Rabbi Dr. Paul Holzer was born on December 18, 1892 in Breslau, Germany.

Gretel Cohn was born on April 18, 1889 in Graetz, Germany.

Paul and Gretel were married on October 23, 1923 in Breslau.

They had three children, Gabriella (born 1924 - pictured at left), Hannah (born 1925) and Eva (born 1929), all in Hamburg, Germany.

Rabbi Holzer was the spiritual leader of Neue Dammtor Synagogue in Hamburg from 1923 until 1938. His wife, Gretel, was a teacher of languages and Jewish studies in the Helene Lange School.

In November 1938, Rabbi Holzer was arrested and deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. Gretel decided to send her three daughters to England on Kindertransport. Gretel went down to the Gestapo headquarters every day demanding Rabbi Holzer's release, until they let him go on the condition that he leave the country within 10 days. He and his wife fled with virtually no possessions, and joined their children in England.

In 1948 by request of the British Chief Rabbinate, Rabbi Paul Holzer and his wife returned to Germany to serve the remaining Jews as rabbi. They remained there until 1957.

Gretel Holzer died on December 22, 1959 in London.

Paul Holzer died on November 2, 1975 in London.

In 1995, a plaque commemorating Rabbi Holzer's service was placed at the former site of the Neue Dammtor Synagogue in Hamburg, which was destroyed in 1943.

For more information, read here.

Gabriella Holzer married Marcus Horovitz. They had four children, Esther, Ronnie, David and Johnny.

Hannah Holzer married Otto Levy. They had four children, Susan, Ann, Janet and Helen.

Eva Holzer married Aubrey Blitz. They had two children, Vivian and Lawrence.

L to R: Otto Levy, Hannah Levy, Aubrey Blitz, Eva Blitz, Marcus Horovitz and Gaby Horovitz.