Rescued Recipes: Heroic Actions that Saved Family Treasures

The Fenyves family at their vineyard in what was then Subotica, Yugoslavia, circa 1935–38. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Steven J. Fenves

In 1944, 12-year-old Steven Fenves and his family were forced from their home in Subotica, Yugoslavia, into a Jewish ghetto. While neighbors turned against them and looted their home, their former cook, Maris, rescued their treasured family artwork and recipes. These cherished items offer a glimpse into one family’s life before it was shattered by the Holocaust.

In this digital program, Steven, a Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer, and James Beard Award–winning Chef Alon Shaya talk about family recipes and their connections to childhood memories and Holocaust history.