>>> A SURVEY RELEASED IN APRIL
MADE HEADLINES AND RAISED
EYEBROWS WHEN IT REVEALED
STUNNING GAPS IN AWARENESS AMONG
MANY AMERICANS ABOUT ONE OF THE
DARKEST CHAPTERS IN HUMAN
HISTORY -- THE HOLOCAUST.
41% OF AMERICANS, AND 66% OF
MILLENNIALS, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD
NOT SAY WHAT AUSCHWITZ IS, THAT
NOTORIOUS CONCENTRATION CAMP
WHICH WAS ONE OF CONSTRUCT AND
MAINTAINED BY THE NAZIS.
THE FIRST WAS DACHAU BUILT IN
1933 AND LIBERATED BY THE UNITED
STATES ARMY ON APRIL 29, 1945.
IN OUR "SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT," HARRY
SMITH VISITS A SURVIVOR OF THAT
CAMP WHO ASKS AGAIN THAT WE
NEVER FORGET.
>> Reporter: AND OLD MAN AND HIS
SON VISIT THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
IN BOSTON.
SIX TALL PILLARS OF GLASS ETCHED
WITH NUMBERS.
JUST LIKE THE NUMBERS TATTOOED
ON THE ARMS OF PRISONERS IN NAZI
CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
AND LIKE THE ONES ETCHED ON THE
OLD MAN'S ARM WHEN HE WAS JUST A
BOY.
>> CAN YOU SHOW YOUR ARM?
>> YEAH.
>> HE DIDN'T START BY SHOWING
THIS TO PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: STEVE ROSS IS 92
YEARS OLD NOW AND HAD A STROKE A
COUPLE YEARS BACK.
HIS SON, MIKE, SPEAKS SOME OF
THE WORDS HIS FATHER CAN'T.
>> I THINK HE'S CONCERNED THAT
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FORGET ABOUT
THE HOLOCAUST.
AND I AM, TOO.
>> Reporter: THE NAZIS KILLED 6
MILLION JEWS IN THE HOLOCAUST.
OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY, ONLY
ROSS AND A BROTHER SURVIVED.
>> I COULD NOT TELL YOU WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN ME.
>> INSIDE YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> I THINK HE ALSO MEANS HE
COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED
TO HIM BACK THEN.
>> ALL OF IT.
>> HE WOULD OFTEN SAY THAT.
"I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED
TO ME."
>> Reporter: BUT HE DOES TELL IN
A NEW BOOK, "FROM BROKEN GLASS,"
DEVASTATING ACCOUNTS OF CRUELTY
THROUGH TEN CAMPS IN FIVE YEARS.
HOW HE WAS LEFT FOR DEAD IN THE
PILE OF CORPSES, OF HIDING IN AN
OPEN PIT OF HUMAN WASTE, OF
BEING RAPED BY A NAZI OFFICER.
AND THEN AT WAR'S END, HOW AN
AMERICAN SOLDIER OFFERED HIM
FOOD AND A FLAG AND HOW ROSS
TURNED EVIL TO GOOD.
>> I THINK THE MIRACULOUS THING
ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT WHAT
HE GOT FROM HIS HORRIBLE
EXPERIENCE WAS SOME SENSE OF A
MISSION TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND
TO INSTILL HOPE IN OTHER PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: FOR DECADES, ROSS
WORKED WITH TRUANTS AND
DROP-OUTS IN SOME OF BOSTON'S
TOUGHEST NEIGHBORHOODS.
HE HAD THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO
GET STRUGGLING KIDS BACK IN
SCHOOL AND ON TO GOOD JOBS, AND
EVEN INTO COLLEGE.
>> DON'T GIVE UP YOUR EDUCATION!
STICK WITH IT!
YOU'RE YOUNG!
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
YOU HAVE GOT SO MUCH WHO LIVE
FOR!
>> Reporter: HIS PITCH -- IF HE
COULD SURVIVE WHAT HE DID, YOU
COULD SURVIVE ANYTHING.
>> AND TO SEE SOMEBODY ACTUALLY
HERE, REACHES ME.
YOU KNOW?
>> DAD.
LOOK AT THIS.
IT IS THE BOOK.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> IT IS THE BIG PICTURE OF THE
THING.
>> Reporter: NO WONDER THEN AT A
RECENT EVENT FOR THE BOOK'S
LAUNCH, THE CURRENT AND FORMER
MAYORS OF BOSTON SHOWED UP.
>> HOW ARE YOU, MY FRIEND?
>> Reporter: AS DID MANY OF THE
PEOPLE HE HELPED.
>> IT'S ALSO A TIME IN OUR
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE NEED
A WAKE-UP CALL AND WE NEED
EVERYTHING THAT MR. ROSS
REPRESENTS.
>> Reporter: ROSS' BOOK ARRIVES
AT A TIME WHEN AMERICAN
AWARENESS OF THE HOLOCAUST IS
WANING.
>> WHEN STUDIES TELL US THAT 22%
OF MILLENNIALS DO NOT KNOW OR
HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE
HOLOCAUST, THERE'S BEEN A
FAILURE AT A BASIC EDUCATION
LEVEL.
AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
>> Reporter: TO THAT END, THE
ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE HAS
ADAPTED "FROM BROKEN GLASS" INTO
A STUDY GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS.
>> IT IS EASY TO BECOME IMMUNE
TO HATE AND BIGOTRY.
IT IS MUCH HARDER TO CONFRONT
IT.
>> Reporter: ROSS KNOWS THAT
WITHOUT REMINDERS, HISTORY CAN
SLIP AWAY.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE
SURPRISED THAT IT WAS HIS IDEA
TO BUILD THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
IN BOSTON.
HIS SHEER WILL MADE IT HAPPEN.
AND YOUR STORY IS SO
INSPIRATIONAL.
>> YEAH.
>> IT'S VERY PAINFUL.
>> VERY PAINFUL.
>> BUT, SO INSPIRATIONAL.
TO HAVE ENDURED WHAT YOU
ENDURED, WHAT YOU LIVED THROUGH.
>> YEAH.
>> AND THEN TO COME OUT AND BE A
MAN OF GOOD WORKS, I DON'T KNOW
HOW THAT HAPPENS.
>> YEAH.
IT IS ALL TRUE.
>> Reporter: TRUTH THAT BEARS
REPEATING.
FOR "SUNDAY TODAY," HARRY SMITH,
BOSTON.