Kindertransport hero honoured: Holocaust survivor George Shefi awarded Germany's top civilian medal 

A Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi persecution as a child has been awarded Germany’s highest civilian honor for his extraordinary journey and contributions to Holocaust education.

George Shefi, now 93, was just seven years old when he was evacuated from Berlin as part of the Kindertransport, the rescue operation that saved around 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-controlled Europe in the months leading up to World War II.

Shefi vividly recalls his last moments with his mother at the Berlin train station in 1938, just after the horrors of Kristallnacht. Tragically, his mother was deported to Auschwitz in 1943, where she was murdered.

The Federal Order of Merit was presented to Shefi by Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, on behalf of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The prestigious award recognizes special achievements in political, cultural, or humanitarian fields.

Shefi’s story is one of resilience and dedication. After surviving the Holocaust, he lived in the UK, Canada, and the US before settling in Israel in 1949. He served in the IDF, built a family, and authored a memoir, A Way of Fate: A True Story From the Kindertransport, published in 2016.

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27—marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz—Shefi emphasized the importance of Holocaust survivors sharing their experiences. “We are the last generation who can testify firsthand,” he said. Over the years, he has spoken to thousands of German students, reminding them, “They are not to blame for what happened, but they are responsible for ensuring it never happens again.”

* The Jewish Chronicle contributed to this article.