Dr John Goldsmith, born Hans Goldschmidt, spent his early years in Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, where rising antisemitism, family upheaval and the growing reach of Nazi power reshaped his childhood. Sent to England in 1937, he initially found safety, but at sixteen he was arrested as an ‘enemy alien’ and transported between internment camps in Britain and Canada. The disruption of these years, combined with the loss of many relatives in the Holocaust, profoundly shaped his worldview. After release, John resumed his education and embarked on a medical career that would place him at the forefront of emerging renal medicine in post-war Britain.

John became a pioneering nephrologist, establishing lifesaving dialysis services and co-founding Mersey Kidney Research. His memoir intertwines personal resilience with professional innovation, spanning a century of social, medical and historical change.

John’s book is part of the My Voice book collection, a stand-alone project of The Fed, the leading Jewish social care charity in Manchester, dedicated to preserving the life stories of Holocaust survivors and refugees from Nazi persecution who settled in the UK. The oral history, which is recorded and transcribed, captures their entire lives from before, during and after the war years. The books are written in the words of the survivor so that future generations can always hear their voice. The My Voice book collection is a valuable resource for Holocaust awareness and education.