In memory of David Schaecter, educator and advocate

We remember David Schaecter, survivor of the Holocaust, co-founder of Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, and dedicated advocate for survivors.

David was born on August 29, 1929, near the village of Snina in Czechoslovakia, which was then a province of Slovakia. He grew up on a farm, taking care of crops and animals and skiing in the winters.

In April 1942, David, his mother, and three siblings were deported to Auschwitz; his father was conscripted to a Slovak labor battalion. Transferred to Buchenwald in 1943 and later to Regensburg, he escaped when the transport train was bombed in November 1944. From there, he joined Czech resistance fighters until the war ended. He lost his entire family in the Holocaust.

David immigrated to the U.S. in 1950 and studied industrial engineering in Los Angeles. He met his first wife, Marvis, and the couple settled in Miami, where they raised two children. After Marvis passed, David later married Sydney Carpel, and together they built a loving, extended family.

In 2023, he contributed his interactive autobiography to the USC Shoah Foundation in association with the Holocaust Legacy Foundation, ensuring his story continues to speak to future generations.

David continued to speak about his experiences well into his 90s. In April, at the age of 95, he addressed the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging about rising antisemitism in the United States, urging support for survivors.

“I am here today reminding everyone that there are still thousands of survivors alive today who are in desperate need and who cannot be forgotten,” David testified in front of the committee.

“David led by example in sharing the memories of survivors along with those who perished,” said USC Shoah Foundation Board Chair Melinda Goldrich. “He exemplified ‘never again’ throughout the rest of his life.”

A loving father, stepfather, grandfather, and great-grandfather, David's life was a testament to resilience and compassion. May his memory be a blessing.