Louise Lawrence-Israëls in 1944 (courtesy of Louise Lawrence-Israëls) and as an adult, today. US Holocaust Memorial Museum
For two and a half years of her early childhood, Louise Lawrence-Israëls never once played outside or felt the grass under her feet. Louise was born into a Jewish family in 1942 during Nazi Germany’s occupation of the Netherlands. When she was just a baby, her parents moved the family into hiding in an attic in Amsterdam. They lived under the constant threat of discovery, denunciation, and deportation, endured air raids, and often had very little to eat. Despite all this, Louise's mother and father tried to give her as normal a childhood as possible. Watch to learn more about Louise’s secret life in the attic.
Speaker
Louise Lawrence-Israëls, Holocaust Survivor and Museum Volunteer
Moderator
Bill Benson, Journalist and Host, First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors
Watch live at youtube.com/ushmm. You don’t need a YouTube account to view our program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum's YouTube page.
Marking 25 years, First Person is a monthly, hour-long discussion with a Holocaust survivor that is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.