Albert Garih

​Albert Garih is a Holocaust survivor who was born on June 24, 1938, in Paris, France. His parents, Benjamin and Claire Garih, were Sephardic Jews originally from Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), who had moved to Paris in the 1920s.

Feature image above include photo obtained from USHMM.^[1]https://www.ushmm.org/online-calendar/event/MAFRSTPRALGAR0224

Persecution

When Albert was still a small child, World War II engulfed Europe, and the Nazi occupation of France brought terrifying dangers for Jewish families like his.

As Nazi control tightened, Jews in France faced increasing restrictions: curfews, loss of jobs, confiscation of businesses, and the terrifying threat of arrest. At some point during the occupation, Albert’s father, Benjamin, was arrested. Unlike the mass deportations to death camps that many French Jews faced, Benjamin was sent to forced labor in the Channel Islands — the only part of the British Isles that Germany occupied during the war. Life there was brutally hard, and the family had little information about his fate.

Back in Paris, life for the remaining Garihs became a day-by-day struggle for survival. With Jews being rounded up for deportation — often with little warning — hiding became their only option. Albert, still a very young boy, had to learn quickly the rules of living in concealment: stay quiet, trust no one outside the small circle of those who sheltered them, and be ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Survival

The Garih family moved between different safe houses, depending on the bravery of ordinary French citizens willing to risk everything to protect them. For Claire, Albert’s mother, the stress was enormous — she had to keep three young children alive and hidden, knowing that discovery could mean death not just for her family, but for their protectors as well. Albert would later recall how childhood under these circumstances was robbed of any normality: no school, no outdoor play, no friends, only fear and constant movement.

Despite the Nazis’ brutal efficiency and the collaboration of the Vichy regime, there were still acts of great courage among ordinary French people. Some provided forged documents; others hid families in cellars, attics, or isolated countryside homes. It was through the quiet heroism of these individuals that Albert, his mother, and his sisters survived the Holocaust.

The end of the war did not immediately erase the scars of the years spent in hiding. Reuniting with his father — if he survived — was uncertain. So was the task of rebuilding a life interrupted by trauma. Yet Albert’s survival itself was an extraordinary victory over a system that had sought to eliminate him simply because of his heritage.

In the years that followed, Albert emigrated to the United States, where he made a new life for himself. But he never forgot the debt he owed: to those who hid his family, to the soldiers who fought to liberate Europe, and to the memory of the millions who did not survive. He became a dedicated voice for remembrance, speaking to young people and future generations about the Holocaust, emphasizing both the horror and the moments of humanity that allowed his survival.

His wartime story is not just about survival — it is about resilience, the kindness of strangers, the terror of innocence lost, and the lifelong commitment to ensuring that such a tragedy is never forgotten.

Legacy

Garih dedicated much of his life to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and educating future generations. He is (still) actively involved in Holocaust education. He volunteeres at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), where he shares his personal testimony with visitors, especially students, highlighting both the horrors and the resilience of survivors.

Also contributing to written projects, such as the USHMM’s “Echoes of Memory” initiative, where he wrote a “Letter to a World War II Veteran”, expressing gratitude to those who helped liberate Europe.

Through his volunteer work and writings, Albert Garih ensures that the personal experiences of survivors like himself would be preserved for future generations. His efforts focused on preventing the Holocaust from being forgotten and promoting education about the dangers of intolerance and hatred.

His entry in the log book is profound and humbling:

I owe my life to the courageous soldiers who came to our rescue. Forever they will be in my memories.

Albert Garih, 19 July 2017

To hear more from Albert Garih please find several videos on United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustmuseum/search?query=garih