An honour and a privilege
On Wednesday 21st of January, the school was 
honoured to host Dr Agnes Kaposi MBE FREng to 
deliver sessions exploring the lessons of the Holocaust, 
her own life and how we can create a better world 
for those that come after us. These were simply 
spellbinding and it was a true privilege for all the 
staff and students present to her talk with such 
sophistication, passion and verve. HGS was also 
proud to host students and staff from King Edward’s 
Handsworth Wood Girl’s Academy and John Henry 
Newman Catholic College for the first event of the 
day. This event was one stand of our efforts to 
commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 and 
its theme of bridging the generations. We are forever 
indebted to Dr Kaposi for allowing us to do that.
Mr Harvey
We were privileged to welcome Dr 
Agnes Kaposi, who spoke movingly 
about her life before, during, and after 
the Second World War. Dr Kaposi 
shared her personal experiences as a 
Hungarian Jewish child who survived 
the Holocaust, offering a powerful 
insight into the discrimination, hardship, 
and resilience that defined her early life.
She began by describing the 
circumstances of her birth, a time when 
antisemitism was widespread and 
deeply embedded in everyday life. As a 
result, she experienced discrimination 
at school, and her family faced severe 
financial hardship because Jewish 
people were often denied employment. 
Despite these challenges, Dr Kaposi 
reflected warmly on the close 
relationships within her family.
Dr Kaposi then spoke about her 
experiences during the Holocaust, 
helping students to understand the 
scale of cruelty and suffering faced 
by its victims. She described families 
being separated, the loss of loved 
ones, and the harsh, unforgiving 
conditions Hungary’s Jews faced, 
highlighting the strength and 
determination required to survive.
Finally, she explained how 
discrimination continued even after 
the war had ended, including her own 
experiences of inequality at a new 
school. It was fascinating to hear 
from someone who lived under 
the tyranny of both Nazism and 
Stalinism. Dr Kaposi’s visit 
was both deeply moving 
and highly educational, 
helping all attending 
students to better 
understand the realities 
of the Holocaust and 
its lasting impact on 
individuals and society.
Rahim Rashid 
Year 10
FEATURED IN UK 
SCHOOL NEWS
Students from King Edward VI 
Handsworth Grammar School 
for Boys were honoured to hear 
Holocaust survivor Dr Agnes Kaposi 
MBE share her extraordinary story.
From narrowly escaping Auschwitz 
at age 11 to becoming a 
distinguished engineer and educator, 
Dr Kaposi’s message of resilience, 
tolerance and hope left a profound 
impact on everyone present.
Scan the QR code to read the full 
UK School News article.
DR AGNES KAPOSI MBE
HGS WELCOMES
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