Ep 319: Raised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and guest Larry Altschul on hmTv

Raised by Survivors with Bernie Furshpan and Dr. Larry Altschul

In this compelling episode of Raised by Survivors, host Bernie Furshpan sits down with Dr. Larry Altschul, whose family escaped Austria at the moment history turned dark. Larry shares the remarkable story of his father, who recognized danger the day Hitler marched into Vienna, secured visas before the world closed its doors, and led his family across the Alps to safety. He later returned to Europe as a U.S. Army intelligence soldier to fight the very forces they fled.

Larry’s story is one of clarity, courage, and moral conviction. From the childhood crush who survived bombings in London and tuberculosis before becoming Larry’s mother, to the deep values of gratitude and duty carried into the next generation, this conversation brings to life the choices that define survival and humanity.

This episode reminds us that silence is dangerous, freedom is fragile, and ordinary people can make extraordinary decisions when they refuse to look away. It is a powerful testament to acting early, standing for what is right, and passing on compassion and strength to future generations.

Transcript

Ep. 319: Raised by Survivors

Host: Bernie Furshpan
Guest: Dr. Larry Altschul

Bernie:
Hello and welcome to hmTv. I'm Bernie Furshpan, host of Raised by Survivors here at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center. Today, I have a very special guest. We are going back to a moment in time, March 1938, when the Anschluss turned Austria into Nazi territory overnight. Jewish families suddenly faced a race against time.

My guest, Dr. Larry Altschul, brings an extraordinary personal history. His family saw what was coming, secured visas, and escaped before the doors slammed shut. Their story is not only about survival. It is about clarity, courage, and acting when the world changes around you.

Larry, thank you for joining me.

Larry:
Thank you very much for having me.

Bernie:
I knew this story needed to be documented. Let’s start with life before the Anschluss. What did they tell you about life in Austria before 1938? Was it good? Did they go to public school? Were they integrated?

Larry:
My family were Austrians before they thought of themselves as Jews. They were patriotic. Very involved in Austrian life. They lived with antisemitism because it had been there for centuries. They knew it existed, but it didn’t disrupt their daily lives much. Friends, school, sports, normal life. And they never imagined what was about to unfold.

Bernie:
Like many European Jews, they believed it would pass, just another wave of hate.

Larry:
Exactly. Nobody believed anything catastrophic would happen. Yet when Hitler marched into Austria, my father listened to his speech in Vienna as the crowds cheered. He heard the rhetoric and immediately knew they were in danger. That same day, he went to the U.S. and British consulates and applied for visas for himself, his mother, brother, and his best friend’s family.

Everyone told him he was overreacting. Someone might have said something similar today about politics. “It will pass. Calm down.” That was the reaction.

Bernie:
That was rare courage. Most thought nothing would really change.

Larry:
Exactly. They thought he was being dramatic. Yet two years later, Jewish life had collapsed. Kristallnacht, expulsions, humiliation. My father secured falsified papers, and in 1940 the two families walked across Austria, through the Alps, into Switzerland. They nearly starved, but they made it.

When the Swiss almost deported them back to Germany, my father mentioned the visas he applied for two years earlier. Turns out their names had finally reached the top of the list. That saved them. They eventually arrived in New York.

Bernie:
All because your father acted early. That is providence and courage.

Larry:
Yes. Except one person. My father’s best friend's little sister. She got a visa to England instead. She survived the Blitz, worked as a nanny, escaped a bombing by minutes, and then developed tuberculosis. She hid her symptoms to get into the U.S. When she finally arrived, she was treated in Colorado for years and miraculously survived. No antibiotics back then. She later married—my father.

Bernie:
A love story born out of war and fate. Incredible.

Larry:
Incredible, yes. And she always had a crush on him as a girl. Destiny played its hand.

Bernie:
Then your father, instead of staying safe here, goes back to fight the Nazis.

Larry:
He joined the U.S. Army, worked in intelligence, and liberated Europe. He never spoke about it. Decades later, I found a letter from President Truman thanking him. It referenced his clandestine work, with no permanent record. He did his duty and carried the weight quietly.

Bernie:
The modesty of survivors. They escape death and then run toward danger to stop others from experiencing it. It says everything.

Larry:
Yes. Then after the war, he built a life here. Three jobs. No complaining. That generation didn’t take freedom or opportunity for granted. They had gratitude in their bones.

Bernie:
That is one of the defining lessons: work hard, love your family fiercely, never take this country or democracy for granted.

Larry:
Absolutely. And acceptance. Compassion for people who are different. My parents lived that. One of my own children has special needs, and my kids treat her with love and dignity. That came from values passed down, not speeches.

Bernie:
This is why we tell these stories. To teach compassion, courage, and humanity. Your family saw hate up close and built love in response.

Before we close, tell us what you want listeners to take from this.

Larry:
We cannot stay silent. People must act when something is wrong. Many died because too many hoped problems would pass on their own. We cannot be bystanders. We must stand up—for anyone who is vulnerable. History shows we must.

Bernie:
Well said. We teach Holocaust history not only to remember, but to remind the world how low society can go when hate wins and how high it rises when good people act.

Your family story is a reminder: courage is a choice, compassion is a duty, and silence is dangerous.

Larry, thank you for sharing this powerful story. It will inspire many.

To our audience, thank you for joining us. I’m Bernie Furshpan here at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and always stand up for one another.