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Rose Girone, believed to be the oldest living Holocaust survivor, has died at age 113. A staunch advocate for Holocaust remembrance, Girone dedicated her life to sharing her story and ensuring the lessons of this tragic period were never forgotten.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) confirmed Girone’s passing on Monday in New York, where she resided in an assisted living facility on Long Island. “Rose was an example of fortitude,” stated Greg Schneider, Claims Conference Executive Vice President.
“But now we are obligated to carry on in her memory. The lessons of the Holocaust must not die with those who endured the suffering.”
Born in Janow, Poland in 1912, Girone’s family relocated to Hamburg, Germany when she was six years old. Her life took a dramatic turn with the rise of Hitler in 1933. In a 1996 interview with the USC Shoah Foundation, she poignantly remarked that Hitler’s arrival marked the end of normalcy for everyone.
Girone’s story is one of resilience and escape. In 1937, she entered an arranged marriage with Julius Mannheim.
Nine months pregnant and living in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), she witnessed Nazis take her husband to Buchenwald. A chilling exchange between Nazi officers spared her from the same fate, solely due to her pregnancy.
Her father-in-law was taken the following day.
With the help of relatives, Girone secured Chinese visas and her husband’s release. She gave birth to her daughter, Reha, and shortly after, the young family fled to Japanese-occupied Shanghai. They faced further hardship in the Shanghai ghetto, enduring deplorable conditions and the constant threat of violence.
After the war, contact was re-established with family in the US. Girone, her husband and daughter immigrated to San Francisco in 1947, eventually settling in New York City. There, Girone established a knitting store and later remarried after divorcing Mannheim.
Girone’s passing underscores the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors. The Claims Conference estimates approximately 245,000 survivors remain worldwide.
“This passing reminds us of the urgency of sharing the lessons of the Holocaust while we still have first-hand witnesses with us,” Schneider emphasized. “The Holocaust is slipping from memory to history, and its lessons are too important, especially in today’s world, to be forgotten.”
Even in her later years, Girone maintained a positive outlook. When asked about her longevity in 2022, her simple advice was, “Don’t get upset over nonsense.” Her enduring spirit and commitment to sharing her experiences serve as a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of remembering the Holocaust.