17th September, 2023
A 99-year-old kidney specialist, Dr. John Goldsmith has given an emotional account of his and his family’s bitter experiences which resulted in his grandmother’s painful death in hiding in Amsterdam during World War 2.
The touching story is shared on the Instagram page of ‘peoplemove’ newsletter, named ‘Untold Stories’ where Goldsmith reportedly pointed to a candlestick which he said belonged to his late grandmother, Minna Lowenstein.
According to him, “It is the only thing I have from my family, from the home we left, so it is very dear to me. It sits here on the table. I think of my grandmother so fondly. As a child I stayed with her while my mother was working,” Goldsmith said.
The remaining part of the narration follows, thus: “I grew up in Germany, my mother and step-father were dentists. I went to a small Jewish school. I was aware of what was happening – I heard Hitler ranting and screaming on the radio. My step-father’s practice was smashed up in 1933 by a rival Nazi dentist. He moved to a different home but was dragged from this house, murdered by shooting by the gang. My mother was taken into so-called ‘protective custody. After that, we had to escape.
“My grandmother fled to Amsterdam and was taken in by a Christian family, but died in hiding from abdominal cancer. Two of my uncles and their wives and children were killed.
“In 1937 The British Dental Association and government allowed us to come to England. I spoke Dutch and German but not English but I soon learnt. I attended a Methodist school and sang hymns in the choir. In 1940 on my 16th Birthday, I was interned and sent to Huyton then Canada, where there were lots of well-educated people, including doctors.
“When I was released I began to feel settled. I qualified as a doctor but when I applied for jobs, wasn’t short-listed. At that time my naturalisation came through. I changed my name – from Hans Goldschmidt to Henry John Goldsmith. After which I experienced no difficulties getting jobs.
“In 1961 I became a kidney specialist and worked in Liverpool until retiring. I love Liverpool and plan to leave one of my paintings to our Liverpool Museum in gratitude to the United Kingdom.
“I have been back to Germany for conferences and to visit my father’s grave, but I think of myself as a citizen of the world. I am Jewish and a humanist. I’m a member of The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR).
“I’ve addressed schools with educational talks. As living memory recedes and we grapple with its legacy it’s important for eyewitnesses to share our story; to honour those whose lives were destroyed and combat Holocaust lies.”
