Rose Girone, believed to be the oldest living Holocaust survivor, passed away on Monday morning at the age of 113.

Girone ran a knitting shop in Forest Hills, Queens, and credited the craft with helping to sustain her family during the Holocaust. She was also a dedicated witness to history, sharing her experiences with the USC Shoah Foundation, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, and other institutions.

Born in Janov, Poland, in 1912, Girone’s family later settled in Hamburg, Germany, where they operated a theatrical costume shop. In 1938, she married Julius Mannheim in an arranged marriage and moved to Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) just as Nazi persecution escalated. That same year, Mannheim was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp during Kristallnacht, while Girone, then eight months pregnant, fled for safety.

In 1939, an unexpected opportunity to escape Nazi Germany arose when a cousin sent her what appeared to be a visa written in Chinese. She used the document to secure Mannheim’s release from Buchenwald on the condition that they leave Germany within six weeks. The couple fled to Shanghai, one of the last places still accepting Jewish refugees.

Life in Shanghai was harsh, but Girone’s knitting skills became a lifeline. Using wool she managed to find, she created clothing for her infant daughter. A Viennese Jewish businessman noticed her craftsmanship, helped her market her work, and taught her business skills. The income she earned selling her handmade goods to an upscale Shanghai store sustained her family through the war years.

When the family was granted visas to immigrate to the United States in 1947, Girone once again relied on her ingenuity. With each person allowed to take only $10 out of China, she cleverly concealed an additional $80 inside hand-knit sweater buttons.

The family arrived in San Francisco before settling in New York, where they reunited with Girone’s mother, brother, and grandmother, all of whom had also survived the war. Girone and Mannheim later divorced, and in 1968, she married Jack Girone. The couple moved to Whitestone, Queens, where she continued to teach knitting.

Girone turned her passion into a thriving business, opening Rose’s Knitting Studio in Forest Hills. She became well-known for her intricate designs, often replicating patterns from fashion magazines.

She sold her business in 1980 at the age of 68 but never stopped knitting. Even in her later years, she remained engaged in her craft and active within the community.

After the passing of her husband, Girone lived independently in Beechhurst, Queens, until the age of 103. Following a hip injury three years ago, she moved to Belair Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in North Bellmore to be closer to her family.

On her 113th birthday, Girone shared her secret to longevity: “Live every day with a purpose, have amazing children, and eat lots of dark chocolate.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)