New York has lost a living link to history. Rose Girone A”H (née Raubvogel) passed away at the remarkable age of 113, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, faith, and survival. She was the oldest known Holocaust survivor and the oldest person in the state of New York at the time of her passing.
Born in 1912 in what was then Austria-Hungary, Rose’s life was shaped by the trials of Jewish history in the 20th century. As a young Kallah in Germany, she witnessed firsthand the rising tide of antisemitic persecution. Her husband was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp, and with immense courage, she managed to secure visas to Shanghai, where they rebuilt their lives amid the difficulties of exile.
In China, Rose supported her family by knitting garments, turning a simple skill into a means of survival. Her work caught the attention of a Jewish entrepreneur, and together they created a successful business. Even under Japanese occupation and the hardships of the Shanghai ghetto, Rose persevered, embodying the unwavering spirit of Klal Yisrael.
After the war, she and her family immigrated to the United States in 1947, settling in Queens, New York. There, she opened her own knitting shop, continuing the work that had sustained her through difficult times. She later married Jack Girone and, after many years of hard work, retired in 1980.
Rose’s remarkable longevity allowed her to witness more than a century of change, yet she never stopped speaking about the past. She was deeply committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, ensuring that future generations would never forget. Her voice was one of strength, a living testimony to the horrors she endured and the triumph of survival.
As we mourn the loss of Rose Girone, we honor her life and the six million kedoshim whose memory she carried with her. May her neshama have an aliyah, and may her legacy inspire generations to come.
Yehi zichra baruch.
The world's oldest Holocaust survivor, Rose Girone, has died at 113.
"Nothing's so bad that something good shouldn't come from it," she'd say.
We are losing them quickly. Fewer than 245,000 Holocaust survivors remain.
May Rose's memory forever be a blessing of light and love. pic.twitter.com/4qlVefVvZz
— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) February 25, 2025
