Special Podcast: Leon Greenman and the struggle for survival
For London-born Auschwitz survivor Leon Greenman it was after the Holocaust that he said his nightmare really began. Every day was an agonising struggle for survival.
Presented by Ruth-Anne Lenga Associate Professor (Teaching) & Programme Director, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Introduction by Professor Li Wei Director and Dean, IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society
Listen here
Leon passed away in 2008 at the grand age of 97. Ruth-Anne Lenga, was privileged to be with him at that moment. Ruth-Anne’s long friendship with Leon gave her – and in turn the Centre – a rare insight into how he lived with the trauma of the past and what drove him to become a force for good despite the suffering he had endured.
Leon’s mission was to bear witness so that atrocities, such as the Holocaust, would never happen again. He spoke to thousands and thousands of people, especially young people, over his lifetime, and his testimony and humour shaped many of their lives. He also spoke to many teachers-in-training at the Institute Of Education (IOE), UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, and the experience left a lasting impression that has stayed with them through their careers.
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2022, we have created this podcast reflecting on Leon’s life and work, and the daily trauma of his survival.
- Listen to an introduction to the podcast from Professor Li Wei, Director and Dean of the IOE.
- Listen to the full Podcast
CREDITS | Archive audio: testimony of Leon Greenman, © USC Shoah Foundation. | Cover image: photograph of Leon Greenman © Joel Redman. | Production: ChromeRadio for the Centre for Holocaust Education, IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, UCL | Producer – Catriona Oliphant | Assistant Producer – Corey Soper, Lecturer, Centre for Holocaust Education | Post-production – Catriona Oliphant & Chris Sharp.
