Matthew Yosafat was born in 1936 in Katerini, Greece. Before the war, he had a happy childhood and a great relationship with his family. He was one of the two Jews in his class and did not experience anti-Semitism. His family kept tradition and observed the Jewish holidays.
In 1934, Matthew and his extended family went into hiding after they received a tip from a man at the telegraph office. His family moved from village to village in hopes of escaping the Nazis. They moved around and were almost captured by the Nazis when they were in Kalivia Haradras. They stayed in Tohova until the liberation in August of 1944. During the many months of hiding, they relied on the generosity and hospitality of others. Matthew was not able to attend school during this time.
After liberation, in 1951 Matthew and his family went to the United States. They stayed for ten days in New York, and then they moved to Cincinnati where Matthew learned English and graduated from high school and university. He became a naturalized citizen in 1956 and got married in 1959. Matthew and his wife had three children. He and his wife are still religious to this day and they belong to a synagogue and celebrate Jewish holidays. Matthew expressed the importance of individuals speaking up when they see injustice and regrets that he was deprived of a normal childhood.