Ithaca College

Steven Hess, a Pittsford resident, and Holocaust survivor will tell his personal story of survival at Ithaca College on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7 PM in Textor 102.

Steven and his twin sister, Marion were born in Amsterdam on January 14, 1938. His parents, Ilse and Karl, fled Germany two years earlier believing that Holland would provide a safe haven. With the invasion of the Nazis in May 1940, however, hope for a neutral Holland was shattered. In mid-1943, his family was taken to Westerbork, the Dutch transit camp that served as a gateway to Auschwitz, Theresienstadt and Bergen Belsen. The following February they were sent to Bergen Belsen where conditions were so horrific that by the end of the year, nearly 15,000 Jews died each month from starvation, disease, neglect, and maltreatment. Marion and Steven were among very few children to stay alive.

Join Hillel at Ithaca College for this important evening in which we will witness the story of one survivor and reaffirm our commitment that this kind of genocide should never happen again.

This talk is elligible for SLI credit. 

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Austin Reid at areid1@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.