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A Symphony of Remembrance

Stefan Carter grows up in Warsaw, Poland, between two very different worlds. Barely aware he is Jewish, he and his family are part of a small, assimilated community that is steeped in Polish language, literature and music. But in 1939, when Nazi Germany occupies Poland, Stefan and his family suffer the same fate as the rest of the Jewish community — forced into the Warsaw ghetto and at constant risk of violence and deportation to the Treblinka death camp. Stefan manages to escape the ghetto, but his years in hiding are marked by isolation and the danger of being exposed as a Jew. After the war, Stefan focuses on building a new and meaningful life in Winnipeg, pursuing a career in vascular medicine, developing a passion for classical music and engaging in Holocaust education. In A Symphony of Remembrance, Stefan Carter composes a tribute to his family and friends, and to the brave people who helped him survive. He also sounds an urgent call to learn from the past, acknowledge ongoing human suffering and create a more just future.

Introduction by Katarzyna Person

At a Glance
Poland
Warsaw ghetto
Hiding
False identity
Arrived in Canada in 1948
Accessible ebook

208 pages, including index

Recommended Ages
14+
Language
English

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Photo of Stefan A. Carter

About the author

Stefan Carter was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1928. In 1948, he immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and enrolled in medical studies at the University of Manitoba. Stefan graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in 1954 and went on to have an illustrious career in vascular medicine. In 1958, he married Emilee Horn and they raised two children. Stefan was an advocate for Holocaust education in Winnipeg and spoke to many students about his wartime experiences. He was a long-time badminton player and classical music aficionado, and his book Mozart: A Meditation on His Life and Mysterious Death was published in 2006. Stefan Carter passed away in 2023.

We could not leave; we were trapped. I remember a very heavy feeling in my chest, a foreboding feeling.

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