Nate Leipciger

Nathan Leon Leipciger C.M. MSM SMV LL.D. (honoris causa) (born 28 February 1928 in Chorzów, Poland) has been an active Holocaust educator for over 30 years, public speaker and author from Toronto. Leipciger has been Awarded The Meritorious Service Medal on 9 May 2000 and The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2017 by the Governor General of Canada, in recognition of his extensive volunteer work in Holocaust education and remembrance activities . In 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in recognition of his lifelong dedication to Holocaust education and human rights advocacy. He Co-founded, along with Gerda Frieberg, the ''Toronto Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre'' in 1985 and served on the International Council of the Auschwitz‑Birkenau Museum for 15 years. He is a dedicated speaker with Canada's March of the Living delegation. By 2025, he marked his 21st participation—he consistently emphasizes combating hatred and preserving memory. Leipciger is the Author of, ''The Weight of Freedom'' (''Le Poids de la liberté''), recounting his Holocaust journey and post-war life.

Early life

Forced to leave their home in Chorzów when the Germans invaded Poland, Leipciger and his family were moved to the Sosnowiec Ghetto. in Sosnowiec, Leipciger became an apprentice electrician in a shoe factory, a skill that later proved vital for survival. At age 15, he, his sister and mother were transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau. His mother and sister were murdered in Auschwitz, but his father kept close to his son. Leipciger ended up as forced labour in various other camps in Silesia. His father intervened twice, saving Nate from immediate death—first during selection (the queue for the gas chamber) and again by convincing an SS officer of Nate’s trade skills, convincing the officers that his son was a useful electrician. Leipciger was allowed to accompany his father. According to Leipciger, his father begged a Nazi officer to get Leipciger to a factory in Germany to save him from being murdered at Auschwitz. This intervention led them to endure a staggering six more camps after Auschwitz, including Gross-Rosen, Flossenbürg, and Mühldorf, ultimately surviving against overwhelming odds. By liberation in April 1945, only he and his father remained alive.

They were incarcerated in the concentration camps of Fünfteichen, Gross-Rosen and Flossenbürg before ending up at Waldlager V, part of the Mühldorf camp complex and a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp where they were eventually liberated by American soldiers.

In June 1948, after living in Bamberg, Germany, for three years, Leipciger and his father immigrated to Canada. He earned an engineering degree following an accelerated path through high school; subsequently built a successful career as an engineer, raised a family with three daughters, and eventually became a citizen. His father, Jacob, remained a central figure in his life, credited by Leipciger as indispensable to his survival

The Late 1980s Moving Forward

Along with Gerda Frieberg, Leipciger co-founded the Toronto Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre in 1985. Through their leadership, the Centre has educated over 25,000 students and visitors each year, establishing itself as a prominent Ontario institution focused on combating prejudice and racism. This, with other initiatives and work in the field of Holocaust education led to the Governor General awarding both Friedberg and Leipciger with a Meritorious Service Medal on 9 May 2000, calling them, "advocates for Holocaust awareness and being the "driving force behind the 1985 opening of the Toronto Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre." In March 2020, the Toronto Holocaust Museum temporarily closed to relocate and expand into a larger, redesigned space within the same renovated community facility. With COVID-19 effecting many organizations at the time, the museum transitioned to virtual programming, enabling staff to concentrate on the development and construction during the closure. The expansion wa spart of a

Leipciger spoke at the new museum before it had re-opened 9 June 2023. In recalling those early years before arriving at 11 years of age he remarked, “''Before any atrocity happens, life is normal''”—explaining to his audience how quickly ordinary life can give way to unimaginable horrors.

In 2019, as a notable Holocaust survivor, Leipciger received an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto in recognition of his longstanding contributions to Holocaust education and human rights advocacy. During the formal assembly, he spoke about the importance of historical memory, stating: ''“The memory of the Holocaust must be preserved, not only because of the victims, but also because we have to learn from the past to protect the future.”'' He addressed the dangers of hatred and its consequences, saying: ''“Hatred leads to Auschwitz. Hatred leads to the murder of innocent people. It leads to genocide.”'' Leipciger concluded his remarks with a message directed at the graduates: ''“This is your world. Your life is ahead of you. The ball is in your hands.”''

On 30 June 2025, at age 95, in recognition of Leiciger's decades-long commitment to Holocaust education, and nationwide contributions: speaking tours, writings, museum leadership, and educational programming, have earned him the prestigious national honour: an appointment to the Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.). The Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, wrote, "Nate Leipciger has been a force for Holocaust education for decades. A dedicated educator with the March of the Living for more than 30 years, he has mentored thousands of students on the dangers of bigotry and intolerance, and has inspired thousands more with his personal story of resilience, love and forgiveness."

Work with Liberation75

Liberation75 is a Toronto-based nonprofit organization founded in 2018 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Holocaust’s liberation, collaborates with survivors, descendants, educators, and partner institutions to develop innovative Holocaust education programs aimed at combating antisemitism and other forms of hatred also has worked with Leipciger. Their"Student Day 2025" program included a segment titled ''“Holocaust Survivor Nate Leipciger’s Testimony Presented by His Granddaughter.”'' In it, his story was conveyed via interviews and a presentation, focusing on his life in Canada, experiences during WWII, and lessons about overcoming hatred and embracing peaceful coexistence.

As part of Liberation75’s Virtual Holocaust Library a recorded session/testimony featured Holocaust survivors Nate Leipciger and Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, discussing their experiences related to liberation at the end of World War II. The production included reflections on post-war freedom and the importance of historical memory. The session also touches on educational themes aimed at future generations. International March of the Living publicly congratulated Leipciger and thanked him for his 21 years of participation to the March.

The Weight of Freedom

In 2015, ''The Weight of Freedom'' was published, a 280-page book written by Nate Leipciger, one of over 60 books in the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Memoirs by Canadian survivors. The memoir balances raw depictions of trauma with reflections on survival, resilience, and the "weight" carried into freedom. It addresses the challenges of post-war identity, the difficulty of reconciling traumatic memories, and the responsibility understood by survivors to educate future generations. With an introduction by Deborah Dwork, the narrative is praised for being introspective, unflinching, yet infused with hope and moral insight. Bill Gladstone, a respected Holocaust scholar, described it as "gripping, moving and insightful,

Visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau with Prime Minister Trudeau

On 10 July 2016, after attending a NATO summit in Warsaw, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requested a visit to Auschwitz–Birkenau. He chose to be accompanied by Holocaust survivor Nate (Nate) Leipciger, then 88, who shared his firsthand insights from the camp where he was imprisoned at age 15. The pair walked through both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II–Birkenau, including the railway ramp, gas chamber ruins, crematoria, and displays of victims’ belongings, guided by the Auschwitz Museum director.

At the gas chambers and boxcar ramp, Leipciger recounted the moment when he and his mother and sister were torn apart. He recited Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. It was reported that Prime Minister Trudeau was visibly moved to tears, as he and Leipciger shared a profound experience at the place of Leipciger's suffering, Leipciger described it as, "the moment of greatest impact." Nate placed his hands on Trudeau’s head and offered the Priestly Blessing. At one point, Prime Minister Trudeau asked Leipciger, "How did you survive?" Leipciger credited his father's courage, rescuing him from selection to the gas chambers.

After, Leipciger reflected: "When Prime Minister Trudeau and I shed tears together in Auschwitz-Birkenau, never have I been more grateful for the welcome given to me by my adopted land, never have I been prouder to be a citizen of our beloved country, Canada. It was one of the most uplifting moments of my life."

The Prime Minister said, "This past July, I was privileged to walk the grounds of Auschwitz with Nate Leipciger. It was a tremendously moving experience, one that will stay with me forever."

Volunteer activities

Nate Leipciger has been an active volunteer with numerous Holocaust and community organizations, including the Toronto Holocaust Remembrance Committee, The Canadian Jewish Congress, The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, The International Council to the Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Facing History and Ourselves and March of the Living, participating in the latter program 17 times.

In his book '' Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust Memory to New Generations'' author Eli Rubenstein quotes an exchange between Leipciger and one of the young Toronto students on the March of the Living.

Nate Leipciger: "You cannot have hate in your heart without being hateful against yourself. And that's the big problemwhen you are hateful, you become bitter, you resent everything and that becomes part of your nature." Student: "You don't hate the soldiers, who took those kids out nd murdered them" Nate Leipciger: "There is a difference between hating and holding them responsible. They are two different feelings. I don't have to like them, but I don't hate them. Because hate will destroy the person doing the hating."

Holocaust Education Work

Leipciger has given testimony several times with USC Shoah Foundation, speaking about his father, Jacob Leipciger, to whom he recognizes as the reason he himself survived the Holocaust. 13 February 1996, Leipciger took part in "A Father and Son Story" for father's day. The show was to recognize and celebrate life-saving actions taken by many fathers during the Holocaust. In his testimony, he was asked, "what gave you the will to go on?" Nate Leipciger answered, "my father...the fact that we were together."

On 26 May 2019, Crestwood Highschool did an extensive interview with Leipciger about his childhood, the War beginning and ghettos being created, his deportation to Auschwitz, his imprisonment, liberation, and his views on using the lessons of the past to build a stronger future.

29 March 2023, International March of the Living released "2023 Survivor Spotlight," featuring Leipciger on the March as part of the Canadian delegation where he participates regularly. When writing about his participation, he was quoted saying, "In my opinion, there is no more impactful way to tell the story of the Shoah than on the site where it took place. During the March, my suffering – the hunger, isolation, fear, degradation, incarceration, and loss of family – comes back to me, and I am transported back to the reality of what defines the Shoah for me."

"As a survivor and educator, nothing can be more rewarding than telling my story in the barracks of Birkenau and seeing the understanding and compassion written on the tear-stained faces of the participants, knowing they have become the new witnesses who will carry the story of the Shoah to the next generation."

"Be proud of our achievements and contributions to the Jewish people and the world. Stand up to racism and antisemitism, and fight with determination using all available elements of our free society through legislation and education. Stand your ground with truth and knowledge and defy false narratives and falsehoods. Join the fight for all human rights. Remember that we have the same rights as all other people; the right to live with dignity, respect, freedom from discrimination, freedom of religion and the right to worship in the manner we choose."

Leipciger has travelled and taken part in the March of the Living over twenty times alongside In an article written by Eli Rubenstein, Leipciger talked about the intersectionality of the Holocaust and the 7 October attack in Israel. When Rubenstein asked how he, as a survivor compared the Holocaust with 7 October 2023, Leipciger said, "I think it is a situation which we as human beings have never seen. It’s a barbarism and I cannot equate it with anything else," describing the attack as worse than the Shoa.

80th Anniversary & March of the Living: 2025

On 24 April 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, Nate participated in the March of the Living for the 21st time. The event brought together 80 Holocaust survivors—40 from Israel and 40 from the diaspora—along with thousands of participants. He has been outspoken in his fight against antisemitism, "Everyday could have been my death… Jewish rights are also human rights!"

After 7 October 2023 and Antisemitism

Leipciger has been interviewed numerous times about his thoughts and feelings on the events of 7 October attack in 2023 and the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and International March of the Living featured Leipciger one month after the 7 October attack. Leipciger spoke about being attacked in the streets as a little boy in Poland. He spoke about the number on his left forearm, and how this became his only identification. Leipciger also spoke about his entire family murdered. "I am devastated to see that Jews are being attacked on the streets today and on campuses." Leipciger stated, "Jews are not safe...anywhere. I saw where antisemitism can lead. Don't be a bystander, fight antisemitism now."

In 2024 Leipciger was interviewed on the Arvum Rosensweig Show with Eli Rubenstein about the response of Jewish people around the world and how they respond to the level of antisemitism today. When asked if Leipciger was surprised at the level of antisemitism in the world today, he replied, "I am surprised. I shouldn't be, but I am. 80 years after Auschwitz he Holocaustis not a long time, and when the vengeance with which antisemitism has returned has eliminated the gap between then and now... I think ike most peopleI feel disappointed, I feel troubled, I feel horrified by the loss of life we have witnessed on Oct 7, and with the brutality with which it was conducted. It was unequal even Isis didn't show pictures like that."

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Leipciger, Nate
1928 births
Living people
Auschwitz concentration camp survivors
Dachau concentration camp survivors
Polish emigrants to Canada
People from Chorzów
Members of the Order of Canada
Writers from Toronto