I was brought up to believe that a person must be rescued when drowning, regardless of religion and nationality. The term ‘hero’ irritates me greatly – the opposite is true – I continue to have pangs of conscience that I did so little.

Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.

The world can be better if there's love, tolerance and humility.

Over a half-century has passed since the hell of the Holocaust, but its spectre still hangs over the world and doesn't allow us to forget.

Heroes do extraordinary things. What I did was not an extraordinary thing. It was normal.

Humanity has understood nothing. Religious, tribal, national wars continue. The world continues to be in a sea of blood.

I was taught that if you see a person drowning, you must jump into the water to save them, whether you can swim or not.