Rising from Darkness: The Inspiring Journey of Holocaust Survivor Allan J. Hall
In the face of history's darkest chapter, Allan J. Hall has become a beacon of hope and resilience, a Holocaust survivor whose life journey exemplifies the human ability to triumph over unimaginable adversity.
Early Years
Allan was born Adam Horowitz in 1936 in Krakow, Poland, to parents Edmund and Maria Horowitz. Born into a well-to-do family, he was the son of a businessman and a violinist. Allan was only four and a half years old when the war broke out. His family, who didn’t want to leave Poland, decided to go to Lviv, a 220-mile trip on foot. In June 1941, the Nazis attacked Lviv and forced Allan and his family to move into the ghetto.
Survival Against All Odds
In 1942, after the attack on the Lviv Ghetto, Allan and his family returned to Warsaw and hid in the least likely of places–a Nazi Headquarters in a high-rise office building.
In Allan’s own words, “I was born in Krakow, Poland, in 1935. At the start of the war, in September 1939, my father insisted that we flee to the Soviet side, while my mother thought otherwise. She had faith in their German friends and never imagined that anything bad could happen. We eventually packed up and fled to Lviv. We stayed there, hidden, until November 1941, when we were provided with documentation under a fake Christian identity. A doctor helped my parents forge documents that served as proof that an illness forced us to move to Krakow with other patients. The Russians liberated Krakow on January 19, 1945, and we immigrated to the USA in late 1946.”
Rebuilding a Life of Purpose
In an attempt to rebuild their lives, Allan and his family immigrated to the United States in 1947. Allan earned his degree from the University of Florida in 1958, working as an architect before establishing his own firm in 1961. In 1968, Allan returned to school, earned a law degree, and gained admission to the Florida Bar. His philosophy on education can be summed up in this quote from a lecture he gave at Rollins College, “You can lose anything, but the one thing you never lose, ever, is your education.”
A Legacy of Compassion and Education
In 1999, after spending years as a professor at various universities, Allan took his talent and passion for education and began speaking to groups about his experience during the Holocaust. In 2017, he self-published a memoir chronicling his early life during the war, "Hiding In Plain Sight.”
What distinguishes Allan's approach to Holocaust remembrance and education is his emphasis on universal human dignity rather than retribution. He firmly believes in the sentiment that the opposite of hate isn't more hate, it's understanding.
Personal Joy Amidst the Memories
Despite the trauma of his youth, Allan built a life filled with love, joy, and gratitude. He is a dedicated husband to his beloved wife, Lori Hall, for over forty years, a proud father, and grandfather.
Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, Allan J. Hall remains active in his community and in Holocaust remembrance efforts. He travels near and far every month to speak to groups of all ages and even just returned from another March of the Living trip to Poland.
Polish Embassy Event
Most recently, on April 22, 2025, Allan generously lent his voice and testimony to the USC Shoah Foundation for an event with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Speakers included the Head of Mission, Mr. Bogdan Klich, and the USC Shoah Foundation CEO, Dr. Robert J. Williams.
In speaking with Dr. Catherine Clark, Senior Director of Programs at the USC Shoah Foundation, Allan shared his story of early life in Poland and how his bravery and the cleverness of his parents saved their lives and cemented their futures.
A Living Testament
In a world still troubled by hatred and division, Allan’s life story and commitment to spreading his philosophies of Education, Perseverance, Advocacy, Inner Strength, and Mental Health are even more resonant.
After a life punctuated by trauma, Allan’s journey from Holocaust victim to educator, advocate, and community leader demonstrates that our greatest power lies not in our ability to hate, but in our capacity to heal.
Watch Allan’s interview on the Searching for Never Again Podcast with Dr. Robert J. Williams.
