Obituary: Ruth ‘Rifka’ Weiss Gross
Ruth “Rifka” Weiss Gross, died on September 12. Born on August 12, 1926 in Nelipena, Czechoslovakia, she was the third of 11 children. Ruth survived the Holocaust concentration camps, including Auschwitz. She was married to the love of her life, Bernie Gross, for 69 years. She met Bernie on her birthday at her sister’s wedding. They escaped from the Soviet Union by hopping a freight train. They immigrated to Ellwood City, PA in 1949. They raised their children in Youngstown, OH, moving to Atlanta in 1973 where they were members of Beth Jacob Synagogue. They retired to Pembroke Pines, FL where they led a full and active life, returning to Atlanta in 2010. A devoted couple, they were dedicated to their family and the Jewish community. Ruth was an exceptional balabusta and an artist in the kitchen, much to the joy of her children and large extended family. A talented seamstress, she owned a fabric store in Niles, Ohio, helping to break the blue laws by being closed on the Jewish Sabbath and open on Sundays. After moving to Atlanta, she joined her husband at “Bernie’s Tailor Shop.” Even when she had small children, Ruth volunteered to help others through the synagogues, Pioneer Women, Amit, or other organizations. She regularly recounted her Holocaust experiences at public schools to very warm receptions. Her intelligence and generosity of heart touched many in and out of the Jewish community. Ruth is survived by her husband, Bernard Gross; her children: Edward Gross, Estelle Bogdonoff, Evelyn Gross Stettin; daughter-in-laws, Linda Gross and Robin Ross Gross; son-in-law, Alan Bogdonoff; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a brother; and many other relatives who loved her dearly. She was predeceased by her devoted son, Marvin (Moshe Aaron), two sisters who survived the Holocaust and seven other siblings who did not. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Amit Building Israel, www.amitchildren.org, or Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mt. Vernon Rd., Atlanta, GA 30328. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999
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