Holocaust survivor Janine Webber, now a public speaker living in north-east London, has shared her harrowing experience of loss and survival during WWII. After losing her parents young and remaining silent for decades, she began recounting her story in 1996 at her son’s encouragement. Originating from Lviv, Poland, Webber witnessed the brutal ramifications of the German invasion in 1941, including her family being forced into hiding and losing her mother to illness. Her narrative highlights themes of resilience, the importance of tolerance, and the human capacity for empathy.
In 1996, my son said my story ought to be known. I was interviewed and filmed for a foundation. When I was interviewed for the first time I told my story in total. I could not stop crying.
It seemed very easy to lie because I wanted to live. When it is a question of life and death, one can lie.
My first experience seeing the Nazis, what we used to call the Gestapo, was when I was in our flat with my mother and brother. They were rounding up the Jewish men and my father came running in.
My mother fell ill and died of typhus at just 29.
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