boy. I have taken dozens of Holocaust courses and in this one, I was really able to feel and imagine.”

“I will remember Henry’s story because it was so touching and melancholy.”