In Memory of Helen Kahan (1923–2025)

The Florida Holocaust Museum mourns the loss of a remarkable woman, Helen Kahan (née Sabo), who passed away on August 29 at the age of 102.

Born in 1923 in Rozavlea, Romania, Helen was the eldest of seven children. Her life was forever altered in 1944, when she and her family were forced into a ghetto and later deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She endured the unimaginable, surviving transfers to Bergen-Belsen and Lippstadt concentration camps, as well as a death march near the war’s end. Helen’s courage carried her through until liberation by Soviet forces in Oschatz, Germany, in May 1945.

Following the war, Helen spent time recovering in hospitals and nursing homes before returning to Romania in search of surviving relatives. In 1967, she and her family fulfilled a lifelong dream by immigrating to the United States, where they made a home in Seminole, Florida.

Helen’s story was not only one of survival but also of resilience and purpose. She dedicated countless hours as a volunteer at The FHM, ensuring that future generations would learn about the atrocities of the Holocaust through her testimony. Her voice educated and inspired all who listened.

In May 2023, Helen marked a milestone many dream of reaching: her 100th birthday. She celebrated with throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Tampa Bay Rays game.

Helen’s legacy will live on in the stories she shared, the lives she touched, and the generations she helped educate.

May her memory be for a blessing.