Though he died last year at the age of 71, Leon Benson’s image and voice are clear as he recollects the horror of the Holocaust. A videotape with six hours of his oral history is among more than 200 books, videos and CDs in the new Leon Benson Holocaust Resource Studies Collection at the San Mateo City Main Library.
Family and friends of the late Daly City resident contributed funds to start this collection as a living memorial to Benson and all victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
An array of educational materials depicts both written and visual accounts of those who witnessed the events of the Holocaust.
At a Sunday afternoon dedication reception in late September, city librarian Kathleen Ouye said, “This is the first time our library has benefited from such a large significant collection. The library is about people, and the stories shared are of people. These stories are sad and move us. It is such a significant part of world history.”
There are diaries of survivors, as well as some who perished. Also included are accounts of individuals involved in rescue efforts.
Benson’s children — Paul of Pacifica, Mark of Hillsborough and Janette of Colorado — helped put together a biography of their father, with the assistance of San Mateo librarians Linda Lubovich and Joan Biederman.
The extensive collection, Biederman said, has books for all ages: children, teens and adults.
Noting “a resurgence of interest in the Holocaust,” which he attributes in part to the 1994 release of Steven Spielberg’s movie “Schindler’s List,” Paul Benson said the collection should be especially useful to students.
“California leads the nation in requiring all high school students to have at least one unit of Holocaust studies,” he added. “With this collection the students of this county will have a unique opportunity to access a wealth of material to meet this requirement.”
At the Sept. 24 dedication, Biederman displayed an Atlas of the Holocaust, including maps and stories, and resource lists for teachers, along with a four-volume encyclopedia of the Holocaust.
Born in Lodz, Poland, the infant Leon Benson moved shortly thereafter to Paris with his family. When the Nazis rounded up the Jews there, Leon, along with his mother, older brother and sister, were deported. Eventually they landed in Auschwitz, where he was separated from his family.
There he was forced to labor in a grenade factory. Near the end of the war, he was one of many on the forced winter march to Buchenwald.
In 1945, Benson was liberated from the camp by U.S. soldiers. He was sent back to Paris to live in a home for child survivors as other family members had perished. Eventually, relatives in the United States found his name on a list, made contact and invited him to this country.
He immigrated in 1948. After two years on the East Coast, he was invited to San Francisco by an aunt. After coming West, within a few years he met and married. Benson and his wife, Lillian of Daly City, have three children and four grandchildren.
Living in San Mateo County for the last 35 years, Benson was active in the former Congregation B’nai Israel in Daly City and the local community. After retiring from the retail business, he spent much time ushering for the San Francisco Opera and at Candlestick Park for San Francisco Giants games. He also participated in the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project.
Proud to be a U. S. citizen, Benson never missed the opportunity to vote, according to his family.
San Mateo Councilwoman Sue Lempert called the collection “a wonderful asset for our county. “Our students will really benefit. The Benson family decided it was very important to have it easily accessible to the general community. We are very fortunate to have it here in San Mateo.”
The main library is at 55 West Third Avenue, San Mateo.