The exhibition “Chamem-me Stefan!” [Call me Stefan!], which tells the life story of Stefan Rozenfeld, will open on 21 September at the Carregal do Sal Secondary School.

Born into a Jewish family, Stefan was five years old when Germany invaded his country, Poland. There, the persecution of the Jews was implemented faster and more ruthlessly than in Germany. Łódź, his hometown, was occupied by the Germans, but thanks to the efforts of his father, who was abroad, Stefan and his mother left Polish territory shortly before the opening of the ghetto where the Jewish population was imprisoned. With a visa granted in Bordeaux by the Portuguese consul, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Stefan and his parents escaped to the USA, where they rebuilt their lives. However, part of the family was murdered during the Holocaust.

Curated and researched by historian Cláudia Ninhos and Leah Rozenfeld, and partially funded by the Diplomatic Institute, this exhibition is an initiative of the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation, with the support of the IHC. The design and graphic conception was by Susana Rosmaninho and Pedro Azevedo (Rosmaninho+Azevedo). Designed to travel through various public spaces, it is aimed at the middle and secondary school educational community, as it explores various topics related to the Holocaust and the Second World War.

Members of the Rozenfeld & Sills family will be present at the opening in Carregal do Sal, so it will be an excellent opportunity to meet some descendants of refugees.