This resource is based around the testimony of Scottish second-generation Holocaust survivors, and provides material for teachers to use in the classroom. Each video is accompanied by questions for pupils and a glossary of words mentioned in each video. There is also a document of notes for teachers. We are very grateful to the people who have shared their parents’ experiences, and their own stories, with us.
The aims of the resource are to:
Tell the stories of Holocaust survivors who made their lives in Scotland.
Reveal the effects of antisemitism on the lives of the speakers’ parents.
Show the impact of the Holocaust across generations
Philip Rodney on his father Wolfgang Rimalower
Wolfgang left Germany to go to an aunt in Switzerland in a fear of being deported, after getting involved in an argument following a car accident. He was turned away at several embassies and borders before receiving a British visa and later serving in the army. Recorded in January 2026.
Susan Hodgins on her mother Dorrith Sim
Dorrith Sim (Oppenheim) came to Scotland on the Kindertransport from Kassel, Germany. Dorrith was 7 years old when she said goodbye to her parents, Hans and Trude. Dorrith stayed with Fred and Sophie Gallimore in Edinburgh, and made her home in Scotland. Recorded in January 2026.
Geraldine Shenkin on her mother Marianne Grant
Marianne was born in the Czech Republic. In 1942, she was sent to Theresienstadt ghetto with her mother, and later survived various concentration camps. Whilst in Auschwitz, Marianne’s bravery and artistic talent saved her and her mother’s life. Recorded in January 2025.
Judy Russell on her father Ernest Levy
Ernest spent most of the war in Budapest, Hungary before he was deported on one of the first trains out of Budapest to Auschwitz in 1944. Ernest was chosen for work as he was young and healthy, and spent the next year in work camps until liberation. Recorded in January 2025.
Q&A with Speakers 2025
Speakers Geraldine Shenkin, Judy Russell and Philip Rodney take questions from the audience. Recorded in January 2025.
Q&A with Speakers 2026
Speakers Susan Hodgins and Philip Rodney take questions from the audience. Recorded in January 2026.
Further resources on Scotland and the Holocaust
