In this profoundly personal account, Nobel laureate Ronald Hoffman, a Holocaust survivor, recounts his family's arduous journey of survival during World War II in his native region, which has undergone numerous geopolitical shifts from Austria-Hungary to modern-day Ukraine. He vividly connects the historical destruction of cities like Warsaw to contemporary images of conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the enduring trauma of war. Hoffman details the initial Nazi occupation and the murder of his grandfather, followed by his family's strategic avoidance of ghettos and concentration camps through a period in a forced labor camp and then, crucially, through a prolonged period of hiding in the attic and a hidden dugout of a village schoolhouse, aided by the compassionate Ukrainian Duke family. He also tragically recounts his father's death during a resistance attempt. The narrative culminates in his family's liberation by the Red Army, their post-war migration, and his arrival in the United States, underscoring the immense personal losses and the enduring lessons of resilience, human kindness, and the complexities of history.
A Personal Journey of Survival: Ronald Hoffman's Holocaust Narrative
0:00 Introduction of Ronald Hoffman: Nobel laureate in chemistry, Holocaust survivor, poet, and philosopher. The speaker emphasizes Hoffman's profound influence on him as both a scientist and a human being.
1:02 Personal Account of Survival: Hoffman states he will provide a personal account of his family's survival, with an initial photograph of a village building to be explained later.
1:34 Geographical & Political Context: Hoffman introduces the constantly changing political landscape of his birthplace, Zolochiv (Zolochiv/Zloczów), shifting from Austria-Hungary to Poland, then Nazi-occupied General Government, Soviet-annexed Ukraine, and finally independent Ukraine, highlighting the violent nature of these changes and accompanying ethnic cleansing.
4:39 Connection to Current Events: He draws a powerful parallel between the destruction of Mariupol in 2022 and his memory of Warsaw in 1945, noting the characteristic smell of a bombed city. He also mentions a recent cruise missile strike 20 kilometers from his hometown.
6:28 Zolochiv Before the War: A small town of 12,000, with 4,000 Jews, Ukrainians, and Poles. He shows a postcard from WWI, noting historical tensions evidenced by defaced German text.
8:20 His Childhood Home: He shows his birth house (1937) and a picture of himself as a baby with his parents, Hillel and Clara Saffron. He notes their name change to Hoffman after the war and their "illegal" immigration to the US. His father was a civil engineer, mother a school teacher.
11:35 World War II Begins (1939): Poland is invaded and divided by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. His town fell under Soviet occupation for two years, where Soviets persecuted Ukrainian intelligence.
13:05 Nazi Invasion (June 1941): The Nazis attack the Soviets. SS Einsatzgruppe C and the Viking Division, aided by collaborating Ukrainian police, round up Jews. His grandfather was killed on July 2, 1941, while his uncle, shot, survived by crawling from among the dead.
15:48 Survival Strategy: Hiding: His family's survival involved staying out of ghettos and concentration camps. They first entered a forced labor camp 30 miles away in Latsky.
16:56 Life in the Labor Camp (1942): The camp held 300-400 Jews, guarded by armed minorities (Balkan, Ukrainian, Romanian). Guards were bribable; a bottle of vodka was the common currency, but for significant needs (like leaving), silver or gold (Swiss 20 franc coins) were essential. His father's engineering skills provided him access in and out of the camp.
21:11 Transition to Hiding with a Family: To survive the intensifying killing apparatus, they sought hiding, preferably in rural areas. His parents located Mikola and Maria Duke, a school teacher and his wife, in a village 20 kilometers away.
23:37 The Schoolhouse Hiding Place: They were hidden in the attic of the one-room schoolhouse where Mikola Duke taught. Every day, Duke brought food and took away waste via a trapdoor.
27:38 Father's Tragic End: His father remained in the labor camp, organized a breakout attempt using weapons smuggled by his uncle from a partisan group, but was betrayed by a fellow Jew and killed on June 30, 1943.
30:45 Harsh Hiding Conditions: The attic was unheated, with extreme Ukrainian winters. For the coldest part of the second winter, they moved to a small storage room, then a concealed dugout under floor planks in a 6x9 foot space, hidden by a cupboard, where six people sat for hours when there was danger.
33:01 A Twist of Fate: In 2006, they found the storage room had been converted into a chemistry classroom, a poignant detail not known by the children then, but now shared.
33:27 Liberation & Aftermath: They were freed by the Red Army in June 1944. Hoffman acknowledges the immense sacrifice of the Soviet Union. His mother bought a new coat and fur hat as a symbol of renewal, remarried, and they eventually moved west to Krakow.
35:14 Arrival in the U.S. (1949): After years of wandering, they arrived in the United States, smiling in a photograph taken days after their arrival.
35:38 Profound Losses: The family lost three or four grandparents, his father, three aunts, and three first cousins. In Zolochiv, about 90% of the Jewish population was killed, and he was one of only three child survivors.