How Scouts helped me settle into the UK after the Holocaust
John Dobai’s a Holocaust survivor, and former Scout. In 1948, after the Second World War, John and his family moved to the UK, and John joined Scouts. We spoke to John about his experiences and how he found Scouts helped him settle into life in the UK.
John has kindly asked that this blog and its content should only be read by those aged 16 and over.
Hi John. Can you tell us a bit more about your experience during the Holocaust?
I was born in 1934 to a family of Jewish origin in Budapest, Hungary. My father worked in a bank and my mother was a housewife, and I was their only child. My family were persecuted during the Holocaust.
Worried by the rise of Nazism and far-right nationalists in Hungary during the 1930s, my parents decided we should convert to Roman Catholicism. I was raised in that faith and started school at the age of six in 1940. In 1941, Hungary joined Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. Six months later, as we were of Jewish origin, my father was sent to a forced labour camp.
In March 1944, after it had attempted to leave the war, Hungary was occupied by Germany. This led to an increase in antisemitic persecution and my family had to abide by the antisemitic laws. Everyone who was classified as a Jew had to wear the Star of David, including my family, despite our conversion to Christianity. I couldn’t go back to school, because children who were classified as being Jewish weren’t allowed to.
The deportation of Hungarian Jews, including my aunts and cousins, to Auschwitz-Birkenau began in May 1944. In the June, my mother and I were ordered to move into a so-called yellow-star houses, along with other Jewish families. Shortly after, the Jews of Budapest began to be deported. However, the transports suddenly stopped in early July when the Hungarian head of state, Admiral Horthy, ordered a halt.
Still, many Jews in Budapest were worried that the deportations would resume. My parent’s fears of deportation increased in September 1944 when we were moved to another house. Around this time, my father was released from forced labour and made it back to Budapest.
He’d heard that a Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, was handing out papers which said the holders were protected from deportation by the Swedish government. My father managed to get hold of these passes for us, so we were protected from deportation.
How did you start your life again after the Holocaust?
The war ended in Budapest around April 1945, and I was looking forward to starting school again, as I hadn’t been to school for a year and a half. As a result of the war, a lot of buildings and institutions in Budapest, where we lived, were in ruins. Places, such as police buildings and courts, had fallen apart.
My parents suggested I should go to a boarding school north east of Budapest as it was more likely to be relatively unaffected and peaceful for me. I went to tutor to get ready for school, and, in September, I travelled there. I was in very new environment, but it offered a peaceful, organised, orderly life. The school was an enormous help in regaining equilibrium to start life again.
Had you been in the Scouts previously to joining the UK organisation?
Yes, I had. In Hungary, the Scouts, were already active. The Scouts had helped by acting as messengers during the First World War. Scouts then grew further between two world wars, becoming increasingly popular, with our Hungarian Chief Scout being our prime minister. Scouts restarted after World War Two in 1946 and, around that time, the boarding school I attended started a Scouts group, which I joined.
What was your experience when you came to the UK?
We moved to the UK in 1948 and my father was offered job on Tyneside, so we travelled up to Tynemouth. The friends of my parents suggested a school, so my parents and I were interviewed by headteacher, and he asked what I was interested in. My father replied that I enjoyed sports, swimming, and he had been a member of the Scouts in Hungary. The headteacher then found my local Scout group, which I joined the following week.
What did you enjoy about Scouts?
I first joined Scouts in the UK in late October 1948 and immediately everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. Near to our meeting space was sandy beach, a harbour and a pier, so there was plenty of open space where we could play games or look at sea creatures. Scouts meant I immediately had around 20 new friends, who were very kind and included me in all the activities. Scouts helped enormously with me settling in to living in the UK. We remained friends long after we left Scouts and I keep in touch with two of them to this day.
My family lived in Tynemouth for six years, but then my father’s job changed, and we came down to London. During that period, I became a King Scout. I went to Windsor for a service at St George’s Chapel along with other King’s Scouts. It was a very happy experience.
When did you begin speaking about the Holocaust?
After finishing school, I went to university and found a job. I then met my wife and got married and, although we were married for over 60 years with our own children, all this time I didn’t talk about that I came from Jewish family. I decided that it’s not something I should volunteer, as didn’t know what other people’s reactions would be.
It was about when I was retiring that my children suggested I first bought a computer. They said I should use it to write down what happened to my family during the second world war, so I did. I then printed several copies for my immediate family to read and gave a copy to the Imperial War Museum. It was positively received, and the museum suggested I give a copy to Holocaust Educational Trust, then someone called and asked if I would speak to suitable audiences. I thought about it and volunteered. So, that’s how it started.
From sharing my story, I’ve travelled to from Inverness to Southampton. I visited the Jewish community in South Africa and spoken to the United States Air Force in Cambridgeshire. My talks have also become digital during the pandemic. Zoom came along, meaning I could speak to people easily in Northern Ireland or far north of Scotland.
Why do you feel it’s important for young people to learn about the Holocaust?
I think everyone should be aware of our past and of our history. If we know our history, we know the difficulties that our society’s faced in the past. If we know the difficulties, then we have a better chance of avoiding them in the future.
I strongly believe that if we can get together, whether it’s in schools, universities or at Scouts, and express our belief in our society welcoming everyone, no matter who they are, then we have the best chance of building a society where we understand and respect each other. Throughout the year, we must practice total inclusivity, and we’d be able to live in greater peace and understanding.