27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day, marking more than 60 years since millions of Jews perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II, and to commemorate the occasion, the Jewish Museum in Camden Town is exhibiting the work of Israeli artist, Holocaust survivor and Jewish activist, Itzchak Belfer.

Champion of the Child: Janusz Korczak, running until April 8 2007, reveals the story of Korczak (1878-1942), the director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, Poland, who devoted his life to representing the rights of children.

The show features original paintings and drawings by Belfer that evoke his childhood memories of Korczak and reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Born in Warsaw in 1923, Belfer was the fourth of six children, and from a young age, life was a daily struggle; his father died when he was only four years old, and the loss of the main breadwinner meant that the family of eight, including his mother and grandmother, were forced to live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.

But all this changed for Belfer when he was taken into the Janusz Korczak orphanage in 1930. Although such institutions are often depicted to be dirty, destitute and dangerous environments for a child, Belfer’s experience was very different:

“Life was wonderful. It was full of drawing, sports and music – there was even a grand piano in the home- and we were always well fed and smartly dressed. It may be difficult to grasp, but life was the exact opposite of a typical orphanage. We experienced security, love and warmth,” he says.

And Korczak’s innovative attitude towards children added further comfort.

“We felt that he was close to us. He listened to us, understood us, and treated us on the same level. He ran the home on the basis that children and adults were equal.

“Korczak even set up a children’s court in the home, comprising of five child judges and an adult secretary (with no decision-making power) to discipline those who broke the rules. This even applied to Korczak himself- when he was caught sliding down the banister, he was in trouble!” says Belfer.

Some of Belfer’s happiest memories are from the annual summer camps, where they went on scenic walks and made up their own games such as a mini Olympics. At night time, he reminisces of how Korczak would mischievously sneak the boys out of camp to stay up and play, then at sunrise they would merrily make their way home, singing to wake up their female companions.

For eight years, life was bliss for Belfer, and when he was 15 years old, he ‘graduated’ from the orphanage and returned to his family home. But little had changed since his departure; the imminent war meant living conditions had become unbearable, completely different from the relatively comfortable lifestyle provided by Korczak.

Six months later, he moved out and rented an apartment with two other graduates, but by 1940 the country was crippled by the Nazi invasion, work was scarce and Jewish citizens were being targeted and persecuted.

Determined not to accept this fate, Belfer returned to the orphanage to request Korczak’s blessing to escape, which was granted, along with money to aid his venture. This was the last time that they ever saw each other.

Belfer and a friend then headed in the direction of the Russian border, walking for three days through Poland’s forests. He gives a painful account of the events that took place:

“There were Nazi soldiers everywhere and was too dangerous to walk during the day, so we rested then and travelled at night, navigating our way by following the railway tracks. But we eventually met with others who informed us that the soldiers were selecting people to go into the concentration camps.

“At the time my hair was blonde and eyes were blue, but my friend was darker and while I managed to escape the camps, he, along with many others, was not so lucky,” Belfer says sadly.

Belfer continued his journey alone, and eventually managed to arrive in Russia by paying for a wagon ride. He found employment in a coalmine in Ural, but a year later, he was drafted into the Russian army.

In 1946, Belfer returned to Warsaw to find life had changed immeasurably, and his family and friends, including Korczak, were all gone. It is believed that in 1942, Korczak and all his children were killed in a gas chamber upon their arrival to Treblinka, Poland, but no one knows for certain.

Given no reason to stay in Poland, in 1947 Belfer cautiously followed the railway tracks to Genoa, Italy, and from there began to make his way to Israel as an illegal immigrant, but on route he was detained by British forces and deported to Cyprus.

There he studied art with famous sculptor Ze’ev Ben Zvi, and produced many paintings depicting the bleak winters of the prison camps, but his artistic career was delayed when the Israeli army enlisted him in 1949 for two years.

After his second stint as a solider, Belfer stayed in the country he longed to reach so much, and has lived there ever since.

“I wanted to be there partly because of my faith - I wanted to be amongst other Jews, but I also felt that there was no other place where I felt secure, that felt like home.

“There is no country or place I can go to where I can feel as good as in my own country. Although I am overjoyed to be here in London, there is no place like home.”

In 1951, Belfer resumed his passion for art and became a teacher at the Tel Aviv Municipality, and he later joined the Avru Art Academy from 1957 to 1961, where he continued his studies and also met his wife Rosa.

Belfer can boast a reputation as an art connoisseur, and enjoys painting a variety of subjects, especially floral arrangements and the sea, but much of his art, including all the pieces on show at the museum, is dedicated to his hero Korczak and the Holocaust.

And like his beloved Korczak, Belfer is also encouraging children to develop their sense of creativity – since 1972 he has been an art lecturer at the Popular University in Tel Aviv.

“I hope that I inspire my pupils by allowing them freedom of expression with their work. Self expression is a real achievement and I would like to see them succeed at this”, he says.

Belfer will be spending Holocaust Memorial Day in his studio at home, surrounded by sculptures and paintings dedicated to the memory of all those who were close to him.

He is certainly a lucky survivor of the Holocaust, but more than just good fortune, his inspirational tale is one of endurance, strength and resolve, having the determination to overcome all obstacles to achieve a sense of security, home, and ultimately, peace.

Itzchak Belfer would like to thank the Jewish Museum who made it possible for his artwork and the story of Janusz Korczak to be exhibited in London. For more information about the artist and his exhibitions, visit www.ibelfer.com