Dana Schwartz

January 30, 1935 - May 9, 2024 Dana Schwartz, loving wife, mother, grandmother, philanthropist, Holocaust survivor and matriarch, died peacefully in her sleep surrounded by loved ones Thursday, May 9 in Los Angeles. She was 89 years old. 

Born Danuta ""Danusia"" Szapira on January 30, 1935 in Lvov, Poland, she emigrated to the United States in late 1949 and settled in Los Angeles.

Dana's earliest experiences shaped her future. She was just 4 when World War II broke out. Forced to separate from her father after escaping an horrific ghetto, she and her mother hid in forests and farm buildings, concealing their Jewish identities and narrowly avoiding capture and death many times over. Enduring unspeakable evil and physical and emotional trauma, they miraculously outlasted the war. Many years later she confirmed her father's murder in the Janowska death camp. Soon after relocating to Los Angeles, she tragically lost her mother to cancer, leaving her an orphaned teenager.

A graduate of UCLA, Dana later earned an MFCC and counseled many people through the years. From the 1970's to the present, Dana was involved with Holocaust education. Her commitment to ""never forget"" the atrocities of the Holocaust, and to make the world a better place through education, generosity of spirit, and hospitality grew with each passing year.

A very active member of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust, she was one of the original members of the Holocaust Museum LA and served on the Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Board. In 1994 she became the first interviewer and subsequently the first trainer-evaluator of interviewers for the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. Now known as the USC Shoah Foundation, its ""mission is to develop empathy, understanding and respect through testimony,"" which dovetailed perfectly with Dana's mission in life. She spent thousands of hours lecturing students from middle school through graduate school about her inspirational personal story, garnering thousands of thank you letters.

Together with her late husband, Dr. Wilbur Schwartz, and eight other like-minded couples, she co-founded the Concern Foundation – dedicated to funding cancer research in Israel and around the world. She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Her ultimate passion was celebrating life with family and friends. Her favorite saying was, ""The best revenge against evil is to fill the world with love and live a great life.""  Dana loved the greater Los Angeles community and was grateful for the dream that America allowed her to manifest. She literally made the world a better place for all, and will be greatly missed. 

Dana is survived by sons Steven, Richard and Jonathan Schwartz, daughters-in-law Jennifer and Rebecca, granddaughters Lana and Sara, and grandsons Harrison, Sidney, Wilson and Micah. 

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to The Holocaust Museum LA, The USC Shoah Foundation, or the Concern Foundation.