Eőry Kató (Simkó); Daughter: Ruby Erzsébet (Matyassy)

Eőry, Kató (Erzsébet) Ruby, Ernőné (Erzsébet) Éva Ruttkai (b. 1927) was a Jewish theater actor. When the Jews began to be persecuted and were forced to don the Yellow Star, Ruttkai decided to go in hiding. She found safe haven in the home of another famous Hungarian actor, Kató Eőry (née Erzsébet Simkó). Eőry lived in a comfortable apartment with a large porch hidden from neighbors, which allowed Ruttkai and other refugees (including at one point Mieczyslaw Mitkiewicz) to go out for fresh air. Two months later, however, Ruttkai had to flee because of the threat of informants in the neighborhood. In December 1944, Ernőné Ruby (née Erzsébet Mátyássy), Eőry’s daughter, offered Ruttkai her own identity papers to use. She also gave Ruttkai clothes to wear, and together with her uncle László Simkó, helped her flee from danger. Ruttkai used her false identity to survive as a "refugee from Szeged" (a town already liberated from the German occupation) until liberation in early February 1945. In a letter written to her rescuers (“my holy family”) ten years later, Ruttkai recalled the compassion they showed her. New Year’s Eve will always remind Ruttkai of extremely harsh and dangerous times, yet bring back beautiful memories of the kindness and generosity of the people that saved her life. Ruttkai kept in touch with her rescuers for many years after the war. Eőry went on to become a famous actor, but was also remembered for her humanity and brave actions during the war. She died in March 2000. Ruttkai also became a famous actor in the Hungarian theater. On 21 December, 2009, Yad Vashem recognized Kató Eőry (Erzsébet Simkó) and Ernőné Ruby (Erzsébet Mátyássy) as Righteous Among the Nations.