World’s oldest Holocaust survivor dies at 113

‘It’s pretty incredible. She’s always been so positive. She always says the secret to her longevity is she loves to eat dark chocolate,’ granddaughter Gina Bennicasa tells LI Herald.

By Jewish Breaking News

Before her death at age 113, Rose Girone was not just a number in the record books. The world’s oldest Holocaust survivor carried a century of resilience within her and three secrets to longevity: dark chocolate, loving children, and waking each day with purpose.

Born January 13, 1912, in Poland, Girone’s early years saw her family move throughout Europe. By 1938, she had married and settled in Breslau, Germany, just as Nazi persecution of the Jews intensified.

The writing on the wall was clear by 1939. With options dwindling, the family fled to the only country still accepting Jewish refugees.

After a month-long journey by boat, Girone arrived in Shanghai’s international settlement with her husband and young daughter Reha, briefly finding peace before war engulfed them again.

As Japanese forces occupied Shanghai during World War II, the Jewish community was forced into a ghetto. Her family was confined to what had originally been a bathroom.

Each day became an exercise in survival. Girone would buy water, bathe her daughter, wash clothes and then the floor of their living quarters all with the same bucket.

Even in these desperate conditions, Girone’s resilience shone through. A skilled knitter, she started a small business within the ghetto to earn money for her family.

When visas were finally arranged for passage to America in 1947, refugees were forbidden from taking more than $10 each.

However, after having earned $80 through her knitting, Girone refused to leave her hard-earned money behind, so she cleverly weaved it into her sweater before arriving at Ellis Island.

In New York, Girone reunited with family members who had escaped the Holocaust.

Knitting remained the constant thread throughout Girone’s life. She worked in various shops before opening a knitting concession at the Sagamore Hotel in Lake George.

Eventually, she saved enough to open a shop in Rego Park and another in Forest Hills, Queens. Even after retirement, her passion continued. She volunteered at libraries, teaching others the craft that had once saved her family from starvation.

After a fall at 109, she moved to Belair Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Long Island for rehabilitation where she became something of a celebrity among residents and staff.

Although her body gradually failed her, Girone’s spirit for life never waned.

“It’s pretty incredible. She’s always been so positive. She always says the secret to her longevity is she loves to eat dark chocolate,” granddaughter Gina Bennicasa tells LI Herald.

“She has good children, and she has a purpose. She always said to me, ‘Always have a purpose in life. Get up, and always have a purpose.’”

In Rose Girone’s 113 years, she found purpose in survival, in creation, in family, and ultimately in bearing witness to history. With her passing on Tuesday, we lost not just a remarkable Holocaust survivor, but a living connection to a world that sadly grows more distant with each passing day.