Early Life

Vera Federman was born in June of 1924 in Debrecen, Hungary. From a young age, she enjoyed reading and learning, which her dad enforced throughout her childhood. Vera attended a Jewish elementary school, and went to a protestant school for further education. She learned English at the early age of 14, and continued to study many more languages. She loved to study and was a great student, but was also a well rounded and skilled young girl, as her mother was all about keeping a good house, she learned to cook and clean too. She lived a very carefree childhood frequently traveling to her grandfather's vineyard over the summers where she enjoyed picking grapes. Vera came off with this sweet attitude of being lighthearted and calm, and cared about those around her.

In school, Vera had only 5 or so Jewish girls in her class. When she was only about age 11 or 12, race laws were put in place (1936-8). Vera's best friend was coincidentally named Vera too, and it was at this age that the girls got called "dirty Jews" by a fellow classmate. Wanting to stand up for themselves, they beat the classmate up and being the resilient young girls they were, they carried right on afterwards with the same carefree elegance.