"The Holocaust has to be taught as a chapter in the long history of man's inhumanity to man."
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By the beginning of 1944, the end of World War II was in sight and the demise of the Third Reich was near. Despite imminent defeat, Hitler placed high priority on escalating the genocide by killing more Jews during that year than any other time during the war.
Jews in Hungary suffered the same fate as the other Jews in Europe, however killings took place in a matter of months rather than over the course of many years. In the winter of 1944, tens of thousands of Jews were marched away from approaching liberators and toward Germany, sometimes covering hundreds of miles on foot. Conditions were so dehumanizing and murderous on these treks that they came to be called "death marches." But some still found hope. Heroes emerged. And survivors have built remarkable lives founded on personal strength and compassion.
The first theatrical feature film release from Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, The Last Days depicts the extraordinary stories of five Americans who are Hungarian Holocaust survivors. From the villages of Carpathia to the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, the Holocaust ravaged their homeland. These five people—now a grandmother, a teacher, a businessman, an artist and a U.S. Congressman—lived to return some 50 years later with The Last Days filmmaking team.
Directed by James Moll and produced by June Beallor and Ken Lipper, the film interweaves eyewitness accounts, pivotal historic footage and a powerful score from Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, with cinematography by Harris Done. An October Films release, The Last Days is both a chronicle of the remarkable lives of people not unlike ourselves and a testament to the triumph of the human spirit.
Visit the USC Shoah Foundation's website for more information on The Last Days.
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The three survivors of the Basch family: Bill, Edit and Ted Szaszovo, Hungary, 1939.
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Bill Basch at age 15 in his hometown Szaszovo, just before traveling to Budapest, 1942.
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Bill's father Martin and his sisters, Perl and Edith, 1943. Martin and Perl died in the Holocaust and Edith survived.
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Bill's sister Edith, mother Gizella, and sister Perl, 1943.
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The last picture of Bill's parents, Gizella and Martin Basch, 1943.
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Bill's brother Arthur in Budapest, 1943, who later perished in Auschwitz.
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Herman and Irene Zisblatt on their wedding day, October 27, 1956.
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Irene's Uncle Naftaly and Aunt Helen with cousins Kevie, Ida and Sudy, who brought Irene to the United States from Austria in 1947.
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Irene's Aunt Fayge and Aunt Ruchel, who sheltered Irene in America after the war, 1945.
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Irene Zisblatt after guiding teenagers through Auschwitz for the March of the Living, 1994.
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Irene with her son Mark and wife Pamela, 1999.
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Irene's grandchildren, Skylar and Jacob, 1998.
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Renée and Bernard Firestone, 1946.
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Renée's brother Frank, c. 1939.
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Renée's brother Frank and sister Klara, c. 1938.
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Renée Firestone arrives in the United States from Prague with her daughter Klara, October 30, 1948.
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Renée's granddaughter Johanna Spektor, 1996.
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Renée Firestone at age 42.
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Alice Lok Cahana's younger brother Imi Lok at age 3.
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Alice's cousins Sloymele, Hanale, Razele, Sarale, c. 1942.
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Jewish school children in Sárvár, 1943, with Alice in closeup.
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"No Names" by Alice Lok Cahana.
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"Where Are Our Brothers," by Alice Lok Cahana.
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"1940-1945 III", by Alice Lok Cahana.
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"Waiting for the Magic Bird," by Alice Lok Cahana.
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"Dreams," by Alice Lok Cahana.
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Dario Gabbai's grandfather David, uncle Jack and grandmother Rachel in Salonika, Greece, c. 1920.
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Dario with schoolmates in Salonika, 1931.
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Cousin Morris Venezia, a friend and Dario just months before liberation, 1945.
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Uncle Jack, his wife Sarah and Dario in Athens, c. 1975.
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Cousin David with Dario in Milan, Italy, 1984.
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Cousins Shlomo and Morris Venezia with Dario in Krakow, Poland, 1999.
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Dario's daughter Rhoda, 1984.
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Tom at age 7.
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Tom's graduation portrait at the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1949.
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Tom and Annette Lentos during their honeymoon in Los Angeles, 1950.
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Tom and Annette with their two daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, and the family dog Gigi, 1995.
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The Rose Garden at the White House, October 5, 1981, where Reagan signed legislation introduced by Congressman Tom Lantos.
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Randolph L. Braham in American uniform working for the AJDC-UNRRA in the American zone during the occupation of Germany, 1946-1947.
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Randolph's bride Elizabeth Sommer, 1954.
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Randolph receiving the Order of Merit Officer's Cross of the Hungarian Republic from President Arpád Gönez in the Hungarian Parliament, November 1995.
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Randolph receiving the Doctor Honoris Causa Recognition Award from Hebrew Union College and giving the commencement address, June 1996.
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Randolph with his family, including his wife Elizabeth, younger son Robert, older son Steven, Robert's wife Rosalie, and Steven's wife Mariko.
