King’s welcomes Holocaust survivor

On Friday, 9 December, we were privileged to welcome Holocaust survivor, Tomi Komoly BEM, to speak to Sixth Form students and staff. 

Tomi, who was born in Budapest in 1936, joined us as part of a visit organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET). The aims of the HET were summed up by its Chief Executive, Karen Pollock MBE. 

She said: “At the Trust, we impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”

As a child, Tomi’s lived under anti-Jewish laws in Hungary that forced his family to sell their business and to move from their home into a one-bedroom flat. In 1944, Tomi and his mother moved into the Jewish ghetto in Budapest before escaping and eventually being liberated by the advancing Soviet army in January 1945. 

Tomi came to the UK on a university scholarship in 1956 where he qualified as an engineer, married and had two children. 

Students watched Tomi’s video testimony before taking the opportunity to ask him a series of thoughtful questions about his life and experiences.

Matthew Bircham, Head of Sixth Form Enrichment, worked with the HET to arrange the visit.

He said: “It’s always such a privilege to host guests such as Tomi, who are able to explain first hand the horrors of the Holocaust.

“Testimonies like Tomi’s always have a powerful impact on our students and hopefully, they will learn the lessons of such an horrific time in history and make a positive difference not just in their own lives, but in those around them.”

Tomi ended his visit with one piece of advice to the students.

He said: “When you see bullying or prejudice, speak up. Raise your voice. Make the choice to stand up for the bullied. Don’t be a bystander.

“This is the one thing we can all do to prevent situations like this happening again.”

Tomi is pictured here with Assistant Head Pastoral, Stephen Prest.