Saul Gottlieb, of Gottlieb&Sons, dies at 88

Cleveland--Saul Gottlieb, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the United States in 1948 and started his own diamond company, has died at the age of 88.

As reported by the Cleveland Jewish News, Gottlieb was born on May 26, 1925 in Czechoslovakia. He lost his older brother and his parents in the Holocaust but managed to survive, enduring numerous ghettos and concentration camps before being rescued in March 1945 by American forces.

Following the war, Gottlieb resettled in Antwerp, staying with a cousin who was hidden during the war. He worked as a jeweler in Belgium, remaining there until August 1948 when family members in Cleveland sponsored his immigration to the U.S.

Though he got to America with only $90 in his pocket and limited English skills, Gottlieb managed to build one of the largest and most well-respected diamond and jewelry manufacturing companies in the U.S., Gottlieb & Sons.

In 1951, he met and, soon after, married Bernice Shedroff. The couple took immense pride in their Jewish heritage and supporting the Jewish community in Cleveland and the state of Israel. He was a member of the B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, where he served as an officer of the board and a lifelong trustee.

Gottlieb also was involved with the Jewish National Fund, where he served on the board of directors, Israel Bonds, The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington. He also was a lifelong member of the Kol Israel Foundation and an active supporter of Technion and Bar Ilan Universities in Israel.

Over the years, he received a number of awards and recognition for his work in the Jewish community, including the Elie Wiesel Holocaust Remembrance Medal, awards from the Ohio Jewelers Guild and the Legends Award from the Mid-America Jewelry Show.

Today, Gottlieb & Sons, the diamond company Gottlieb started 65 years ago, is still headquartered in Cleveland and is run by his three sons.

Gottlieb is survived by his wife Bernice; his sons Jeffrey (Jodi), Jerry (Susie) and Alan (Lorin) Gottlieb; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to the Gottlieb Family Holocaust Memorial Fund, c/o B’nai Jeshurun, 27501 Fairmount Blvd., Pepper Pike, OH 44124, or The Survivors Initiative, c/o The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.