Ruth Mermelstein, survivor of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen in Holocaust, dies at 93

She grew up poor in Romania, playing with walnut shells and making doll dresses out of scrap materials. And although her childhood was wrought with unimaginable horrors, Holocaust survivor Ruth Mermelstein made sure her life was filled with love, kindness and compassion for others.

The North Bellmore resident died of a gallbladder attack on Oct. 16 at age 93.

Mermelstein was born Rachel Genuth on Oct. 8, 1929, in Sighet, part of northern Transylvania in Romania, the second of six children. In 1941, when Nazi racial laws were imposed there to strip Jews of civil rights, Mermelstein's father was sent to a Nazi forced labor camp in Hungary near the Russian border. When he and many others were locked in a building that SS officers set on fire, Mermelstein's father escaped and made his way back to Sighet, where he was able to spend one precious year with his family before they were sent to Auschwitz and all but Mermelstein and one sister were killed upon arrival.

"My mother was one of the youngest children in the death camps. She and her sister Elisabeth were the only family members to survive," said daughter Bernice Lerner of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "After working as a slave laborer, my mother was sent on a five-week death march to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, which was liberated by British troops on April 18, 1945."

Suffering from tuberculosis, Mermelstein and her sister were taken by the Red Cross to Sweden, where Mermelstein lived for several years and met her future husband, Sidney Mermelstein, a Holocaust survivor who lived in the United States. They would have two daughters. Sidney Mermelstein died of Alzheimer's disease in 2011.

"My dad was eight years older than my mom; he came to Sweden to marry her after corresponding with each other for six months. They were great partners and had a very long and happy marriage," Lerner said of her parents.

Grateful for each day, Ruth Mermelstein had a very productive life, her family said. She helped her husband with his kosher butcher business until he retired, and she worked for 27 years for Bloomingdale's as a saleswoman. After her own retirement, Mermelstein began speaking about her Holocaust experience. She even served as a real-life inspiration for Lerner's book, "All the Horrors of War: A Jewish Girl, a British Doctor, and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen."

"She really had an effect on kids' lives and really inspired them to use their knowledge for the good of this world. Kindness and treating people with respect — she lived by that," said Lerner, who said that learning of her mother's time during the Holocaust was very organic. "When I was little and didn't want to go to sleep, I knew that if I could get her talking, that I could stay up later, so she shared her story."

Lerner remembered her mother as a "very resilient, thoughtful and intelligent person" who enjoyed Classical opera, spending time with family and friends and keeping up with the stock market and current events.

Ever the doting grandmother, Mermelstein loved to cook for her family and would always prepare a large meal upon company's arrival. Her specialties included matzo ball soup, pot roast and potato latkes.

"She was incredibly warm and caring, and had this aura of comfort around her. Seeing her play with my kids and hold my daughter when we first brought her home from the hospital was so special," said grandson Josh Lerner of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "She didn't let the Holocaust affect how she lived her life; she was grateful to live a life, which is something I will always take with me. I was always very proud to be her grandson."

Howie Landau, 32, of Massachusetts, remembered his grandmother as someone who was welcoming and kind, yet progressive and funny.

"Grandma was incredibly independent and kept herself busy. Up until her last days, she would play bridge on her computer, walk at least a mile per day, take in her neighbors' garbage cans, and connect with old friends via social media," he said of Mermelstein, to whom he credits his values. "Her ability to be open-minded, forgiving and kind, in spite of everything that she had gone through in her life, is simply remarkable. She always remained positive, even when times were tough, and that is something that I will always strive to model."

Mermelstein was an essential part of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, where she became a part of the Witness Project and Names Not Numbers programs. Jane Fossner Pashman, former director of Witness Project, who works closely with the Glen Cove museum, recalled meeting Mermelstein six years ago.

"Ruth had an instant connection with the students. While they were horrified to hear of her awful and traumatic childhood during the Holocaust, they also got to know her as the sweet, kind, and smart woman who always asked how they were doing," said Pashman. "She wanted to be sure that the students understood what hate can lead to. She taught them what strength and resilience truly means. As long as we keep her story alive, she will live on forever."

In addition to her daughter Bernice and grandsons Howie and Josh, Ruth Mermelstein is survived by another daughter, Heidi Landau; a granddaughter, Amy; and five great-grandchildren.