Stephan Ross (1931–2020), New England Holocaust Memorial founder

StephanRosssurvived 10 Nazi concentration camps as a boy and was the founder of the New England Holocaust Memorial.Ross was bornSzmulekRozentalin Lodz, Poland. As a boy, he was sent to concentration camps after the Nazie28099s invaded Poland. He spent time in 10 different camps,surviving beatings, illness, and starvation, and escaped twiceafterbeing chosen for death at the camps. One time,he ranfrom the death lineunder a train andgrabbedon to theaxle when the train started to move. He held on and when the train stopped, he was at another camp.

Once in the United States, he became asocial worker, living in his car during graduate school.The New England Holocaust Memorial opened in Union Street Park in 1995. Ross would speakoftenat high schools to talk about his Holocaustexperienceand hisstory was told in the 2017 film,e2809cEtched in Glass: The Legacy of Steve Ross.e2809d

We invite you to share condolences forStephanRossin ourGuest Book.

Died:Monday,February24, 2020(Who else died onFebruary24?)

Details of death:Believed to have died at the age of 88 but birth records are not verifiable.

Is there someone you miss whose memory should be honored?Here are some ways.

Ross onwhy he toldhis story:e2809cThe history of my childhood is beyond what you can tell civilized people.e2809d

But he did so to keep alive the memories of his relatives and the 6 million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust.

e2809cWhat I had to endure is beyond what many people can understand. Surviving was a relentless struggle day to day, hour to hour.e2809d e28094Boston Globe interview in 1995

Ross on the importance of the New England Holocaust Memorial:He told the Boston Globe in 1995 that it offered a message for the future e28094e2809cfor our children, and their children, and their children.e2809d

The memorial, he said, reminds future generations that e2809cthey must not allow hatred and racism to rise.e2809d

Ross's long search for the U.S. soldier that liberated him:Ross spent years trying to reunite with the American soldier who showed him kindness when troops liberatedDachau in 1945.Ross remembered that a soldier hugged him, gave him foodand a handkerchief. Ross later realized the handkerchief was an American flagand he kept it in a velvet pouch.Ross tried for years to find that soldier. Then he told his story onthe television show e2809cUnsolved Mysteries.e2809d One of the soldiere28099sdaughters saw the episodeand connected the dots.The soldier, Steve Sattler,had died but his daughters and granddaughtersmet with Rossin 2012.

What they said about him:e2809cToday Boston lost a giant, and the world quite honestly lost a giant. Heree28099s a man who could have given up several times in his life and he didne28099t. Ie28099m very sad today at the loss of Steve Ross.e2809d e28094Boston MayorMarty Walsh

Full obituary:Boston Globe

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