19 March 1944: Zsuzsanna Kalmar was just two years old when Nazi tanks rumbled into Budapest and began what Winston Churchill described as "the greatest, most horrible crime ever committed in the history of the world."
For the following five years, Suzi and her family escaped death several times at the hands of both the Germans and the Russians who 'liberated' Hungary in early 1945 before imposing their own form of brutal oppression.
Finally safe in Australia in 1949, Suzi struggled to adjust to her new life as a 'reffo', before enduring two failed marriages and the death of an infant son. Then, aged forty, she met the man who would change her life.
Now in her eighties, she is still teaching future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust. Suzi Smeed has written her inspiring life story to keep a light shining on anti-Semitism because... history shows that it can easily escalate from bigotry to genocide if good people ignore bad things.
PRAISE FOR THE COURAGE TO CARE
I have known Suzi Smeed for many years. Her book is the bittersweet story of a child, a holocaust survivor, who learned how to love rather than hate. I like the fact that she is now dedicated to teaching new generations that same vital lesson.
-- David Kirby KC, former Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW.
Suzi Smeed has done an extraordinary and courageous job via her memoir of the Hungarian Holocaust. Not only did she survive the terrifying trauma and create a new life in Australia with its own story of triumph, but she also alerts us to the continuing cultural concern about the growth of anti-Semitism in Australia. In this candid and compelling memoir, she reminds us why we must embrace that responsibility. For someone to chronicle her experiences, as Suzi has done, demonstrates immense moral strength,
-- Alan Jones AO, broadcaster and former Wallabies Coach.
Against the background of the beating of the war drums in Europe, Suzi Smeed, one of the last survivors of the holocaust, tells her story of her escape from the gas ovens and the making of a new life in Australia. This is the history and the true memoir of an indomitable woman.
-- Ian Callinan AC, Former Australian High Court Judge, novelist and playwright.
This is a riveting account about the survival of a little girl during the ethnic cleansing of her community by brutal savages. Suzi's words convey deep conviction, emotional intensity, intelligence, and learning. She is the epitome of human triumph over evil, not only surviving - but thriving and making a difference. I am honoured to know her, and proud to call her my dear and very close friend.
-- Brigitte Gabriel, Founder & Chairman, ACT For America
The lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten. We are so grateful to Suzi for her personal and eloquently-told story, and for her passionate commitment to educating future generations. This story is Suzi's legacy and a shining tribute to the 568,000 Hungarian Jews whose lives were cruelly ended by evil.
-- Jason Steinberg, Chairman, Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre.
