Ibolya Centeri

"Never forget the Holocaust. I lost my mother, father, sisters, brother and their families and many family members."

Name at birth

Ibolya Freiberger

Date of birth

12/04/1921

Where were you born?

Kirald Borsod Megye, Hungary

Where did you grow up?

Kirald Borsod Megye, Hungary

Name of father, occupation

Bernard Freiberger, Store owner

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Helen Englander, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents, Malvin, Arthur, Martin, elizabeth, Maryshka, Olga, Lazlo, Ibolya and Clara

Who survived the Holocaust?

Olga, Arthur, Martin, Clara and me

Name of Ghetto(s)

Diosgyor / Ozd

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Lichtenau

Spouse

Imre Lusztig (Centeri)

Children

Kathy and Marika

Grandchildren

Five: Joshua, Marc, David, Brian, and Sarah

What do you think helped you to survive?

We had to be very strong and had to fight. My sister Clara and I were together, we were very lucky, had a miracle. We were about to be taken to Auschwitz to be killed when a German recognized my sister who was his beautician and had us pulled off the transport. A miracle, every survivor who survived is a miracle. After my husband passed away in 1977, I became a volunteer at Borman Hall and later at the Nosh Nook at Menorah House nursing home. It’s important to do good for other people, especially the older ones. It helps them and it helps me.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Never forget the Holocaust. I lost my mother, father, sisters, brother and their families and many family members.