Hear My Story: Sara & George Gati

Sara and George Gati survived the Holocaust as children—on different paths that eventually led them to each other.

“It was quiet for a long time, and then all of a sudden, there was shooting. We thought that they were going to kill us right there, that we wouldn’t go any further.” — George Gati, on his experience in a rail car, being deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz

In this episode of Hear My Story, they reflect on lives shaped by war, displacement, and remarkable resilience. Sara shares memories of being born in a Soviet forced labor camp, years spent in displaced persons camps across Europe and Israel, and the challenges of arriving in the United States as a teenager without speaking English. George recounts growing up in Hungary, surviving deportation in the final months of the war, and a terrifying train journey toward Auschwitz that ended in sudden liberation.

Together, they tell us about rebuilding after the Holocaust—learning a new language, navigating school, finding community, and ultimately meeting at Woodward High School in Cincinnati. Their story is one of survival, love, and the quiet determination to move forward.

This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Our gratitude to Margaret & Michael Valentine for their ongoing support of this series.

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