Sándor was one of the prominent figures of the Jewish community and the underground during the Holocaust. He was one of the big food traders in Budapest. He came from a poor orthodox Jewish family. From the late 1930’s until the early 1940’s Sándor helped Jewish refugees arriving from Slovakia cross the border into Yugoslavia and Romania. He was caught and imprisoned in a detention camp. His wardens soon discovered his skills for obtaining food, which they needed, and appointed him as the man in charge of supplies. Even after his release from the detention camp, the commander still used his advice.
After the Germans invaded Hungary on 19.3.1944, the head of the Jewish community in Budapest appointed Sándor as the person responsible for the supplies, a position he filled with talent and success. Thanks to his many connections, Sándor obtained food for the Jews serving in forced labor camps and, later, for the ghetto Jews. In some cases he managed to reach the wagons in which Jews were being taken to Auschwitz and give them food. Sándor made a point of obtaining food, supplies, clothing and heating materials for the Jewish children who were concentrated in tens of children’s houses under the protection of the International Red Cross and administered by the Zionist youth movements.
‘Uncle Somló’ was remarkable for his great courage, outstanding persuasion skills and he often put his own life at risk. He held negotiations with Hungarian and German authorities in order to obtain food. His identifying sign was his green scarf that he always wrapped around his neck. He kept precise notes of the details of the deals he signed.
Sándor’s cooperation with the Zionist Youth underground is worth mentioning. ‘Uncle Somló’ did deliberately not see any difference among the various youth movements and worked with all of them. The products he obtained were mainly milk, cheeses, oil, rice, and beans. Heating materials, clothing, bed linen were also included in his line of work. He bought and obtained thousands of kilograms of all these items. He did not interrupt his activities even when the city was bombarded and shelled or when his private apartment was completely destroyed. After the liberation in 1945 Sándor continued with his activities and especially helped in obtaining food and other necessary supplies for Jewish orphans who were gathered in children’s houses. In 1973, after he passed away, people who honoured his memory planted a small forest in his name on the Carmel Mountain near the university.
