Vera Schaufeld MBE: A Life Dedicated to Education and Holocaust Remembrance
Vera Schaufeld, a Holocaust survivor who became a pioneering primary school teacher and dedicated advocate for Holocaust education, has died at the age of 95. Born in Prague, she fled Czechoslovakia on a Kindertransport train in 1939 at just nine years old, leaving her family behind to escape Nazi occupation.
Early Life and Escape from Persecution
Born Věra-Helga Löwyová in Prague, she was the only child of Jewish parents, Eugen Löwy, a lawyer, and Else (nee Leseritz), a paediatrician. She enjoyed a secure and happy upbringing in Klatovy until the looming threat of Nazi Germany forced her to say goodbye to her parents at Prague station. She travelled alone to Britain, where she was taken in by Leonard and Nancy Faires, a Methodist couple in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
After the Second World War ended, Vera learned the tragic fate of her family: her parents, grandmother, aunt, and uncle had all perished in concentration camps. This profound loss shaped her commitment to ensuring such atrocities were never forgotten.
A Distinguished Teaching Career
After secondary education at the East Anglian School for Girls in Bury St Edmunds, Vera trained as a primary school teacher at Southlands College, now part of the University of Roehampton. Her career began at Stepney Jewish School, but in 1951 she left to join a kibbutz in Israel. There, she met Avram Schaufeld, a Polish concentration camp survivor working as a shepherd, and they married in 1952.
The couple settled in the UK two years later, where Vera taught in various London primary schools while Avram qualified as a physiotherapist. They had two daughters, Rachel and the author of this obituary, and moved to Wembley in north-west London.
After a career break from 1956 to 1963 to raise her children, Vera joined Brent Language Service in 1972, specialising in teaching English to primary and secondary schoolchildren who had recently arrived in the UK. She later gained a diploma in teaching English as a second language (ESL) from Ealing Technical College and became a part-time practical assessor on the course while working as a full-time ESL adviser for the London Borough of Brent.
Championing Holocaust Education and Recognition
Over her last three decades, Vera became a powerful voice for Holocaust education, speaking to countless groups of children and adults. She often appeared at the invitation of organisations such as the Holocaust Education Trust and the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, but also responded positively to requests from other channels. Her talks emphasised empathy and understanding, encouraging audiences to treat people with compassion.
In 2019, her outstanding contributions were recognised with an MBE for services to Holocaust education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Roehampton, where she had completed her teaching training.
Personal Interests and Later Life
Always intellectually curious, Vera enjoyed discussing ideas and took classes on philosophy and literature through the Housebound Wives' Register in the 1960s. Her lifelong love of literature sustained her, and she continued participating in book and poetry groups even after moving into a care home in 2022.
Avram died in 2017, and her daughter Rachel predeceased her in 2023. She is survived by her other daughter, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Vera Schaufeld's legacy as a teacher, Holocaust educator, and advocate for empathy will continue to inspire future generations.
