Rose Girone, the World’s Oldest Holocaust Survivor, Passes Away at 113, Leaving Behind a Legacy of Resilience and Remembrance.

Rose Girone, the oldest known Holocaust survivor, has died at the age of 113. Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Reha Bennicasa, and occurred on Monday at a nursing home in Bellmore, New York. Girone was recognized by the Claims Conference as the oldest living survivor of the Holocaust, having endured significant hardships during World War II.

Born Rosa Raubvogel in 1912 in southeastern Poland, Girone faced persecution early in her life. She married Julius Mannheim in 1937, who was later deported to Buchenwald concentration camp while she was pregnant. Girone managed to secure her husband’s release with the help of a relative, allowing them to flee to Shanghai, where they lived under Japanese occupation and were forced into ghettos.

During her time in Shanghai, Girone began knitting clothes to support her family, a skill she continued to use throughout her life. After World War II, she and her family immigrated to the United States, where she became a knitting instructor and eventually opened a knitting store in Queens, New York. Girone’s resilience and ability to find positivity in adversity were hallmarks of her character, as she often shared her belief that “nothing is so bad that something good shouldn’t come out of it.”

According to the Claims Conference, there are approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors still alive today, with around 14,000 residing in New York. Girone’s life story serves as a testament to the strength and endurance of those who survived the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Girone’s legacy as a survivor and her contributions to knitting and education will be remembered. Her story highlights the importance of resilience in the face of adversity and serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to honor and support survivors of historical atrocities.