Man Who Was Held At Auschwitz At Age 4 Will Speak April 24 In Edison

EDISON, NJ — A man who was imprisoned at age 4 in the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz will give a free lecture next Thursday at Middlesex community college.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Michael Bornstein, 85, is one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust. He was 4 years old when he was held at the camp, which was then liberated while he was there.

Bornstein and his daughter, Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, will give a powerful presentation about his extraordinary survival. Together, Bornstein and Holinstat wrote the book "Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz," which tells Bornstein’s story of perseverance in the darkest of circumstances.

Their talk will take place at 2 p.m. April 24 in West Hall on the Edison campus of Middlesex College, located at 2600 Woodbridge Avenue. Attendance is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation to the Holocaust and Human Rights Center. Registration is available online and seating is limited.

“Middlesex College is honored to present one of the last living survivors of the Auschwitz death camp,” said Terrence Corrigan, history and social sciences professor at Middlesex College. “In a time of increasing antisemitism and hate, we need to make sure that the horrors of the Holocaust are not repeated. This is a unique opportunity for students and the local community to directly engage with history."

Bornstein is now retired after working more than four decades as a scientist and researcher, though he continues to speak regularly alongside his daughter at schools, synagogues and business institutions, sharing his experience. He and his daughter remind listeners to always look forward, but never forget.