Harry Rozendaal z"l

It is with deep sadness that the March of the Living mourns the passing of Harry Rozendaal z"l, a 95-year-old child Holocaust survivor and participant on the 2026 March of the Living, who passed away in Warsaw on April 22, 2026.

Harry was born in Rotterdam in 1930. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, his father Joop joined the resistance — and was captured, tortured, and executed in December 1942. Just three days after his father's murder, the family was forced to flee and go into hiding. Over the next two years, young Harry was moved between 21 different locations across the Netherlands, separated from his younger brother and sister.

His mother, Catherina, was herself a member of the resistance. Harry's last encounter with her came at a safe house in Utrecht in 1943, where she shared with him a letter his father had written from prison, urging her to ensure their children received a Jewish education. Harry carried that charge for the rest of his life. Catherina was later captured, deported to Auschwitz, and murdered.

After liberation, Harry learned that both his siblings had survived in hiding. In 1946, members of the Jewish Brigade visited his orphanage, and at 17 he left for British Mandate Palestine, where he joined the Haganah as a Machal volunteer and witnessed the birth of the State of Israel. He later returned to the Netherlands, reunited with his siblings, met his wife Lotty, and in 1958 emigrated to Canada — first to Montreal, then to Toronto.

For years, Harry had expressed the wish to travel to Poland and say Kaddish for his mother at Auschwitz. COVID and health setbacks delayed his plans, but by 2025 — at 95 years old — he was undeterred. With his daughter, Dr. Betty Rozendaal, and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein by his side, he joined the Toronto March of the Living Adult Delegation.

What began as a deeply personal pilgrimage became something far larger. Standing outside the gas chambers at Auschwitz on the delegation's first full day, Harry shared his testimony with hundreds of students, young adults, and adults. He spoke about his childhood, his mother, and his service in Israel's War of Independence — urging his audience to stand proud and never stop fighting for who they are.

His words moved the entire delegation. One student, Jillian Kivenko, was so inspired that she wrote a poem and turned it into a song, performing it on Shabbat in front of all the survivors and delegations. Harry was beaming.

The day after the closing ceremonies, Harry suffered a serious cardiac event and was admitted to a hospital in Warsaw. He passed away on April 22, surrounded by the knowledge that he had fulfilled his lifelong mission — honouring his mother's memory in the very place she was taken from the world.

Throughout his life, Harry was a tireless advocate for recognizing the non-Jews who helped Dutch Jews survive the war. He was instrumental in securing Righteous Among the Nations recognition at Yad Vashem for Andres van der Meer, the resistance fighter who once escorted him across a lake to safety in a boat full of German soldiers.

Harry is survived by his daughter Betty and son-in-law Sonny Goldstein, his son Ed and wife Genia, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Lotty, his brother Dov, and his sister Liselotte.