Rita Schorr-Germain ’53

Rita Schorr-Germain ’53, of Pikesville, Md., formerly of Lancaster, Pa.; Nov. 29. She was a Holocaust survivor. As a young Jewish girl in Poland during the Holocaust, she and her family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where she was the sole family  survivor. Later in life, she became very active in telling her story—including to organizations across the world and schools throughout Lancaster County, where she lived for 40 years—to educate the public about the Holocaust. She received master’s degrees from both Harvard University and Temple University. She was an interpreter and translator, having been fluent in Hebrew, German, and Russian, among other languages. She was a researcher, writer, teacher, historian, and independent scholar. Her research and writing won her a position at the United Nations Division of Public Information and a research fellowship at the Russian Research Center at Harvard University. She served as an instructor on the faculty at Grinnell College, York College, and Penn State University. She also did substitute teaching in Lancaster County. She was a member of many national and local organizations. She is survived by two daughters and their spouses and three grandchildren.