Rita Schorr Germain

Rita Schorr Germain, 95, formerly of Lancaster, PA, passed away at Avon Health Center, Avon, CT, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. Born in Boryslaw, Poland, she was the widow of Sumner Joseph Paul Germain who passed away on February 13, 2016. She was the daughter of the late Moses Schorr and Malka Grunschlag. Rita graduated from Brown University (Pembroke College) with an A.B. degree in International Relations. She received her Master’s degree from Harvard University (Radcliffe College) in Eastern and Central European Studies as well as Political Science. She also received a Master’s degree in Education from Temple University. Rita took great pride in her educational history, as an interpreter and translator where she spoke Hebrew, German, and Russian, among other languages. She was a researcher, writer, teacher, historian, and independent scholar. Her research and writing placed her at the United Nations Division of Public Information and in a research fellowship at the Russian Research Center at Harvard University. She served as an instructor on the faculty at Grinnell College, York College, and Penn State University in York. She also did substitute teaching in Lancaster County. Her professional memberships included the American Historical Association, the American Association of Advanced Slavic Studies, the American Political Science Association, and the American Association of Polish Jewish Studies. She was also involved in the American Association of University Women, the League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood, Past President of Hadassah, the Jewish Community Center, and Beth El Synagogue. The themes that were important in her life included study, work, family life, music, art, and nature which filled her life with beauty, joy, and adventure. The challenge in her life was facing and dealing with the trauma of World War II, Shoah, emigration, and the evil of antisemitism in Europe and the USA. Rita was a Jewish child Holocaust survivor and experienced true heartbreak in her life. As a young Jewish girl in Poland during the Holocaust, Rita and her family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, where Rita was the sole survivor. Later in life, Rita became very active in telling her story, including to organizations across the world and schools throughout Lancaster County, where she lived for 40 years, to educate the public about the Holocaust. She is lovingly survived by her two daughters, Emily Lucy Germain-Lee, M.D., wife of Dr. Se-Jin Lee, of Hartford, CT and Mirah Ada Becker, M.S., wife of Dr. Murray Becker of East Brunswick, NJ, three grandchildren, Benjamin, Emma, and Rachel. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the processional departing The Groffs Family Funeral Home at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, 2022. Graveside Services are at 11:00 a.m. at Beth El Cemetery, 295 E. Newport Road, Lititz, PA with Rabbi Shaya Sackett officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Temple Beth El, Hadassah (https://www.hadassah.org/donate), or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC (https://www.ushmm.org/support/ways-to-give/donate).