Sigmund Strochlitz
Sigmund Strochlitz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | October 16, 2006 (aged 89) |
| Citizenship | Polish, German, American[1] |
| Alma mater | Jagiellonian University |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, entrepreneur |
Sigmund Strochlitz (born December 20, 1916[2]; died October 16, 2006)[3] was a Polish-born Jewish American entrepreneur, political advocate, and survivor of the Holocaust. From 1978 until 1986, he was a member of both the U.S. President's Commission on the Holocaust and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, playing a pivotal role in founding the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. As the inaugural chair of the council’s Days of Remembrance committee, he successfully encouraged state and federal leaders to organize annual Holocaust memorial events in all fifty state capitals as well as in Washington, D.C. starting in 1985 and continuing thereafter. The Encyclopaedia Judaica recognizes Strochlitz as a "key figure in institutionalizing Holocaust commemoration" across the United States.[4]
Biography
Strochlitz was born in Będzin, Poland, and pursued studies in economics at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków prior to the outbreak of World War II with Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939.[5] Between August 1943 and April 1945, he endured over two years imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, including fifteen months at Auschwitz concentration camp. Tragically, his parents, sister, and first wife were killed there.[4] After residing in Germany in 1945,[5] he wed Rose Grinberg (1913–2001), herself a Polish-born survivor of the Holocaust.[4] Together they raised four children—Jaime, Rafael, Halina, and Romana—along with fourteen grandchildren and twenty-three great-grandchildren.[6]
In 1951, Strochlitz immigrated to New York where he initially worked selling automobiles on Long Island. In 1957, he acquired Whaling City Ford, a car dealership located in New London, Connecticut, which he developed into a well-established local enterprise. He managed this business for nearly five decades until his passing in 2006. Subsequently, his descendants expanded the dealership before ultimately selling it in 2020.[6][7]
Strochlitz maintained a close partnership with Elie Wiesel, serving for many years as Wiesel’s primary aide and trusted confidant.[4] Throughout the 1980s, he led an international effort advocating for Wiesel’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, engaging with numerous global leaders and heads of state. This campaign culminated with Wiesel being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986.[6][8]
In 1992, Strochlitz joined the Presidential Commission on the Preservation of Americans' Heritage Abroad. Over time he held leadership roles including president of the American Friends of University of Haifa, governor at Bar-Ilan University, founding member of the American Society for Yad Vashem, trustee for the American Jewish Congress, and board member at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. His honors include receiving the Elie Wiesel Remembrance Award (1986), National Holocaust Remembrance Tribute (1986), and the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1997). In recognition of his contributions to arts and culture, France named him a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1993. Additionally, he was granted honorary doctorates by Connecticut College, Haifa University, and Bar Ilan University.[4][5][6]
Legacy
As a dedicated philanthropist, he established several significant institutions and programs in memory of the Holocaust. Among these are the Strochlitz Institute of Holocaust Studies at Haifa University and the Strochlitz Judaic Teaching Fellowship at Bar-Ilan University. Additionally, he contributed to the creation of the Rose and Sigmund Strochlitz Holocaust Resource Center under the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, as well as the Rose and Sigmund Strochlitz Travel Grants offered by the University of Connecticut.
References
- ↑ "Search results". www.google.com. Template:Fix/category[better source needed]
- ↑ "Oral history interview with Sigmund Strochlitz – Collections Search – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". collections.ushmm.org. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Strochlitz, Sigmund [obituary]". The Hartford Courant. October 17, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Primus, Richard (2007). "Strochlitz, Sigmund". In Berenbaum, Michael (ed.). Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.). Macmillan Reference USA. p. 259.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Potter, Jr., Chuck (October 17, 2006). "Sigmund Strochlitz Dies At 89". The Day (New London, CT).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Martin, Douglas (October 21, 2006). "Sigmund Strochlitz, 89, Leader in Holocaust Causes, Dies". The New York Times.
- ↑ Howard, Lee (September 1, 2020). "Beginning of a new legacy at Whaling City Motors". The Day (New London, CT).
- ↑ Lerman, Miles; Berenbaum, Michael (October 17, 2006). "In Memorium: Sigmund Strochlitz".
External links
- Oral history interview with Sigmund Strochlitz – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Appearances on C-SPAN