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He Survived To
Warn The World

LEONARD POGER

Copy Editor

A

lexander Kuhn was only a
teenager when his family was
devastated in the Holocaust.
He lost his parents, grandparents and
seven siblings.
But despite the horrendous experi-
ences of his youth, Mr. Kuhn mus-
tered the strength to educate others
about the horrors of hatred.
"He wanted the world to know the
truth — and that it should never for-
get," said son-in-law David Ruskin.
Mr. Kuhn, 75, of West Bloomfield,
died Sept. 16, 2005, of pancreatic
cancer, which was diagnosed four
months ago.
Son Mark said that his father, a lec-
turer with the Holocaust Memorial
Center, now in Farmington Hills,
noted with pride that his current
extended family is the same size of his
family before the Holocaust.
"That was his victory over the
Nazis," said Mark.
Among the groups he has addressed
was the reunion of the U.S Army's
101st Airborne Division, which liber-
ated the Mauthausen camp where
Mr. Kuhn was being held.
Mr. Kiihn was only 14 when
his family, then living in a small
Hungarian village, was sent first
to Auschwitz in Poland and
then to Mauthausen in Austria.
He and his father were assigned
to work in an aircraft plant in
Vienna when, with the war's
end nearing, the Germans
ordered several thousand work-
ers to march back to

Mauthausen. Mr. Kuhn was one of the
few who survived.
When the war ended, he and a
brother were the sole survivors of
their family. They lost their parents,
grandparents and seven siblings.
After the war, Mr. Kuhn, then 16,
arrived in America. Later, while
attending a synagogue service in
Detroit, an older man, Joseph
Grossman, befriended him and took
him in to live in his home.
Besides having a place to live, Mr.
Kuhn also found his future wife in
his benefactor's daughter, Dorothy.
The couple celebrated their 54th
wedding anniversary on Sept, 9, just
one week before his death.
Alexander Kuhn
Mr. Kuhn, who lived most of his
adult life in Oak Park before moving
to Southfield, was a manufacturers'
death camps in Poland before traveling
representative for companies selling
to Israel. At the camps, he talked to
women's and children's clothing.
the group about his experiences as a
He was one of the founders of
teenager at Auschwitz and other
Young Israel of Greenfield, which
camps.
later became Young Israel of Oak
It was during the visit to the notori-
Park, and served as one of its first
ous railroad tracks at Auschwitz,
presidents.
which was the final stop for millions
More recently, Mr. Kuhn, as a
of Jews, where Mr. Kuhn proclaimed
member of Young Israel of
with pride "my victory" over the Nazis
Southfield, completed a seven-year
--- reflecting that all of his children
Torah learning program, which
and grandchildren were raised -as Jews,
required being in class at
said son Mark.
5:30 every weekday morning.
His son-in-law commented that Mr.
He enjoyed the classes so
Kuhn also took great pride in his fami-
much, he repeated the course, ly, community and religion and that all
son-in-law Ruskin said.
six grandchildren have visited Israel.
Four years ago, Mr. Kuhn
"He taught his family how to be
was invited to take part in the
good persons, good Jews and good
UST annual March of the Living, a
Zionists."
program in which teens,
Mr. Kuhn is survived by his wife,
accompanied by adults, visit
Dorothy; son and daughter-in-law,
Auschwitz and other German
Mark and Loraine Kuhn of West

H L d

In Loving Cherished Memory of

ELAINE SNEIDER
WEISS

9/22
2005

104

Who passed away September 25, 1997.
Forever in our hearts and sadly missed by
your parents, children, grandchildren,
siblings, nieces and nephews.

1025010

The Family of the Late

In Loving Memory of

The Family of the Late

MARILYN KLEGMAN

ALLEN CWAGENBERG

Who passed away

announces the unveiling of a
monument in his memory
Sunday, Sept. 25th, at 11:30 am at
Machpelah Cemetery
Rabbi Shapiro will officiate.
Family and friends are invited to attend.

September 25, 2003.

Sadly missed and always remembered

by Norman, Sandy, Kim, Ron,

Sue, Don & Friends

1012&50

Bloomfield; daughters and sons-in-
law, Marla and David Weiss of West
Bloomfield, Gloria and David Ruskin
of West Bloomfield; brother and sis-
ter-in-law, Erno and Anci Jarmi of
Hungary; grandchildren, Rachel
Ruskin, Julie Ruskin, Alana Kuhn,
Daniel Kuhn, Jordan Weiss, Casey
Weiss.
Contributions may be made to
Kids Kicking Cancer, 65 Cadillac
Square, Suite 300, Detroit, MI
48226; Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit, 6600 W.
Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322;
Young Israel of Southfield, 27705
Lahser, Southfield, MI 48034; or
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation,
31313 Northwestern Highway, Suite
209, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
Interment was at Hebrew Memorial
Park. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel. ❑

1025850

LAURA
"DRAGONSLAYER"
FINGEROOT

Announces the unveiling of a
monument in her memory at 10 am
on Sunday, October 2, 2005 at Hebrew
Memorial Park cemetery. Family and
friends are invited to attend.

1025950