Holocaust survivor Rose Girone has passed away at the age of 113. Her daughter, Reha Bennicasa, shared the news, stating that Girone died on the morning of February 24 from old age. Just last month, she had celebrated her birthday.
Rose Girone was recognized as possibly the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor. She was born in Janov, Poland, in 1912 and later moved to Hamburg, Germany, where her family owned a theatrical costume store.
In 1938, she married Julius Mannheim through an arranged marriage, moving to Breslau, Germany, around the time when the Nazis began their violent crackdown on Jews, known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass. Tragically, when Girone was eight months pregnant, her husband was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
After securing visas, Ross was released, and the family managed to flee to Shanghai. It was during this time that she took up knitting, a skill that would aid her in her later life after moving to the United States with her family in 1947. Once in the U.S., Girone opened two knitting shops in Queens and continued to knit until she was nearly 102.
In 1968, she divorced Mannheim and married Jack Girone. After his passing, she lived independently in Beechhurst, Queens until age necessitated moving to a rehabilitation center at 109.
Girone recently shared her secret to a long life, emphasizing the importance of living each day with purpose, having wonderful children, and enjoying dark chocolate. Her daughter described her as a resilient and common-sense woman who handled life’s challenges with grace and strength.
Reflecting on her mother’s life, Bennicasa said, “She was a strong lady, resilient. She made the best of terrible situations.”
Rose Girone’s life and legacy serve as a poignant reminder of survival and strength through adversity.
