USHMM | 2025 First Person Series: Ruth Cohen

As a teenager, Ruth Cohen and her family, along with other Jews, were forced from their home into a ghetto in what was then Hungary. About a month later, German authorities deported them to the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center, where Ruth was assigned to work as a courier, delivering guards’ messages throughout the camp. She credits her survival during several months at Auschwitz to her job as a messenger but endured two more camps, forced labor, and a serious illness before liberation.

This year, Ruth, at 94, returned to Auschwitz for the first time and proclaimed, “I am here!” defying the Nazis. Watch Ruth speak about her experiences and the meaning of her recent trip.

Speaker
Ruth Cohen, Holocaust Survivor and Museum Volunteer

Moderator
Bill Benson, Journalist and Host, First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors

Watch live at youtube.com/ushmm. You don’t need a YouTube account to view our program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum's YouTube page.

Marking 25 years, First Person is a monthly, hour-long discussion with a Holocaust survivor that is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.

To sign up for the event reminder, click here.