Fighting for survival, the story of Harry Haft

Harry Haft was a Polish-Jewish boxer and survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was briefly a professional boxer in post-war Germany, and boxed as a light heavyweight in the United States. 

After the war, Harry Haft emigrated to the USA with the help of an uncle in New Jersey. Haft’s final fight was against future champion Rocky Marciano, on 18 July 1949 in Rhode Island Auditorium. 

In April 2007, Harry Haft was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. A movie on Haft’s life was released in 2022. Called The Survivor and based on the book by Alan Haft, it aired on HBO.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27th January. You can learn more about the Holocaust at the Auschwitz Museum and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. You can also develop your understanding at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre.