State Senator John Liu, Congresswoman Grace Meng Issue Proclamations To Flushing Holocaust Survivor On Her 100th Birthday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Contact: Soojin Choi | 347-556-6335 | press@johnliusenate.com |

Flushing, NY - On Sunday, State Senator John Liu and Congresswoman Grace Meng joined family and friends of Holocaust survivor and Flushing resident Hanna Slome to pay tribute to her remarkable life and legacy during her 100th birthday celebration. 

Born in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia in 1925, Hanna Beer (later Slome) escaped Nazi occupation in 1938. With borders sealed, Hanna was one of only 669 Czech youth transported out of Czechoslovakia thanks to the famed kindertransport arranged by Sir Nicholas Winton. She remembers riding the train to London holding and calming an infant girl in her lap. As a young teenager, she left behind her parents and the life she knew, traveling alone to England. Her parents would ultimately perish in the Holocaust.

Winton kept his wartime efforts a secret for 50 years, and was only revealed when his wife discovered a scrapbook in their attic containing meticulous records of the rescued children. Years later, he was reunited with the children he saved, now grown adults with children of their own, on the BBC television program “That’s Life!”

After the war, Hanna immigrated to the United States and rebuilt her life with extraordinary determination. She married Henry Slome, a fellow immigrant and U.S. Army veteran, and together they raised two children, Jesse and Judy, on Parsons Boulevard in Flushing, where she continues to reside today. 

Hanna was instrumental in helping her husband establish an international textiles business while dedicating herself to her family and community. She served as board president at Junior High School 185 and was active with the Temple Gates of Prayer. A lifelong gardener, she has made thousands of greeting cards using pressed, dried flowers that are donated and sold to benefit charitable organizations. 

State Senator John Liu stated, “From a train station in Czechoslovakia to the tree-lined streets of Queens, Hanna’s incredible life and legacy embodies the spirit and resilience of Flushing and all those who have overcome adversity. On her 100th birthday, surrounded by family and friends, we celebrate a life well-lived and say thank you for inspiring us with her resilience and generosity.”

“I am proud to commend and recognize Hanna for a century of courage, service and inspiration,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) who presented Slome with an official congressional proclamation. “Her message of resilience and hope continues to inspire generations and will do so for many years to come. It is an honor and privilege to wish her a very happy 100th birthday and I send her my warmest congratulations.”

Hanna Slome, stated, “I have been so fortunate to have been able to come to live in the United States and make Flushing my home. What a wonderful and diverse neighborhood that is always changing. It’s such an exciting place and I’ve met so many wonderful people while planting and tending to my garden on Parsons Boulevard. How blessed I am that so many people came to celebrate with me.”

Jesse Slome, Hanna’s son, stated, “My mother, like so many has experienced difficulties in her life. It is her resilience that carries her through and serves as a life lesson that I share with my children and grandchildren. I can’t think of any place other than New York where she could have lived a better life and she makes it a point that she’s never leaving Flushing.”