First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors

As a teenager, Ruth Cohen, her family, and other Jews were forced from their homes 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.

The next First Person conversation with a Holocaust survivor will be available to watch on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Marking 25 years, First Person is a monthly, hour-long live or recorded interview between journalist Bill Benson and a Holocaust survivor on the Museum’s YouTube page, and it includes questions from the audience. This program is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.