Holocaust Survivor Ruth Hartz Addresses Students

Students in 8th and 10th grade received a powerful lesson in resilience and history on Friday, May 9, when they welcomed Ruth Hartz, a child survivor of the Holocaust. Hartz, who has spoken at SCH in years past, was just four years old when Nazi forces swept into her native France. Her survival was a testament to the bravery of others; she was first hidden by a compassionate farm community, then by Catholic nuns who defied grave danger to shelter Hartz and other Jewish children from the Nazis and the Vichy French police.

Despite the tragic loss of her extended family in the camps, Hartz and her parents endured the Holocaust and found each other again. Her journey led her to Paris, where she earned a biochemistry degree from the Sorbonne. Later, after marrying an American, she moved to Pennsylvania, where she shared her love of language, teaching French for 22 years at what was then Springside School, and also at Bryn Mawr College and Arcadia University.

Today, Ruth Hartz remains a dedicated Holocaust educator, committed to ensuring these stories are never forgotten. A member of the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center in Elkins Park, her profound service has been honored with the Legion of Honor from the Chapel of Four Chaplains and the Selda Frieder Award from Congregation Rodeph Shalom. At SCH's Henry Library, you can find Hartz's portrait and read books from the Renee Hartz Holocaust Collection.