Heinz Bernard, a Jewish child, grew up in Nuremberg, Nazi Germany, where he attended a school in Furth, the only Jewish school allowed to operate in the region. Interestingly, Henry Kissinger's father, a biology teacher, was his classmate at school. Following a parliamentary question, Heinz and his mother were granted transit visas to pass through England and join his uncles in the USA. However, at the age of 15, Heinz was sent to England by his mother, who planned to join him a few days later, but war broke out, trapping her on the continent. She eventually caught the last Orient Express to Vladivostok and reached the USA, while Heinz remained in England, learning English by watching movies in cinemas.
Heinz found himself in a home for Jewish orphans run by exiles from the German communist party, where he organized weekly plays. He worked various low-paid jobs, including as a rabbit skinner and a waiter, saving enough money to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London. After the war, Heinz's mother revealed a shocking truth: he was adopted. A real brother and sister had reached Palestine before the war and now made contact with him.
Heinz went on to become a legendary figure in London's Communist Party-affiliated theater, Unity Theater, staging the first productions of Brecht in the English language. However, he left the Communist Party in the 1950s after anti-Semitic plotting by Stalin and the invasion of Hungary. Following the death of his Israeli brother in the 1960s, Heinz decided to emigrate to Israel. He acted in the West End production of Fiddler on the Roof to raise money for the move.
In Israel, Heinz became a legend due to his performances in English teaching television programs, "Neighbours" and "Here We Are", broadcast four times a week on the single national TV channel for over fifteen years. After ten years in Israel, Heinz returned to England, where he had to restart his career. He continued to work until his death from a rare blood disease in 1995.
Born Heinz Messinger, his adopted family was called Lowenstein. After leaving RADA, he worked under the professional name Harry Bernard, eventually dropping the Harry and becoming simply Heinz Bernard.
