USHMM | 2025 First Person Series: Robert Teitel

Born into a Jewish family in German-occupied Amsterdam, Robert Teitel never got to know his parents. He never learned to play chess from his father, a master player. He never saw an exhibition of his mother’s photography. Before Robert turned one, the Nazis arrested Robert’s father as mass deportations of Jews from the Netherlands began. Robert’s mother placed him with a caretaker, where he could be “hidden in plain sight,” while she went into hiding herself.

In his first appearance on First Person, hear more about what happened to Robert and his family, a story that includes a “kidnapping,” an orphanage, and help from then-Congressman FDR, Jr.

Speaker
Robert Teitel, Holocaust Survivor and Museum Volunteer

Moderator
Bill Benson, Journalist and Host, First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors

Watch live at youtube.com/ushmm. You don’t need a YouTube account to view our program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum's YouTube page.

Marking 25 years, First Person is a monthly, hour-long discussion with a Holocaust survivor that is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.

To sign up for the event reminder, click here.