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Remembering Renee Bornstein – Born 1934 – Died 2024

We are sad to announce the passing of Renee Bornstein, a Holocaust survivor and educator and wife of Ernst Israel Bornstein, author of The Long Night.

Born in France in 1934, Renee’s life became very difficult when the Nazis occupied Vichy France. She joined 32 other children as they crossed the borders to neutral Switzerland, but she was arrested by The Gestapo aged 10 and held prisoner. She was saved by the relentless work of French Resistance fighter Marianne Cohn and released by the Mayor of Annemasse.

Read her full obituary in The Times >>

Read her full obituary in The Guardian >>

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About Holocaust Matters

Holocaust Matters serves as an important resource for Holocaust education around the world.

Holocaust Matters was founded by Dr Noemie Lopian, who is the daughter of Dr Ernst Israel Bornstein. His memoirs, The Long Night, has sold thousands of copies around the world and reflect on his journey as a 14 year old boy who survived seven Nazi labour and extermination camps during the Holocaust.

Today, Noemie continues to share her father’s and mother’s separate stories of Holocaust survival, speaking regularly at schools, universities, governing bodies and events across the country.

Latest News

king david primary school visit

Dr Noemie Lopian visits King David Primary School years 5 and 6 on Yom HaZikaron

Message from the school:

Thank you so much for coming in to speak to our Year 5 & 6 pupils about you own personal family story during the Holocaust. The children gained so much from hearing this from you. Thank you for giving them the opportunity to ask the many questions they have and for helping them understand what life was like for the Jews during this time.
Kind Regards, Rayna
Point of Light

Noemie Lopian Recognised as Outstanding Individual Volunteer By 10 Downing Street

Read Full Article Here >>

noemie lopian tomi komoly

Noemie Lopian Speaks With Hungarian Holocaust Survivor Tomi Komoly on BBC Breakfast

Watch Full Video Here >>

 

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Would You Like Noemie To Speak At Your School Or Shul?

Get in touch with Noemie for more information

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Renee Bornstein

Renee Bornstein (wife of Ernst Israel Bornstein), Holocaust Survivor, awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Holocaust education and commemoration (June 2021).

As Seen On

BBC 1’s My Family, The Holocaust and Me

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Inspired by The Long Night, the memoirs of Ernst Israel Bornstein, a Holocaust Survivor

Find Out More

Explore universal lessons and themes from The Long Night

 

Learn about key historical topics through Ernst’s experiences

Search by location. Journey through seven camps and other places

Featured Excerpts

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Noemie Lopian Appears With Hungarian Holocaust Survivor Tomi Komoly on BBC Breakfast – 25/01/2024

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Uncategorised

Noemie Lopian Recognised as Outstanding Individual Volunteer By 10 Downing Street

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AppellFünfteichen camp

Shoes mean life or death

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AuschwitzHolocaust remembrance

The Nation Marks Holocaust Memorial Day and 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz

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Ernst’s life story

Ernst Israel Bornstein was born in Zawiercie, Poland in 1922. He was the oldest of four children. He was educated in Jewish schools and was an talented student who spoke German, Yiddish and Polish. He was incarcerated in seven concentration camps, enduring the infamous “death march” until finally being liberated by American soldiers near Lake Starnberg in Bavaria on 30 April 1945. His parents and two younger sisters perished at Auschwitz…

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About Holocaust Matters

Holocaust Matters is an interactive educational tool for anyone interested in the Holocaust including schools and those with a professional or personal research interest. It is run by the family of Holocaust survivor Dr Ernst Israel Bornstein to showcase excerpts of his memoir ‘The Long Night’ which tells of his miraculous survival from seven Nazi labour and death camps during World War II…

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“You should read this crucial testimony. It is a terrifying personal account of an unspeakable clinical horror, all the more powerful for being told with remarkable self-restraint.”

— Jonathan Dimbley, Writer and Broadcaster

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