The Family of Sam and Elizabeth Roth

The Family of Sam and Elizabeth Roth established the Sam and Elizabeth Roth Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Holocaust Studies to benefit Stockton University students. This endowment honors Samuel, Elizabeth, and the loved ones they lost—preserving their memory, their courage, and their belief in the power of education. May their memories forever be a blessing.

Sam and Elizabeth Roth’s lives began in two vibrant Jewish communities—Samuel in Belebova, Czechoslovakia (now Klochky, Ukraine), where he was born in 1913 to Helen and Joseph Roth, and Elizabeth in 1926 in Munkács, Czechoslovakia (now Mukachevo, Ukraine), the daughter of Feige and Leopold Ehrlich. Samuel’s early years were spent helping his family run their farm and taproom, while Elizabeth grew up surrounded by her siblings Solomon (Shloima), Yur, Fischel, and Rella in a warm, bustling household.In April 1944, Samuel and his family were forced into the Munkács ghetto before being deported to Auschwitz and later Gusen II, where he endured brutal forced labor; when he returned home after liberation in May 1945, only he and his brother Martin had survived. Elizabeth and her family were also forced into the Munkács ghetto in 1944 and deported to Auschwitz, where only she and Rella survived the initial selection. Elizabeth and Rella were later sent to Stutthof, then to forced labor in an ammunition factory in Bydgoszcz (Bromberg-Ost), and ultimately survived a death march before being liberated by the Soviet Red Army in the spring of 1945. Her parents and siblings—Feige, Leopold, Solomon, Yur, and Fischel—were murdered during the Holocaust.

After liberation, Elizabeth and Samuel met and married. In 1949, they immigrated to the United States and built a new life in Millville, New Jersey. From poultry farming to establishing Tower Hospitality, their perseverance shaped a legacy of hard work, hope, and family. Elizabeth later became a passionate advocate for Holocaust education, sharing her story with students across southern New Jersey.