Groundbreaking
Ceremony for Liberators’ Monument
To be
Held Friday at Holocaust Memorial
By
Susie Davidson
Advocate
Correspondent
BOSTON
- Near the end of what was undeniably the darkest point in our modern history,
visions of saviors dressed in uniforms incredulously appeared before the
worn-out eyes of many concentration camp inmates.
Tomorrow
at 12:30 p.m., a tribute to these liberating soldiers will be observed in a
groundbreaking ceremony at the downtown New England Holocaust Memorial.
The
Liberators’ Monument, a flagpole bearing an American flag, was part of
NEHM founder Stephan Ross’ original vision. Lit at night, it will be
surrounded by plaques bearing quotes from liberators, General Eisenhower and
survivors. The ceremony, which will last approximately one hour, will feature
Mayor Thomas Menino as keynote speaker, Ross and other survivors, liberators
and Jewish community leaders including Event Chairs Beverly and Bill Carmen and
daughter Dawn Sibor (a board member of the Friends of the NEHM), Friends
President Rick Mann and JCRC Executive Director Nancy Kaufman. Also in
attendance will be Congressmen Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch,
Representative Kevin W. Fitzgerald and Boston Commissioner of Veterans'
Services Tom Materazzo.
“I originally formed the committee and got the piece of land for the Holocaust Memorial,” says Ross. “I also wanted to honor the soldiers who gave blood transfusions, food, picked us up from the soil we were lying in, washed us, cleaned our wounds, gave us clothes. I know all this, because I was a witness.”
To this
day, Ross treasures a small flag a liberator bestowed upon him. “I still
have the flag, 57 years later. I kissed his boots.”
Some of
them, he says, are living in this area. “Some are Jews and some are
Christians. There is one soldier living in Brookline, Leon Satenstein, who is
nearing 80 years old; he saw me in Dachau – they took a picture, and I am
in the center, among about 1500 inmates.”
Ross, who
was incarcerated from age nine to 14, and who had to hide in a cesspool and
resort to cannibalism with the others, still “kisses the ground I walk
on.
“What
they did to save us, to free us, I can’t convey. There were 32,000
inmates in the camp from 19 different nations – every one of them was diseased
– I had tuberculosis and boils all over my body, and a broken
back.” (His captors broke it with rifle butts, for stealing a potato).
“I
always envision in my mind the way they were, 57 years ago. I can see their
dirty faces, their dirty helmets, uniforms and boots, and the weapons hanging
on their bodies. They looked rough and tough. Yet, they showed so much
empathy.”
“They
left an indelible mark on a 14-year-old boy which can never be erased. They
preserved their republic, their civilizations and their religious freedoms, and
set free a suffering humanity. They fought bravely and defeated the most
vicious empire the world has ever known. History will remember them as the
heroes of the 20th century.
“They
showed us that there were civilized people in this world, even though we came
from a world in which we were tortured, beaten and mangled.”
Ross,
71, who holds four degrees and is a licensed psychologist, married his wife
Mary in 1969, at age 38. His son, Michael Ross, is a Boston City Councilor. His
daughter Julie is an attorney at the Attorney General’s office. He was
the youngest of eight children; only he and his brother, who was permantly
debilitated and died in 1990, survived.
"We
are very happy and proud to be taking part in the groundbreaking of this
monument dedicated to the liberators,” says Chair Bill Carmen. “It
has always been the vision of Steve Ross to have this flag and flagpole as part
of the New England Holocaust Memorial, and we are so glad that it has come to
fruition."
“I
went to Bill Carmen when I had this dream,” says Ross. “The first
words he said to me were ‘on my father’s side, everyone died in
Europe’.”
“The
New England Holocaust Memorial,” says Congressman Capuano, “is an
important symbol that forces us to remember terrible deeds, actions that make
us ashamed of our species. It is fitting today that another memorial is added
to this site. As we honor those who liberated the camps and comforted the
survivors, we, too, find solace. Their courage and compassion give us hope for
humanity.
“The
Liberators’ Monument calls us to defend life, liberty, and justice for
all persons. We must be worthy to carry on the fight in which they won such an
essential victory.”
“The
Monument will tell the story,” says Rick Mann, “of the quiet, unsung
heroism and basic humanity of the hundreds of American soldiers who became the
first ray of sunlight to shine upon the countenances of the survivors; offered
them the first outstretched and compassionate hands; and brought their first
hope for a decent life free from the tyranny and cruelty of the Nazis.”
“We
are very excited to be breaking ground,” says Nancy Kaufman.
“Building this Monument signifies the inclusiveness of the Memorial, and
recognizes the unique role of liberators in the last days of this tragic period
in the history of the Jewish people. It also represents another step in the process
of Holocaust survivors passing on their legacy to the generations to
come.”
A
48 star flag measuring 18 by 12 feet will be included in Friday’s
ceremony. It was donated to Ross from a WWII Veteran, Al Ridge, to hang at the
Memorial on historical occasions.
Liberators
present will include George Kaiser from Winthrop, Leo Barry from Hyde Park,
Francis Gallagher from Dorchester and Saul Feingold from Chelsea, who is 87
years old.
The
following messages are to be engraved on the Monument:
“I
was an emaciated, 14 year old boy. An American soldier lifted me into his
strong arms. He looked into my tired eyes with compassion. He shared his food
with me, and gave me a small American flag of freedom.” – Stephan
Ross
“We,
the survivors of the Holocaust, have raised this flag in tribute to the
American and other Allied soldiers who liberated us from the brutal Nazy
tyranny. They opened the gates to our trails to freedom in America.”
– Concentration Camp Survivors, Greater Boston area
“I
saw my first horror camp in Gotha, Germany. I have never felt able to describe
my emotional reaction when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence
of Nazi brutality and ruthlessness, disregard of every shred of decency.”
- General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander of the Allied forces in Europe
Picture
of Stephan Ross:
http://www.voice.neu.edu/960919/afternu.html
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-97/03-24-97/a06sr036.htm
with
family:
http://www.nehm.com/friends/leadership.html
Picture
of Menino:
http://www.bostonstrategy.com/players/07_mayor/01_mayor.html
http://www.cityofboston.gov/mayor/default.asp