Arie's Holocaust Survivor Testimony
Arie Selinger was born in 1937 in Poland into a Jewish family. As a young child during World War II, he spent two years hiding in the forests with his family, constantly on the run. In 1942, he was captured and deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where he endured three years of imprisonment under brutal conditions.
Throughout the war, Arie held onto an unwavering instinct to survive. As he would later say, “I never thought I was going to die. I always thought that I will make it—somehow I will make it.”
In 1945, while being transported on a train toward Auschwitz, the train broke down. His group was ultimately liberated by American forces—an event that marked the beginning of a new life.
After the war, Arie immigrated to what would become Israel, where he began rebuilding both physically and mentally. Sport became his path to recovery. He first turned to track and field before discovering volleyball—a discipline that would define his life.
Arie went on to become one of the most influential figures in international volleyball. Known for his demanding, high-intensity “always on the move” coaching philosophy—shaped in part by his survival—he led the U.S. Women’s National Team to a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and the Dutch Men’s National Team to an Olympic medal as well. His impact on the sport earned him induction into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Later in life, Arie returned to Israel to help develop the national volleyball program, fulfilling a personal commitment to give back to the country that had given him a new beginning.
Alongside his extraordinary athletic career, Arie has shared his Holocaust testimony, reminding others that survival is not only about endurance, but about rebuilding, pushing forward, and choosing life.
His story is one of resilience, discipline, and transformation—from a child fighting to survive, to a leader who inspired others to reach their full potential.
