Richard Schnurbach, president of the Montreal Holocaust Museum and Daniel Amar, the organization’s executive director, co-authored a moving piece remembering Lilly Toth (née Gluck), a survivor of the Holocaust in Hungary, who died in Montreal on May 22, 2021.
Lilly Toth (1925-2021)
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lilly Toth, Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer. Lilly was passionate about Holocaust education and generously dedicated many years of her life to volunteer work at the Museum. Her legacy will be remembered by many.
An only child, Lilly was born in 1925 in Budapest, Hungary. During the Holocaust, she lost her family and hid with neighbours until they were denounced. Lilly miraculously survived an attempted execution at the shores of the Danube. After untying herself from her friend, she managed to swim away and eventually reached a Jewish hospital. She survived the rest of the war as a cleaner at an Arrow Cross building.
When the Hungarian Revolution broke out, Lilly decided to flee Hungary. She arrived in Canada in January 1957, settling in Montreal, where she already had family. Lilly’s remarkable story of survival is preserved in perpetuity in the Museum’s oral history collection. Along with hundreds of other recorded survivor testimonies, Lilly’s story of resilience will be transmitted to future generations. Her words will continue to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the history of the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred. In 2019, Lilly was honoured as a candle lighter during our Yom Hashoah commemoration. Her powerful testimony video is accessible online and available to viewers around the world. The Board of Directors, volunteers, and professional team extend their sincere condolences to Lilly’s loved ones. May her memory always be for a blessing.
Richard Schnurbach and Daniel Amar
