Ben Lesser, Holocaust Survivor, Leaves A Sensational Legacy
Holocaust Survivor and Founder of The ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, Benjamin Lesser, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2025, the first day of Rosh Hashana. He was just shy of 97 years old. In Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah is considered a tzaddik, or a person of great righteousness, who was needed until the very last moment of their year. Ben, indeed, fits that very description.
Born in Krakow, Poland in 1928, Lesser survived the Bochnia Ghetto, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Dörnhau, Buchenwald, and Dachau, as well as a seven-week death march and the infamous Buchenwald-to-Dachau death train, which carried nearly 6,000 prisoners. Only eighteen survived and Ben was the last living witness. He was just sixteen years old when he was liberated from Dachau in 1945. In 1947, he immigrated to the United States, married his wife Jean and built a successful career in real estate. They were married for over 72 years. One of his final joys was witnessing his great-grandson’s Bar Mitzvah; a milestone he was determined to see.
One of Ben’s most selfless, and successful choices, came in 2009 through the creation of The ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation alongside his daughter, Gail Lesser-Gerber. This non-profit is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and ensuring its lessons continue to inspire and educate future generations. Ben employed a few methods to complete his mission. First, a Holocaust Curriculum, which was the first comprehensive survivor-led Holocaust education program used globally. I-SHOUT-OUT is an anti-hate campaign that encourages individuals to speak out against intolerance. The ZACHOR lapel pins have been distributed to nearly two million people as a daily reminder to never forget and promise of never again. Lastly, an AI powered Story File allows students to engage with Ben’s testimony in his own voice. Ben will live on through the ongoing flourishing of this Foundation.
Ben achieved notoriety around the world for his courageous testimony, tireless advocacy and unwavering commitment to education and remembrance. His life story was featured by PBS, CBS News and the History Channel, among dozens of local, regional, national, and internal media outlets. It is also properly preserved in the USC Shoah Foundation archives, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and various international collections. In 2023, the President of Germany awarded him the Cross of the Order of Merit, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Ben also testified at two Nazi War Crimes trials, one of which overwhelmingly proved the guilt of former Nazi guard, Reinhold Hanning. His message of “choose love” would be turned into music by BMG songwriters that reached millions worldwide. Lastly, through a partnership with UNICEF and the WHO, his Global Classroom lecture was streamed to nearly two million students across 40 countries.
His passing is not just the loss of a survivor; it is the loss of a living moral compass whose life proved that even in the face of unspeakable darkness, one can emerge with a heart full of purpose, forgiveness, and love. Supporting his life’s work and mission is the best way to honor Ben and what he stood for. To do so, visit: Non-Profit Holocaust Survivors Foundation | Zachor Foundation