Dr. Emil Edward Herman (Ed Herman), child Holocaust survivor and speaker, long time Professor of Economics and Department Head at the University of Cincinnati, passed away on February 4th, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.
Ed Herman led a remarkable, unusual and against all odds, long, happy life. He was born in 1931 in pre-war Warsaw, Poland. The Holocaust, of course, changed everything for him and his family. He survived the Holocaust, suffering cold and hunger in the Warsaw ghetto with his beloved grandfather Josef, before being smuggled out by his mother. He ended up in Hungary, abandoned, alone, homeless and not knowing the language before being taken in by a woman, Mrs. Schweitzer, (ultimately recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations), who later started an orphanage where he lived until late in the war.
Post-war, he was reunited with his immediate family, although the vast majority of his extended family perished. He ended up in Israel, serving in the Israeli army, before moving to Montreal. It was there, that despite having only had a formal first grade education in Poland, he found his way back to college, night school at first, working the entire time, and ultimately earning a Ph.D. in Economics from McGill University. In Montreal, at Windsor Train Station where he was working at the time, a chance encounter led him to Halina Kramarz, a Dental School student. That led to a beautiful 64-year marriage, two children and four grandchildren. Halina had common roots with Ed, as she was also from Poland and also a child Holocaust survivor.
They ended up in Cincinnati in the late 1960s, where Ed became a full professor at the University of Cincinnati, authoring or co-authoring several Economics textbooks. He was later an arbitrator and mediator as well. He found himself as a visiting scholar at MIT and Harvard, as his interest in the study of negotiations grew. He tirelessly gave of himself to others. His positive impact upon thousands of students cannot be overstated. He was beloved and always willing to go the extra mile.
It was in Cincinnati that Ed and Halina raised their family and became part of the community in all respects over four decades. In the early days of the Holocaust & Humanity Center, Ed (and Halina) began speaking about his (and their) childhood experiences. This led to a return trip to Poland in 2012 for the first time in 67 years, memorialized in the PBS Frontline Documentary, “Never Forget to Lie,” which continues to be available online. Ed also subsequently wrote his aptly named memoirs, “Against All Odds,” talking about his childhood survival and subsequent life. On the back of the book, Ed, who fittingly was born during the lights of Hanukkah, wrote that he believes his life is a blessing.
Upon semi-retirement and moving to Saint Petersburg, Florida, Ed continued to be a frequent speaker to groups at the Florida Holocaust Museum. He also, in recent years, recorded an interactive Dimensions in Testimony exhibit for future generations to hear his remarkable story. It is expected that in the near future, his interactive recording will be available in Cincinnati at the Holocaust & Humanity Center.
Ed is survived by the love of his life, Dr. Halina Kramarz Herman, his children Diane (Eric) Mandell, Rob (Valerie) Herman and four grandsons, Jacob, Gabriel, Eli and Benjamin. His commitment to family was always his overriding priority. As the epigraph for one of his books quotes, “He who flies from his family has far to travel.” Despite such horrifying circumstances in his early years, he lived his life with pure positivity. His kindness, integrity, intellectual curiosity and generosity of spirit were unmatched, and his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of his family, friends and future generations. There is no question that there are more upstanders in the world today because of him.
“My dad never stopped teaching and guiding until the very end of his life here. He was still mentoring, giving and receiving love. People always gravitated towards my dad, he will always be my hero,” said his son Rob. Added his daughter Diane, “Inspired by his grandfather Josef who perished during the Holocaust and his mother Alice who had the courage to smuggle him out of the Warsaw Ghetto, he lived a life centered on faith, kindness and family. He was a larger-than-life bright light.”
In his memory, the family welcomes donations to The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.
