Hephzibah Rudofsky (Kohn)
Hephzibah Rudofsky is the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and has been dedicated to Holocaust education for over twenty years.
Her passion for preserving Holocaust memory led her to become Schools Tour Director for an innovative theatre production in 2006, bringing its powerful message to schools and prisons across London and the UK. Building on this experience, she worked closely with her mother, Lady Zahava Kohn, to develop Surviving the Holocaust, an educational programme based on Zahava’s wartime experiences.
Since 2009, Hephzibah has delivered this programme to diverse audiences including schoolchildren of all backgrounds and religions, university students, and adults - through an interactive and deeply personal approach. She has spoken to tens of thousands of students across Britain, Germany, and the USA, bringing history to life through storytelling, artefacts, and testimony.
As the custodian of an extensive family archive, Hephzibah holds artefacts, letters, photographs, and documents collected and preserved by her mother and grandmother during their time in Westerbork, Bergen-Belsen, and Biberach camps. These objects add a profound and tangible dimension to her presentations, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the Holocaust’s impact on individuals and families.
Following Lady Zahava’s passing in 2022, Hephzibah has taken on the sole responsibility of preserving and sharing her mother’s remarkable story, ensuring its lessons of resilience, remembrance, and hope continue to inspire future generations. She brings a deeply personal perspective to historical events, making them more relatable for students.
Her work has been widely recognized. In April 2015, she was a guest on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Later that year, she was awarded the Freedom of the City of London, and in June 2019, she received the Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister for her contributions to Holocaust education. She is also a regular speaker for the charity Speakers for Schools.
A student who attended one of her talks reflected:
“You read about this in history textbooks, internet resources, books, but to hear a story of a personal account from their own recollection is an amazing opportunity. This feels like it is a part of a moment in history. Uplifting and inspiring.”
Zahava Kohn MBE
Zahava Kohn (Kanarek) was born in Palestine in 1935 and spent her early years in pre-war Amsterdam. These were anxious times for European Jewish families living in the shadow of Nazi Germany. In May 1943, Zahava and her family were deported to Westerbork transit camp in Holland, and in January 1944, they were sent to Bergen-Belsen in Germany. After their release in 1945, they underwent intensive rehabilitation in Switzerland before returning to Amsterdam, hoping to rebuild their disrupted and shattered lives.
In 1958, Zahava moved to London. She married pharmacologist Dr. Ralph Kohn (the late Sir Ralph Kohn) in March 1963, and they made their home in London. She lived there for the rest of her life, raising three daughters and later becoming a grandmother to five grandchildren.
In 2001, following the passing of her mother, Rosy, Zahava discovered a hidden archive of documents and memories, precariously collected and preserved during the war tucked away in a small suitcase at the back of a cupboard. This extraordinary collection became the foundation of her book, Fragments of a Lost Childhood, published in 2009. After uncovering these memories, Zahava, alongside her daughter Hephzibah, began visiting schools across the UK and Germany, sharing her family’s story through the Surviving the Holocaust educational programme.
Zahava passed away in July 2022, leaving a profound and lasting impact. A teacher who attended one of her presentations reflected:
“Thank you both for such an uplifting, extraordinary and inspiring lecture - full of hope, forgiveness, and looking ahead. Living life without regrets - a phenomenal message for all future generations.”
Her story has been featured in numerous news articles, online exhibitions, and interviews over the years. In recognition of her dedication to Holocaust education, Zahava was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in October 2020.
Beyond her work in Holocaust education, Zahava was actively involved in charitable causes, supporting the arts, music, and scientific, educational, and humanitarian initiatives.